AMHERST, N.S. — A stiff north wind wasn’t enough to slow more than 170 participants in the Archway Insurance Run for the Sun on June 22.
Formerly called the Cross Border Challenge, the Run for the Sun followed a course in and around Amherst with the longer distance runners going out to West Amherst.
Pat Bradley of Halifax, who has a cottage at Amherst Shore, took the half-marathon portion of the competition with a time of just under 90 minutes at 1:28.54 while Kendra LeBlanc was second at 1:34.22 and Chad Winters of Lower Sackville third at 1:38.27.
Richard Hudson was fourth at 1:42.29 and Victor Wright fifth at 1:42.35.
“It was great out there today, it’s a great course and it was well marshalled,” Bradley said. “It was windy. It was sort of miserable one way, but favourable the other way. I sort of knew that going out so I banked some time on the way out, knowing it would be more difficult on the way in.”
In the 10K event, Colton Caballero, an ARHS student, had the top time of 37:46 while Anthony Fromm of Amherst was second at 40:13 and former ARHS track star Krista Harrison of Halifax was third at 41:07.
Gina McFetridge was fourth at 46:21 and Grayson Ingraham of Oxford was fifth at 46:59.
Fromm said the new course was a good one and while conditions were challenging at times, he enjoyed the race.
“The wind was shifting but it wasn't in my face the entire time,” said Fromm. “It was a good stiff wind, but I thought I did OK. I just did a 50-miler a couple of weeks ago so it felt to get back out again.”
For Harrison it was a return home.
“The race went very well,” she said. “It was a little windy and a little chilly, but that’s a lot better than having it too hot.”
Harrison said one of the things she noticed about the race was the number of volunteers out on the course at the water stops and service as course marshals. She was also pleased with the wide variety in ages participating in the race saying it shows how Amherst is working to become a healthy community.
Terry MacDonald of the Cumberland Y Service Club, which hosts the race, said the event went off without a hitch. He too said the volunteers had much to do with the event’s success.
“It takes a lot of volunteers and dedicated people. We start in November planning for this,” he said. “We have about 30 members in the service club and another 30 from the community helping out. There is a dedicated core of about 12 of us that organize it.”
In the 5K, David Enman of Thomson Station had the top time at 19:29 with Rajan McKenney placing second at 20:30, Dave Sutherland third at 23:16, Reg Wade fourth at 23:49 and David McLeod fifth at 24:19
Edouard Bourque or Grande-Digue, N.B. won the 3K event at 14:02, with Simon Buske placing second at 16:11, Adelaide Murray was third at 19:26, Jerry Silvea was fourth at 19:26 and Alicia Mitton fifth at 19:35.
