A record turnout of 99 registrants and a mild, sunny Dec. 14 morning made this year’s edition the best Holiday Hustle yet.
Many Santa hats and a variety of other colourful Christmas costumes contributed to the festive atmosphere.
The 5k was won by University of Victoria student and recent Chatelech grad Jordan Wilson, followed by Vancouver’s Andrew Tuovinen in the 50-plus category and Gibsons’ Kimberley Doerksen, who was sporting her old Elphinstone team singlet. The men had to work hard to avoid being “chicked” by Doerksen, who is one of Canada’s top marathoners and the women’s record holder at the Fool’s Run.
The Chatelech Racing Team was well represented, with Alex Nightingale of Halfmoon Bay taking third for the men in a new personal best time, followed closely by teammates Joshua Desrochers and Elliot Wadge of Sechelt. Another Chatelech team member, Goldney Hourigan of Sechelt, took second place for the women, with Vancouver’s Carolyn Townend rounding out the podium positions.
A small, but enthusiastic group of dance-walkers made their way around the 2k course in just 23 minutes, while many families walked and ran together. Inside the Seaside Centre, everyone enjoyed Christmas goodies and live music by Arbutus Sounds Chorus. Many locally donated draw prizes were given away, as well as the grand prize of a $150 voucher for head-to-toe running apparel, from Impact Magazine.
The fundraising portion of the event was also very successful. Two bins of toys and food plus $240 in cash donations were collected and delivered to the Elves Club. Net proceeds and additional donations, including $500 from Telus, totalled more than $1,500, which was split between the Chatelech Running Team and the Chatelech Grad 2015 fund.
See results online at: sunshinecoastathletics.org/hh5k.
