Three New Course Records for the GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon

(Victoria, BC – October 9, 2011) Records were shattered today at the 32nd Annual GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon. New course records were set in both the Men’s and Women’s Marathon, as well as in the Women’s Half Marathon. In addition, 11 age group records were set on a day that saw perfect running conditions for all 11,417 registrants.

Thomas Omwenga from Kenya dominated the Men’s Marathon and broke Steve Osadiuk’s 2006 record by finishing in 2:14:33. He was 11 minutes ahead of second place finisher, and last year’s champion, Philip Samoei who finished in 2:25:41. Third was Victoria’s Ryan Day in a time of 2:26:42. Omwenga was never really threatened, dominating from the 15km mark and running a negative split. The three-time winner of the Vancouver Marathon, ran 2:14:35 in Montreal, just two weeks before Victoria. “The conditions were very good and no wind,” he said. “I won’t race another marathon until Victoria next year, as I want to do a 2:12.” Fourth place and top Master was Vancouver’s Graeme Wilson in 2:29:34.

The Women’s race saw Toronto’s Lucy Njeri break the 22-year record set in 1989 by Val Chowaniek. Her time of 2:37:56 was 12 minutes ahead of Chelsea VanDeBrake from Yakima, WA. The 23-year-old ran in only her third marathon in 2:49:51. Third place was the dark horse Nadyia Fry from Fairmont Hot Springs, BC in 2:55:43. Njeri has won the Around the Bay 30km three times, and once she becomes a Canadian citizen, has set a goal of running for Canada in the 2016 Olympics. “I would like to come back next year and do a sub 2:35,” she said. Top Master was eighth place Margaret Dietz, from Squamish, BC in 3:06:10.

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Eleven age group records were set, three in the Marathon, five in the Half Marathon, and three in the 8K Road Race. Notable results included a 5:03:50 for Frank McKenna in the
Marathon in the M80+ category. He beat the previous time set by Bob Dolphin’s by 20 minutes. In the 8K, Maurice Tarrant once again set a record in his age category M80+ with a finish time of 41:05 and Lenore Montgomery in the W80+ in 47:22. This shattered the previous record of 1:10:02.

The event saw 1,968 register for the Marathon, 5,918 for the Half Marathon, 2,699 in the 8K, and 832 in the Thrifty Foods Kids Run & Marathon for a total of 11,417. There were 9,961 finishers including Kids Run participants – 1,623 in the Marathon, 5,076 in the Half Marathon and 2,430 in the 8K Road Race.