Over 300 participants and their entourages converged on Voght Park Sunday morning for the 5th Annual Merritt Country Run.
Mother Nature once again co-operated, as near-perfect race conditions resulted in some outstanding performances and a great deal of fun in the sun.
“I thought it was a great day,” said race director Colleen Mullin, who has taken over from event founder and driving force Mary Jorgensen. “We had a very strong committee this year, and everything just sort of came together.”
On behalf of her committee, Mullin was quick to express her gratitude to the community-at-large for all its generous support in making the Merritt Country Run a success.
Ryan Pidhirniak, 26, from Kamloops raises a hand as he crosses the finish line first in the 21K race at the Merritt Country Run on June 8. Ian Webster/Herald
“Practically everything that was done for the race was done locally,” she said. “We had so many in-kind donations and forms of assistance from individuals, groups and businesses.”
It’s the community-feeling that surrounds the annual event that makes it so special, according to Mullin.
“We’re one of the last two or three runs in the province that is still being operated as a non-profit society with all proceeds staying within the community. All the other races have been bought up by big companies.”
One hundred per cent of the net profits from the annual Merritt Country Run are donated toward the Jumpstart program for local youth. The MCR total is matched by Canadian Tire.
Local runners made their presence felt in this year’s Country Run as Merrittonians past and present won three of the day’s races. Current residents Mark Nendick, 36, and Cari Barquest, 53, swept the men’s and women’s 10-kilometre event. West Kelowna’s Stephanie Lisle, 39, who grew up in Merritt, placed first in the women’s 21K race.
Other notable finishes by Merritt participants were Merrill Livesey (3rd, 5K women), Charmen Thoms (2nd, 10K women) along with Shaun Kuzio and Ravi Singh (2nd and 3rd respectively, 21K men).
There were plenty of inspirational stories surrounding Sunday’s Country Run, including Fast Eddy from Kamloops (see below) who finished fifth in the 10K run on Sunday while pushing a three-wheeled transport buggy.
Will Rodgers, a 55-year-old ultramarathon competitor from Vancouver, rode his bike to Merritt on Saturday, competed in the 21K race Sunday morning and rode back to the Coast that afternoon. Rodgers is scheduled to compete in an Ultraman event in Penticton in August that includes double-Ironman distances.
Will Gregoire, 12, gets some encouragement at the finish of the 5K run from his little sister Everleis, 5, and fellow participant Brenda Curnow.
Ian Webster/Herald
“I think the Begin to Run program here in Merritt definitely needs to be mentioned,” said Mullin. “Many of the members of this year’s group started out their training just walking. They weren’t able to run a kilometre. This weekend, they ran five kilometres, some even 10. They’re pretty special individuals.”
The Begin to Run program, which is led by Merritt Country Run personnel, has spawned the creation of the Merritt Country Kickers — a group of local runners committed to continuing their training and entering other events around the province.
Youth were well represented at this year’s Merritt Country Run with another successful two-lap event for the wee tots, and lots of participation by local elementary school students in the longer distances.
If this year’s successful event is any indication, things are only going to get bigger and better for the Merritt Country Run.
A job well done!
Fast Eddy: A Man on a Mission
You could say Eddy Dostaler (right) is driven. The energetic 25-year-old from Kamloops with the nickname ‘Fast Eddy’ has a dream, a vision, and he plans to do something about it.
Fast Eddy. Ian Webster/Herald
In 2015, Dostaler will embark on a 354-day unassisted run across Canada and back — a distance of over 21,000 kilometres — in a campaign to raise awareness and money for both the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. The two-way trip across our vast nation in one go has never been accomplished before.
“If we set our minds to it, we can accomplish anything,” said Dostaler in a press release. “Maybe we don’t solve Alzheimer’s or breast cancer tomorrow or in 10 years. But if we stand up and make the effort, anything is possible.”
Dostaler was inspired to take on his personall challenge by two childhood heroes — Terry Fox and Rick Hansen — by his grandmother, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, and by the recent passing of a revered college professor of his.
“I want to show people that no matter what happens in this world, we can overcome the hurdles,” says Dostaler. “Our actions will be heard. I believe together we can beat anything.”
