Posted: June 22, 2005

Athletics: Brown's late scratch creates wide-open race at Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon

Lioudmila Kortchaguina confirmed to defend women's crown

A late scratch from this Sunday's Scotiabank Half Marathon by Victoria's Jon Brown has set up a thrilling, wide-open race, in what still promises to be Canada's premier half marathon of the year. Brown's withdrawal, caused by a bad case of flu, has turned a foregone conclusion into an exciting dogfight. The Victoria resident, who placed 4th in the last two Olympic marathons while running for his native Great Britain, and ran a PR of 2:09:31 at this April's London Marathon, was the odds-on favourite to defend his SVHM title from last year. Now, it's anybody's race!

Leading the charge of the contenders will be St. Catharine's Giitah Macharia, the current Canada Running Series Champion, who ran 64 minutes flat at the Niagara Half last October—a time only 7 seconds slower than Brown's winning time in Vancouver last June. On that day, Macharia was second, and Toronto's Danny Kassap was third. The 22-year old Kassap then went on to win the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in a great debut time of 2:14:51 against an international field in September. He's also back in Vancouver, and will press Macharia every step of the way this Sunday. Add Quebec to the mix, and definitely count Montreal's Baghdad Rechem in with a chance—the Algerian newcomer has been competitive throughout the Canada Running Series this year, and likes to go to the front.

In Brown's absence, the #2 ranked GB marathoner, Huw Lobb, will be carrying the British colours, and is sure to be in with a strong chance of victory with a PR of 64:49 run at the Bath Half in 2003. He's also coming off a strong, 2:14:33 performance in London, and like Brown, is gearing up for the World Championships Marathon in Helsinki in early August. This will be one of Huw's final, major tests of fitness before Helsinki.

Also contributing to the strong international presence this Sunday will be Finland's Jussi Utriainen, who could be the unknown wild-card, with an impressive 63:45 half-marathon-best run last year in Houston.

Adding further to the competitive mix will be British Columbia's best, fighting it out for BC Championship as well as overall honours: the veteran master, Bruce Deacon; fellow Victorian and recently crowned Canadian Marathon Champion at the Ottawa Marathon on May 30th, Jim Finlayson; and Nanaimo's Steve Osaduik, who dropped his 10k PB to 30:00 in April while winning the Times Colonist 10k. With this many legitimate contenders, Deacon and Finlayson especially are in with a chance, and should have a thrilling head-to head dual for BC bragging rights. Will Deacon finally be de-throned?

The women's field further reinforces the fact that the Scotia Vancouver Half will be THE half of the year. Defending champ, Lioudmila Kortchaguina of Toronto, who is Canada's #1-ranked long-distance female and also became Canadian Women's Marathon Champion in Ottawa with a 2:32:19 (2 days after she received her citizenship!), is the clear pre-race favourite. In addition to her strong current form, Lioudmila is the current SVHM course record holder with a sizzling 1:10:46, set in 2003. But don't count out Port Coquitlam's Tina Connelly (on the comeback trail again after having her 2nd child earlier this year) and Edmonton's Sandy Jacobson, who, like Kortchaguina have run in the 72-73 minute range over the last 18 months, and are all set for a three-way contest.

Approximately 4,000 runners are expected to toe the line for Sunday's 7th annual Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon that also doubles as an important fund-raiser for the VGH/UBC Hospital Foundation. Over $100,000 is expected to be raised for breast cancer treatment and a variety of other causes at the hospitals.

...and it's still not too late to sign up for the 21k, or the accompanying 5K fun run/walk in Stanley Park!

For more information and online registration please visit www.canadarunningseries.com/svhm.