Posted: June 22, 2007

Athletics: Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon Set For Sunday

VANCOUVER, BC. June 21st. - The 9th annual Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon and 5k is all set for this Sunday [June 24th ], and promises a record field of close to 5,000 participants, record fundraising totals in excess of $140,000 for six local charities, and a cracking good men’s and women’s race up front, according to Race Director Clif Cunningham. Excellent running weather [12 to 18 degrees, sunny with chance of a shower] is also in the long-range forecast for the 21k Half marathon that runs on one of the world’s most-scenic courses from UBC, down past Spanish Banks, Point Grey, Cornwall and Kits Beach, then over the Burrard Bridge and down Pacific to the Finish just inside Stanley Park. It’s a great time of the year, and the route showcases Vancouver, the ocean and the mountains, at their finest--and all in a great cause, the Scotiabank Charity Challenge, says Cunningham. The event is also race #5 in the prestigious Canada Running Series. The men’s race will feature the 2005 and 2006 winner and ’06 Canada Running Series Champ, Giitah Macharia of Toronto, against a large, tough pack of international runners and the best from East and West in Canada. The 29-year old Macharia ran 64:55 for his win in ’05, and then 64:29 last year, on the lightening-fast downhill course. He may well have to go quicker again if he’s to take top honours on Sunday. His major challenges will come from two exciting, young Kenyans, Patrick Nthiwa and Joshua Kimei. Both are age 23, with Nthiwa enjoying his 24th birthday next weekend [on the 30th]--he'd love to celebrate with a win in Canada. He has a half marathon PR of 62:36; Kimei's is 63:19. Both are fresh of the plane from Kenya, straight from altitude training camp, so they're fit and ready to race. Youth will also have to battle age in the form of wily veteran Jon Brown--the current, #1 ranked British men’s marathoner with a 2:09:31 PR, who now makes his permanent home in Victoria. Brownie placed an agonizingly-close 4th in both of the last two Olympic marathons, and won the Scotia Half in 2004 as part of his final tune-up preparations for Athens. Also look for Canada Running Series stars from the East -- Toronto’s Danny Kassap and Joseph Nsengiyumva from Ottawa [who were 2nd and 3rd in last year’s race in 64:37 and 64:51] to be in the thick of things; plus the best of the West, featuring Vancouver’s Ryan Hayden. Hayden started the season off by destroying the field at the First Half Half-Marathon in February with a new course record of 64:44. He’s not cooled off since, and even rubbed a little salt in some wounds by trouncing all the Island guys on their home turf at the Times Colonist 10K in April. The Islanders’ quest for revenge will be led by Nanaimo’s Steve Osadiuk who had a major breakthrough performance of 2:16:49 to win the Royal Victoria Marathon last October, and Jim Finlayson who was Canadian Marathon Champion in 2005 [2:18:21]. With this many good guys on a good day, they could scare Algerian Mustapha Bennacer’s course record of 63:11 set in 2003. The women’s race is a different story, and features what should be a terrific head-to-head battle between Canada’s Marathon Champion, Lioudmila Kortchaguina of Toronto, who has owned the Scotia Half, and another young Kenyan up-and-comer, Magdalene Mukunzi. Lioudmila has run four of the seven previous editions of the Scotia half and has won every one--in 2005, 2004, 2003, and 2002. She set the women’s course record--a blistering, international-class time of 1:10:50 in ’03. She is Canada’s #1 ranked women’s marathoner and is a strong bet to be flying our colours in Beijing next year. But Lioudmila has a separate and special connection to Vancouver. She was born and raised in Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains bordering Siberia. She began her marathon career in the early ‘90s in the Soviet system, where she became a full-time, professional athlete. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Lioudmila’s support evaporated and she and boyfriend [later husband] Ilia Kounavine had a tough time continuing in international athletics. The couple were married in January 1998, and daughter Polina was born later that year. “That changed everything!” says Ilia. That summer, while pregnant and unable to train, Lioudmila and Ilia had extra time. While out on one of their evening walks together they stopped in at the apartment of a friend, Monica Gubbassov, a former 800m runner. Monica was busy, in the midst of preparing to file documents to emigrate to Vancouver, Canada. “Things just came together, and for a variety of small reasons, we decided we should apply too,” recalls Lioudmila. “There were a lot of reasons. There was Monica applying. We were getting ready to have Polina and we felt we needed to do something to try to change our lives. I would also be closer to the big money races in the US,” said Lioudmila. “And Lioudmila always got to travel to races around the world, never me!” jokes Ilia. Lioudmila, Ilia and Polina finally ended up in Toronto [becoming citizens in May 2005], and Monica in Vancouver, but they still keep in close contact, and each year, Lioudmila comes out to the Scotia Half. This year she’ll also bring Polina--Ilia still doesn’t get to travel! This year, however, it will be a lot more than a social visit, and she’ll have one major, tough challenge from 24-year old Kenyan, Mukunzi if she wants to retain her undefeated record. On March 25th the two battled head-to-head at Hamilton’s famous Around the Bay 30k with the Kenyan winning in 1:46:51 and Lioudmila placing 2nd in 1:48:06. A week later, they dueled again in Washington, DC at the Cherry Blossom 10 miler where Magdalene ran an impressive 53:45 for 4th and Lioudmila placed almost two minutes back in 10th. Since then, Lioudmila has gone on to record an impressive, solo run of 2:31:57 on May 27th, to retain her national marathon crown in Ottawa. Scotia Vancouver Half promises a great re-match! Behind them, BCs best will battle it out for the places, including super-masters’[40+] runner Lucy Smith [Victoria], Tina Connelly [Vancouver], Jessica Hannah [Vernon], and Krystina Rody [Whistler]. A long-standing star on the Canadian running and triathlon scene, Lucy has been earning a continent-wide reputation for herself this year, as she's torn up the roads since turning 40. Earlier this month, she had a particularly fine outing at the prestigious Freihofer's Run for Women 5K in Albany, New York, taking the Masters' crown in an impressive 16:32, 11 seconds ahead of Russia's super-vet Firaya Sultanova-Zhdanova. Lucy was also Masters' champ and 11th overall in a top international field at the Bloomsday 12k in Spokane in May [41:58], and 4th overall in the women's field at the SunRun in April [33:51]. It’s still not too late to sign up and chase these fine runners in a great cause, for the Scotiabank Charity Challenge--or if you’re not ready to run, come out and cheer them on. It will be an exciting race to watch this year. Details, entry, and pledge information at CanadaRunningSeries.com/svhm. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest