Victoria’s Jim Finlayson left a wake six minutes long as he finished first overall in Sunday’s rain-soaked Oak Bay Kool Half-Marathon with a time of one hour, nine minutes and 13 seconds.
Though Finlayson was three minutes off the course record, his time was six minutes ahead of the second-place finisher, Brett Withers of Seattle.
“Finlayson killed it. He ran it really well,” said race organizer Dave Milne. “But the really impressive showing was Marilyn Arsenault breaking Cheryl Murphy’s women’s record.” Arsenault, a noted opera singer, is in the 45-49 category, and ran the half in a time of 1:17:33.
Rain fell but the weather conditions weren’t for bad running Milne added.
“It wasn’t as bad as you’d think, some rain but no wind, which is key.”
More than 1,350 people ran in the combined events, the 21.5-kilometre half-marathon, newly introduced 10.73 km, 5 km and the 2 km and 400-metre kids races.
It’s the last year with Milne as the race director. The proprietor of Peninsula Runners store started the Oak Bay Kool Half-Marathon nine years ago.
“It will still be a Peninsula Runners event we’ll just have to find someone who can do a better job, someone who will catch all the little things that I miss. I’m not a little details kind of guy.”
Sidney’s Marc Trottier won the 10.73 km with a time of 39:52, a 38:21 split on the first 10 km. Victoria’s Mell Dawn Russell was the first woman across the 10.73 km finish line in 45:43 (43:53/10 km).
Victoria’s Mary McGregor was first overall in the 5 km event in 18:59. The first man to finish was second-place Michael McCue in 19:13. Team Garden Party completed the 2013 Asics Ekiden Relay first overall in a time of 1:30:03.
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