For the first time since 2019, runners hit the road for the full Royal Victoria Marathon.
This year’s race featured nearly 8,000 competitors across the full marathon, half marathon and kids marathon events, with the routes putting each participant to the test.
“Once I got on my own sort of through Ross Bay, it started to get hard and then there’s a climb over from Clover Point which you don’t really notice in a car or on a bike, but when you’re that far in you notice it quite a lot,” says half-marathon winner Andrew Russell.
Above seasonal temperatures for Victoria greeted the runners, providing great conditions.
As for the race results, in the full marathon, Victoria’s Teferi Balcha scored the win with a time of 02:25:26. Vancouver’s Rozlyn Boutin nabbed the women’s crown, finishing the race in 02:46:48.
“It was a good day, it started off much cooler than I expected,” says Boutin.
“So that was really nice, it warmed up a bit. It was nice, there was a cool breeze so it kept it fast.”
For Boutin, who is currently studying at UBC to become a doctor, scheduling training sessions is always a balancing act.
“It’s like everything in life is a marathon, so my medical school training was like a marathon and so it really helps with the mental side of things,” says Boutin.
“It is challenging though, but I have a good group to train with so they keep me very motivated.”
To find out the full race results, you can visit the Royal Victoria Marathon website.
A Royal Victoria Marathon spectator holds a sign as runners pass in downtown Victoria on Oct. 8, 2022. (CHEK News photo)
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Cole Sorenson
