More Than 12,000 Run In Manitoba Events
Posted Tuesday, 21 June, 2005
By Paul Turenne -- Winnipeg Sun
pturenne@wpgsun.com
June 20 - A record number of people ran, jogged, walked, limped, wheeled, and staggered their way across the finish line in blazing heat yesterday at the 27th Annual Manitoba Marathon.
Nearly 12,100 people -- 12,079 to be exact -- took part in yesterday's annual celebration of swollen feet and sweaty shirts, and despite the high humidity and scorching temperatures, the whole thing went down with only the slightest of hitches.
"It was a fabulous day. People seemed to be really happy and to have had a good time," said Shirley Lumb, executive director of the Manitoba Marathon.
All eyes were on the skies as the day started out, with hail, heavy rains, funnel clouds and winds of up to 150km/h wreaking havoc in the southern part of the province earlier yesterday morning.
'Monitoring the Weather'
"We were monitoring the weather closely all morning," said Lumb, who saw some lightning south of the city yesterday, but was happy to see that Winnipeg stayed more-or-less dry throughout the race.
But while the storms never materialized, the heat did.
The temperature was 23 C when the racers took off at 7:10 a.m., delayed 10 minutes because many competitors were arriving at the last minute, said Lumb.
By noon, the mercury had risen to 28 C and the combination of heat, humidity and running dozens of kilometres had claimed many a runner.
"This was the hottest one I've run," said Winnipegger David Mitchell-Dueck, who ran in yesterday's full marathon.
"I think what the weather did was slow down the pace. It did for me."
The weather did a lot worse for some people, as runners could be seen collapsing from the heat along the course, as well as throwing up.
Stephen Sumka, platoon chief with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, said 15 people were taken to hospital with heat exhaustion, including one person who collapsed inside University Stadium, only half a lap from finishing the half-marathon.
No Serious Injuries
While more than 100 medical staff were kept busy with the usual aches, pains and strains of a marathon and a few extra overheated bodies, there were no serious injuries to report, said Sumka.
Event winners included Michael Booth, who won the men's full, Brenlee Muska-Van Caeyzeele, who won the women's full, Daniel Narvey, who won the men's half-marathon and April Boultbee, who came in first in the women's half-marathon.
A North Dakota team called The Posse won the men's relay, with Tico's Chicas winning the women's relay and PKBW Elite taking home first place in the mixed relay.
The Manitoba Marathon, which also includes a 10-km walk, a 2.6-mile Super Run and a kids Fun Run, is a fundraiser for projects for people with intellectual disabilities.
"Our goal is to see people not have to live in an institution," said Lumb.
The final amount of money raised at this year's event won't be known for some time, as participants have until August to bring in their cash, she said.
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