GRC runner Jerry Ziak makes top news in half-marathon press release. He's using it as a tune-up for the Toronto marathon.
Harbour City Half Marathon is a Nanaimo success story
Race has been an easy sell to Canada's top runners
With former Olympians and Canadian champions set to run in Sunday's Nanaimo Daily News Harbour City Half Marathon and 10K Race, it's hard to believe the fifth annual event started as coffee chat fodder in Nanaimo's Howard Johnson Harbourside Inn.
"After the city put in the E&N trail, I was having a coffee with friend in my hotel and I mentioned that we now had a route for natural half marathon there," said Dan Brady, manager of the Howard Johnson and member of the Runners of Compassion. "We gave the route a drive and it was 21 kilometres which is almost a bang-on half-marathon distance."
That was in May of 2003.
With a lot of help from the city and sponsors, the Runners of Compassion fired the starting gun on the first Harbour City Half that September.
"Everything fell into place. It sort of fell in a dead time in the race schedule when there was nothing else going on and it was a natural lead up to the Royal Victoria Marathon," said Brady. "We picked a good time."
Two-time Olympic marathoner Bruce Deacon of Victoria and Canadian half-marathon champion Steve Osaduik of Nanaimo are two worldclass runners who will be running through the Harbour City streets on Sunday.
Victoria's Lucy Smith will be back to defend her Harbour City Half women's title, while Vancouver's Jerry Ziak is gunning to better his course record time of 1:05:22, set in 2005.
Other notables include Richmond's Ryan Hayden, who was third in this year's Vancouver Sun Run, and Calgary's Lisa Harvey, Canada's top ranked woman marathoner.
Nanaimo's Stefan Jacobsen should also be among the top finishers.
Brady expects other big names to sign up before Friday's deadline for registration.
"I learned very quickly doing this that the elite runners like to register at the last minute," he said. "It's a mind game with them. None of them want to declare too quickly and they wait until the last day or two."
As of Monday, 192 people had registered for the half marathon, while another 169 signed up for the 10K race.
"The advance (registration) is higher than usual," said Dawn Morrow, race director. "Nanaimo has a lot of 'last-minute Lous' who will come and pay their money on Friday or Saturday at Frontrunners."
Registration forms can be picked up at Frontrunners, Running Room or Alberni Outpost in Nanaimo but must be completed and dropped off by Saturday at Frontrunners (3-5767 Turner Road).
In the last three years, the Runners of Compassion has raised $65,000 in charitable funds with the Harbour City Half Marathon and expect to raise another $20,000 with this year's event.
Past years' profits have helped the following projects and organizations: Runners for Kids Program; Runners for Youth Footwear Program; Haven Society; Family of Nine; Nanaimo Women's Resources Society; and Nanaimo Community Food Bank.
"I can't run anymore because of a bad knee, but I love the concept of givng back to the community and helping others participate," said Morrow.
"That's the great thing about being involved."
