By Leslie Ann Bent
What an incredible morning we had for our 5th annual Around the Bay simulation run (race?). We had 26 participants with 5 of those runners choosing the virtual option. From snowy Canmore, to sunny California and overcast skies in Sooke, we all came together to enjoy a day of running as well as some socializing. This year we were joined by 4 runners from Cowichan who seemed to enjoy STARR’s spirit and hospitality. We also had a very supportive cheering squad – Joldine, babies Rose and Geneva with their dads, as well as Barb’s partner on bike! There was lots of swag so no one went home empty handed. A special thanks to Maggie, Kari and Jill who took the last minute call for a substitute race morning.
When we started this STARR event 5 years ago, the idea was to promote some famous Canadian races without the need to travel afar. Around the Bay has been taking place in Hamilton since 1894 and is considered North America’s oldest race – even older than the Boston marathon. For decades, elite runners have been using this race as their last training run in preparation for the Boston marathon which is usually 3 weeks later. Although the relay is not part of the 2025 line-up, we’ve kept up the tradition here in Sooke.
This year we had several teams complete the races within seconds apart. With the staggered starts and virtual options, we never know who is in the lead until all of the results are in and tallied. A shout out to the IT Band-its who flew to the finish 32 seconds ahead of the Sooke Snails. Also, the Last Minute Team, scraped to the finish ahead of Elbows Up by 23 seconds. A congratulations to all of our runners and walkers who had an incredible day. Thanks for making the event such a success.
All participants in our event can receive a 10% off registration price for the Run Saysutshun events, June 13/14 (Newcastle Island, Nanaimo) using the code Runguides. This trail race includes 10k, half marathon, and various ultra options. Check out the website for more information. https://www.runsaysutshun.com/
Results:
Solo (30km)
Dave D – 2:31
Scott – 2:47
Barb – 2:55
Sarah McW – 3:14
Kevin (Cowichan) – 3:14
2-Person Relay (15km each)
Jocelyn & Sarah (Cowichan) – 3:06:28
3-Person Relay (10km each – more or less!)
IT Band-its – Emily, Paul, Renato – 2:40:15
Sooke Snails – Robin, Claude, Vlad – 2:40:47
Last Minute Team – Tory (15k), Maggie, Kari, Jill (5k each) – 3:12:17
Elbows Up – Ken, Elysia (Cowichan), David W – 3:12:40
Hustling Mamas - Bri, Sonya, Karla - 3:17:23
Bay City Rollers – Ian, Georgia, Sue – 3:36:36 (a truly virtual team)
220 VoltAGE – Jackie, Steve K, Danny (walker) – 4:20