Tanya Smith, Paul Nursey and Dean Fortin are up to the challenge of running an 8K race at this year’s Goodlife Fitness Victoria Marathon.
The gauntlet was thrown down by Cathy Noel, the marathon’s general manager, to the three during a media conference Tuesday at Frontrunners Footwear on Vancouver Street.
The three are approaching the challenge from separate perspectives.
Smith is manager of community relations for CHEK TV and is also chairperson of the marathon’s charity pledge program. She doesn’t consider herself a runner.
“I’m not excited about running per se. I’m more excited about supporting a charity,” she said.
“If I’m going to be chair of the charity pledge program, I thought I needed to get more actively involved with running.”
Smith plans to enrol in a running clinic.
Nursey, president and CEO of Tourism Victoria, is a former runner.
He ran a half-marathon in 2005, but due to work commitments gave up the sport.
“One of the reasons I chose to come to Victoria was for my health, Nursey said. “I’m keen to run. I’m keen to get back in shape.”
He’s registered for a run clinic that begins in June.
Fortin, Victoria’s mayor, is a runner and has run the TC 10K in the past.
“Peer pressure is an amazing thing,” he joked when asked why he decided to take up the run challenge.
“I love to be at the race start to be there and look at the 12,000 people. It was an easy decision when invited to run.”