The St. Albert Roadrunners and Triathlon Club is hosting a party April 18 and everybody is invited to the 25th annual 10-mile road race.
“Aside from good weather, I would like to see a record number of runners coming out to help us celebrate our 25th 10-miler. We’re going to have a 25th anniversary cake and some great prizes,” said race director Dave Wilson.
With less than three weeks to go before Yardley Jones fires the starter’s gun, organizers have been flooded with entries. As of Thursday morning, 383 runners had registered online at www.eventsonline.ca or by mail. Wilson estimates the totals are ahead of last year’s pace by 50.
“We’re always aiming for a 1,000 and we think maybe this will be the year,” Wilson said. “We seem to be having an earlier spring so that may increase the numbers.”
The record for entries is 976 in 1998. Last year 730 runners registered and 651 finished the race.
“The weather has an influence on it. Last year we had a good turnout. The year before we had that big snowstorm. Although the registrations were good leading up to the race, the day of the race there was only [515 finishers] as opposed to the 700 to 800 runners that signed up,” Wilson said.
The mighty Bellerose Bulldogs, under the direction of principal George Mentz, are also in the hunt for the open school category title.
“We’re very encouraged by the response of the running community by people of all ages,” Wilson said.
Organizers are going that extra mile to make this year’s race the best ever. The prize money has increased to $500 for the fastest male and female, $300 to the second fastest and $100 to the third fastest. Framed pictures by local artist Allan Nuttall will also be presented to the top three males and females.
To help commemorate the 25th anniversary, all the runners and volunteers receive race bags with a vintage T-shirt by Jones from an earlier race. Among the draw prizes from generous sponsors is a trip for two to Las Vegas to run the marathon or half marathon in December.
“I find the runners seem to enjoy our race and our T-shirts very much,” Wilson said. “We’ve heard so many positive comments over the years from runners about our race and that’s kind of propelled us to keep making the race as great as it is.”
The post-race ceremonies will include a salute of past male and female winners. The invited guests of honour will hopefully include Dennis Colburn (five-time race winner and the inaugural 1986 champion) and Sandy Jacobson (five-time fastest female). Also high on Wilson’s wish list are record-holders Matt Norminton (50 minutes and 46 seconds in 2007 is the course record) of Edmonton and Aster Demissie (54:36 in 2005 is the female record time), a former Ethiopian national team member with ties to Edmonton.
“I’m trying to track them down,” said Wilson.
He is still waiting to see if last year’s top male and female runners — Brian Torrance (54:25) and Tara Struyk (61:32 for 18th overall) of Edmonton — will defend their crowns.
“The winners are always the last ones to register.”
After the 651st and last finisher in the 2009 race, organizers started planning this year’s big bash.
“We have the same members on the race committee that we’ve had for several years and we all have the same desire to make the 25th 10-miler a very memorable one,” Wilson said. “This anniversary really means a lot to the core group that has been involved with the 10-miler every year. It’s always been close to our hearts.”
More than 145 volunteers are required to make the 10-miler safe and successful. A variety of duties include package pick-ups, marshalling, message therapists, water station attendants, musicians for the course and hospitality and administration staff.
“Marshalling is probably the most important and most difficult part of the race,” Wilson said of the 70 marshals that police the course. “We have some marshals that we put in our most difficult areas that come back year after year and we really appreciate them.”
After moving to St. Albert in 1994, Wilson pounded the pavement in a handful of 10-milers when he wasn’t volunteering. What makes the race so special for the retired railroader is the diversity of the rolling course, with two uphills and two downhills as it winds into a figure eight through the Sturgeon River valley and the Lacombe and Grandin neighbourhoods. The last mile and a half drops 120 feet towards the finish line behind Grandin mall.
“The enjoyable part is just running around St. Albert. It’s such an attractive city,” said Wilson, 63, who runs marathons as a hobby. “The hills are very challenging and our premium runners enjoy the race because of that difficult factor.”
FAST TRACKS: Volunteers and musicians are still needed for the 10-miler. If interested, contact Catherine Buhr at 780-458-0772.
The 10-mile entry fees are $45 online, $55 mailed in or dropped off at Cranky’s Bike Shop or the Sturgeon Valley Athletic Club (SVAC) and $65 on race day at Grandin mall. Race time is 9:30 a.m.
Forms are available at the Tech Shop, Kinsmen Sports Centre, the Running Room, Cranky’s, SVAC and all race sponsors.
This year runners aged 60 and older receive a 20 per cent registration discount. There is also free entry for people who ran all 24 races.
Visit www.starrt.com for more information.
The 10-miler is sanctioned by Athletics Alberta and is part of the TIMEX Canadian Road Race Series.
