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Taylor Milne and Cleve Thorson won the Guelph Thanksgiving Day 5km and 10km respectively. Both battled the heat and ran unpressed in the local road race to win by large margins. The race was used as a tune-up for next weekend's TransCanada National 10km Championships in Ottawa where they will be joined by NEC teammates Eric Gillis and Cal Staples.
Article from the Guelph Mercury:
Heat keeps runners on toes
Hundreds brave 30 C weather during the annual Thanksgiving Day Races
Humidity hung in the air yesterday morning at what should have been a crisp, cool fall day.
It felt hotter than 30 C with the humidity at the Mercury's Thanksgiving Day Races downtown.
The heat "makes your breathing harder and it's just more uncomfortable," said Taylor Milne, who won the five-kilometre race for the second year in a row with a time of 15 minutes, 23 seconds.
"You're trying to run fast. You're already uncomfortable. This just makes it that much more."
Milne shaved 11 seconds off his previous time.
Cleve Thorson, who trains with him at Guelph's National Endurance Centre for long-distance runners, won the 10-km race by completing it in 34 minutes, nine seconds.
Thorson said the weather definitely added to the challenges of the race.
"It's very sticky out there," Thorson said.
All the runners paid registration fees for the event which partly go toward the Mercury's Kids to Camp Fund. Last year, the race brought in $4,000. This year's grand total will be determined in the coming weeks.
The tradition of holding races in Guelph on Thanksgiving Day began in 1894. It was initiated by the Guelph Herald, which was later bought by the Mercury.
The newspaper reinstated the tradition in 2004.
Since then, the number of participants has grown from 300 to 725, said event manager Guy Exley.
"Most races don't have the family component and the different distances.
"We offer a race that everyone in the family can participate in," he said.
The races ranged from a 100-metre run for children to the 10 km.
The Valeriote family has a long history of running in the event.
Mico Valeriote won races several times in the 1930s. His face was on this year's event T-shirts, which were sponsored by his descendants.
Catherine Valeriote, who is married to Mico's son Frank, ran the 5 km for the second year.
Catherine pushed her children, Olivia, 4, and Domenic, 2, the whole way in a special stroller.
"She's coming now," said Frank as his wife appeared near the finish line.
He applauded loudly and gave her a kiss when she completed the race in 36 minutes, 56 seconds.
He praised his wife for her "commitment to maintaining our family tradition of running in the Thanksgiving Day Races," by finding her own way to participate.
About 11 other family members also participated in the race, including 88-year-old Pacifico, who walked the 3 km and was the oldest participant yesterday.
October 09, 2007
LISA VARANO
MERCURY STAFF
lvarano@guelphmercury.com
GUELPH |
