Around the Bay Simulation Run

Some of the in-person runners, walkers, and volunteers at the STARR Around the Bay simulation run. A great day was had by all!

By Leslie Ann Bent

What a great day we had on Saturday for our 4 th annual Around the Bay (ATB) simulation event. The sun was out – no rain and very comfortable not only for running but waiting in “the chute.” ATB is a very famous 30km race held in Hamilton each year. Many elite runners use the race as their last training run before the Boston Marathon (held in April) and the race generates lots of excitement. The race is considered to be North America’s oldest race as it dates back to the late 1890s!

Here in Sooke we’ve organized our own modification of the race with solo (30k), 2-person relay (15km/person), and 3-personal relay (15km/person). A record 24 members participated, most in-person but a few virtually from exotic places such as Denmark and Canmore, AB. Paul and I were the official volunteers for timing, photos, starting gun and cheering. The out and back route took us on a well-known portion of the Galloping Goose trail, largely free of traffic and allowed runners and walkers tocheer each other on as they passed one another enroute. The on-site members enjoyed water, chocolate and cookies at the end as well as some door prizes.

I was very impressed with all of our runners and walkers. There is something to be said about being on a team, knowing your team mates are counting on you. From old to young, to pregnant (two mothers-to-be), to coming off injury, to new members and seasoned members, we all managed embrace the day and have some social time together as well. There are many photos of the event. Thanks everyone for making this event such a successful one. See you virtually in Hamilton next year!

Solo: David D. - 2:35:32

2-person relay: Sooke Snails (Tory, Claude) - 2:49

3-person relay

The Team with No Name (Kayla, Sarah, Ian) - 2:35:03

Andy, Jim, David W - 2:41:15

Kari, Maggie, Jill - 2:55:05

Mother Runners + Jordan (Bri, Sonya, Jordan, Karla) – 3:13:35

Sherman’s STARRs (Ken, Sue, Jan) - 3:56:11

3-person walk/run: The Coddiwomples (Danny, Jackie, Steve) 4:51

2-person walk (32.3km – over-achievers!): Melanie C, Sharon – 5:00

Comox Half Marathon Race Report

By Kari Toovey

Six STARR members turned out on a beautiful day in Comox BC to run the Comox Half Marathon, the sixth race in the Island Race Series. STARR’s Bruce Hawkes took first place in this division, while Jill Potter Hellmann took 6 th place in her division.

The out and back course was somewhat challenging for a first-time half marathoner (me!) – with a lot of uphill between kilometers 6-11, but a nice downhill on the way back. The scenery along the way provided a nice distraction – beautiful green fields, snow-capped mountain peaks in the distance, a chorus of singing frogs, a field of horses, a field of gorgeous black cows. I think I even saw a bald eagle fly overhead (full disclosure: that was at the point in the run where I was beginning to think I might not finish and wondered if I really saw an eagle or if I was just imagining seeing an eagle, circling over me, waiting for me to collapse).

Lots of amazing runners turned out for the race in addition to our STARR crew, including two-time Olympian Natasha Wodak, who flew by on her way back, as I was plodding along towards the halfway point. Wodak crossed the finish line in 1:11:52 to break the course record by more than five minutes. Absolutely amazing!

677 runners finished the race, which looks like it could be a record for the Comox Valley Half – overall the fastest finisher was Dusty Spiller with a time of 1:09:08.

I love the Island Race Series – over the course of the races we have run with all kinds of runners, from very competitive, Olympic caliber runners to runners like me, who are just happy to be outside and off the couch. That might be the best part about running; how accessible it is to everyone. Five years ago, if someone had told me I would run a half marathon I would have laughed but now here I am thinking how I might shave a few minutes off the next one.

As I was coming up on kilometer 18 of the run, the podcast I was listening too provided this quote, “Running is a form of practiced stoicism. It means teaching your brain and body to be biochemically comfortable in a state of disrepair” from Matthew Inman. At kilometer 18 everything in my body was telling me to stop, but my body kept pushing. I’m proud of myself for finishing and I am proud off all 677 of the rest of the runners who joined that day.

Congratulations to all the STARRS who came out!

STARR and friends’ results (chip time)

Robin Wark 1:56:23

Melanie Eskildsen 2:05:26

Maggie Curtis 2:07:04

Jill Potter-Hellmann 2:12:06

Kari Toovey 2:16:05

Bruce Hawkes 4:06:09

Westcoast Sooke 10K Race Report

Medal and Ribbon Day for STARR

By Leslie Ann Bent

STARRs ran on Sooke River Road this Sunday, racing on home turf in the 5th race of the Vancouver Island race series. This race is a special one for our club as we usually have a great STARR turnout. 2024 was no exception. With members and friends 19-strong for competition and two others cheering us on along the route, we had excellent representation at this local race. I worried about heavy rain but the weather gods gave us a break. The race starts with a kids race – very fun to watch. This year, the Lion’s Club wasat the finish line with pancakes and sausages for the runners (plus special meal packages for those with dietary restrictions).

The course is an out and back, hilly and winding course with a nice downhill start and uphill climb back to the finish. It’s not the elevation that makes this course a challenging one, but rather some short steep kickers that keep runners on their toes. One thing I love about the out and back course is that it allows participants to see other runners and cheer each other on as we pass.

This race attracts an incredible field of athletes. The first runner across the finish line was Brandon Vail (M25-29) with a time of 32:14. What was more impressive on Sunday, was the well-known overall second-place finisher, Andrew Russel (M40-44) with an amazing time of 32:29 – a course record in his division. The first female athlete to cross the finish line was Speedfarm’s Jennifer Erikson (F30-34) with a time of 36:20. The top 16 runners all had times under 35 minutes on this challenging race.

The first STARR to cross the finish line was Andy Smith with a time of 41:05, earning him a silver age-group medal. The second club runner to finish was Ian with a time of 44:55, also in the M60-64 age category – his first race on Vancouver Island, earning him a 6th place age group ribbon.

Our Thursday speed night runner, Barbara Cina crossed neck and neck with Scott R, just one second behind him. She was our first female runner to complete the course. All of our athletes had an incredible day.

Here is what some STARR members had to say about the race:

Bri: “I felt good at 24 weeks pregnant :)! Definitely took it easy and listened to my body. I love the local Sooke race and the post race food offerings are some of the best I have had at any island race. The first half felt smooth and steady. I enjoyed the rolling hills and your legs got a nice break on the downhill as you approach km 5. I also took my time to hydrate with electrolytes at the 5km aid station which helped fuel me up those hills! The second half is a great challenge with some steady hills until the 8km mark. Once you see 8km it’s nice and relatively flat so you can push to the finish! Always a treat to run this route in Sooke with the local running community!”

Ian: “t was great, a very nice event and indeed my first on the Island. My takeaways were.. Great to see such a strong local presence and such good representation form the young with the kids race and the senior citizens in the 10km.  As a Canmore resident it is totally novel to be running a race in March. Our season doesn’t start till June and so that is why it all felt a little rusty for me. Lovely course, we have driven the road many times, but it is only when you run it that you notice the ups and the downs and how many bends there are thankfully obscuring the course ahead. Organizers and volunteers deserve a big shout out as it the race was superbly arranged without being micro managed.  I’d also like to acknowledge the Lions for the pancake breakfast, that was a real bonus and well deserved for us all at the end. Great to have an out and back route as you know where you are and you can give and get shout outs to/from your club mates! Lastly thanks to the rain gods for showing some discretion and holding off till after everyone had finished.”

Melanie C: “What I really liked was the support and encouragement given by all our STARRS! Seeing Jackie at the top of the hill made me pick up the pace because I didn’t want to get caught walking! And, to see that this race has survived the test of time with so many younger runners coming out now. The organization did a great job and I am was so happy to see our local Sooke Lions Club cooking up pancakes along side the ladies of Sooke Harbourside Lions catering to our celiac runners.”

Sonya: “It was a great day! I’m so glad I did it, I had some doubts prior. Seeing all the STARRs on course and having a pregnant run buddy made it more enjoyable! I’m also glad we did a test run a few weeks ago, that helped prepare me for the hills on the course.”

Claude: “ideal weather for the race and great to see so me Starrs either participating or supporting.  A shout out for Robin for dragging me up the hills.”

And, short and sweet from Robin: “I enjoyed the event and it was awesome to see so many STARR runners out there.”

STARR and friends’ results (chip time)

Andy (M60-64) 41:05, 2nd

Ian (M60-64) 44:55, 6th

Scott (M35-39) 45:16

Barbara Cina (F45-49) 45:17, 3rd

Steve E. (M50-54) 47:17

Jordan (M35-39) 51:04

Claude (M60-64) 54:21

Robin (M45-49) 54:22

Melanie E (F40-44) 55:41

Maggie (F50-54) 57:03, 9th

Jill (F60-64) 57:11, 6th

Kari (F50-54) 58:34, 10th

Bri (F30-34) 1:04:32

Sonya (F35-39) 1:07:02

Georgia (F60-64) 1:12:51

Melanie C (F70-74) 1:17:55, 7th

Bruce (M80+) 1:37:16, 4th

Unofficial times (as both registered, but started a few minutes early)

Donna H 1:32

Leslie Ann 1:37

A big congratulations to all of our runners. Thanks to Joldine and Jackie for coming out to cheer.

Goddess Run Report

By Leslie Ann Bent

Lining up at the start-line this past cool Sunday morning brought back some fond memories of my first Goddess run in 2019, the year Andy and I moved to Sooke. With fellow STARRS, Carol and Jenny, and our husbands as our personal cheering squad, we ran (took over more like) the streets of Westhills with hundreds of other runners.

Five years later the Goddess Run is still going strong and has moved to the much nicer location at Elk Lake/Beaver Lake. Scenic and traffic-free, the course offers groomed trail and gentle hills circling the lake. Options for 5k and 10k on-site as well as virtual, makes this sold-out race so popular. This race started back in 2012 with a focus of women supporting women. Although men are encouraged to run, it’s a race that is dominated by females. (Sorry guys if you needed to the use the facilities, it was taken over by the ladies). It’s also much earlier in the year now and is a great event to kick off the race season.

For me it was about shaking off the ol’ cob webs and testing my racing readiness. In addition to the cardio and muscle readiness, as a type 1 diabetic, the season also starts with re-jigging insulin levels and carbohydrate balancing with the more exerting level exercise during a race –no year is ever quite the same for minor adjustments. So, a first race is a good opportunity to test insulin levels and nutrition choices without it being at a goal race.

The well-organized event (in its 13th year) gets a lot of support from the community in terms of sponsors and volunteers, and also gives back. This year’s charities included the Victoria Hospice, Victoria Women’s Transition House and the Esquimalt Military Resource Centre. Superheroes of Victoria were there in full form and costumes to support the cause. Many people young and old got their photos taken with the likes of Batman and Captain America, while the Lady Octopus did the dance moves on stage with the warm-up team.

The race started at the Filter Beds at the end of Beaver Lake. The first 120 meters were up a hill but then flattened out to a gentle trail with some roots and rocks to watch out for. The first 800 meters or so were crowded but by the first kilometer marker, the athletes had spread out and it was a comfortable race after that. The 5k course was out and back so it was a great opportunity to cheer on other runners. Volunteers in dinosaur costumes made sure that the 5km turned instead of following the 10k participants. The 10km circled the lake.

Since the start was up hill, that made for a great downhill sprint to the finish and I took full advantage. It wasn’t a stellar performance for me (exactly middle of the pack in my age group) but it was a lot of fun and very motivating seeing so many runners out there. The stats showed 289 women finishing in each of the races and a couple of token men – 2 in one and 3 in the other. It was a great way for me to start 2024 racing. I’d encourage anyone who hasn’t run it to try it for 2025.

Sicily Race Report

By Ken Pungente

Ken running with world class runners at a race in Augusta.

Hello all from Sicily,

Just thought I would send out a race report to date as I have one more race before I leave back to Canada this month.

 I was in 7 competitive races so far with four 1sts, one 2nd & two 3rds. My running club here ( Pachino Running ) post a lot of info & pics on WhatsApp. The races were in Avola, Augusta, Catania, Ispica, Portopalo - Marzamemi, Acireale & Balestrade.

Most of these towns and cities have a great history and are very picturesque. The Marzamemi to Portopalo called (Due Mari, 2 seas ) is a half marathon & also has a 10km which I ran. The race travels along the sea coast and goes past where the Ionian & Mediterranean seas meet in the town where I live ( Portopalo di C.P. ) and is as far south that you can go in Sicily.

 The Augusta race was very special as I had the privilege of running with about 10 world class runners from Kenya, Burundi & Italy. Below is a pic of me getting ready to pass 2 of them (NOT). A lot of these races are on Festival days or to honour people of note.

I'm still having some good times on the longer races with 1.14.14 on the Catania 10.5 ( half of a half ) & Acireale 10km. with a 109.11, not bad for the 80+ category. A lot of  these race results & pics can be found on Timing Data Services ( Sicilia ) who run the timing for a lot of these races.

Will close for now & look forward to some runs & races in Canada when I return. Stay hungry, Stay foolish, Ciao, Ciao, Ken Pungente

Ken standing happily on the podium with his third place medal at a race in Sicily.

A collection of snazzy medals and ribbons from Sicily—well done Ken!

STARR Cedar 12k Race Report, February 11, 2024

Melanie, Andy, Kari, Maggie, Jill, and Joldine

By Andy Smith

Nine Starr members made the trip to Cedar (near Nanaimo) for the third race in the Vancouver Island Race Series on Sunday February 11th hosted by the local Bastion Running Club.  All our runners agreed it’s a great location for an event with a scenic and challenging course. The route rolls over quiet rural roads starting and ending near Cedar Elementary School. The after-race meal and award ceremony were hosted in the school gym.

The weather looked threatening on the morning of the race with rain and fog on the drive from Sooke over the Malahat Pass. Fortunately, the precipitation stopped before the 11am start and conditions for the race were misty and cool but pleasant with calm winds. Seven club members lined up at the start. Two more club members, Donna and Justin Heeley, were also present cheering on daughter and son-in law from the sidelines. In all there were 421 participants representing age categories from under-16 to 80+. It was an out-and-back course, so it was fun to cheer teammates and other runners as we passed each other on our way out or back to the start/finish. The race was won by Brandon Vail from the Speedfarm club in a time of 38:33 (that’s 3:13 per km!). The top female runner was Jennifer Ericson (also from the Speedfarm club) in a time of 44:03. The Bastion Running Club did a great job with volunteers and food. Hot coffee, homemade sandwiches and cookies and door prizes at the awards ceremony were much appreciated.

STARR participants seemed pleased with their performances on the day. Four earned medals/ribbons for top ten age group results. Jill and Melanie ran identical times, although competing in different age groups! It was great to see lots of younger runners which bodes well for the future of running and running clubs here on Vancouver Island. Congratulations to all our finishers!

Cobble Hill 10K

By Maggie Curtis

Sooke was well represented at the Cobble Hill 10K race on January 28th.  Cobble Hill is the second race of the Island Race series, which has 8 races in total running from January to April.  The course was beautiful and foggy and it looked like everyone had an amazing time.  

Top finisher overall was Andrew Davies of Vancouver, with a time of 29:32.The top finisher of the women’s race was Glynis Sim of Vancouver, with a time of 33:23. A record was broken again by Roz Smith for her age group of 75-79, with a time of 49:11.  For two races in a row, Roz has crushed it.

The route is fairly flat with a few  hills around 4 and 8 kms. Although it is mostly a circle route, there is an out and back early in the race so it was neat to see the fast runners whizzing by while I was puffing away and getting my race legs on.  Congratulations to all the STARRs who participated!  The next race is the Cedar 12K on Sunday, February 11. 

STARR – January Blues – Week 4 Recap

Portsalon Beach

By Leslie Ann Bent

This has been such a motivating event for our 19 STARR participants. With five teams taking on the challenge, four teams have finished the January Blues and one team is 99% complete.  What an amazing feat. With 3 more days to go, together we’ve done almost 3,500km! I’m expecting all teams will be finished by tomorrow.  So, pat yourselves on the back and give a rah, rah to your teammates.  The draws for race entries to the Run Sayshutsun and CFB Esquimalt Runs will take place at the February monthly STARR meeting.

Giant’s Causeway Challenge, Coastal Ireland

This was a great week for both teams. 

As each member of Into the Mystic sent in their weekly mileage, it looked like the team was going to be 1km shy of their destination. However, Bri must have been out gathering the celebratory drinks and treats. She brought the team to finish line with a few minutes to spare – carrying treats! The finish line prizes for the team include treat bags with Irish breakfast tea & Emerald Isle treats for Kari, Justin, and Donna and a bag of Bailey’s Irish Cream chocolates for Bri herself. Meanwhile, Maggie decided to explore the nearby Fanad Lighthouse and her finish line prize was a book. The team is hanging out on the beautiful sandy, crescent beach, named the second most beautiful beach in the world by the Observer newspaper. Not a bad place to end.

The Causeway Coasters meanwhile continued along the northerly rugged coast passing by many scenic and dramatic landscapes. Leslie Ann and Ken stopped at Crohy Head for some photo opportunities. Its sea arch is one of the many hidden gems dotting this spectacular coastline.  Joldine and Sue spotted Nanda’s Home Cooking coffee shop in Lettermacaward. They sampled Irish breakfast tea and Irish cream (chocolates) and will bring some home as souvenirs. Leslie Ann and Ken will be surprised to see what treats await them back in Otter Point and Shirley when the team reaches home soil. For now, they will spend the night in this small village overlooking the coast. Sue’s GPS system was failing  - no signal I guess in this remote spot.  Once she’s reconnected, we’ll get her mileage for the week.


The Gold Rush Challenge (724km) + add-on coastal route to Ballysadare = 717km

Lots of excitement has happened in the Yukon this past week. Klondicitis easily made it to Dawson City. Did you know that Dawson City is Yukon’s second largest municipality and has only 1,375 residents? In 2023, it became part of a UNESCO world heritage site. In its heyday during the gold rush, it was a city of mud streets, casinos, churches, saloons, and theaters. Today, the local CIBC still weighs and handles gold. Gerites (Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall) is still open for business and that’s where each of our teams have rested and celebrated their Gold Rush Trail completion. Sarah and Dave found some gold nuggets to take home (gold wrapped chocolates). Paul will be taking home some True North Coffee. After resting, they are helping clear the course for the Yukon Arctic Ultra along with Boone’s Crew. They’ve made their way past the Braeburn check point and part way to the Mandanna Lake check point.

Boone’s Crew has had a phenomenal week as well. The ultra race has a number of check points where participants in the race can rest, have something to eat, and treat frost bite. Last week the Boone’s Crew was near the Dog Lake check point. This week they passed several of the checkpoints.  Their last check point of the week was McCabe, an area known for fishing when it’s not in the dead of winter. Perhaps this spot is of interest to Danny? Heavily energized by treats from week 3, the team made great progress and are resting about 25 miles from Pelly’s Crossing. Hot drinks for Danny, Jackie and Robin, while Jill is curled up with a book (The Complete Book of Running for Women).

You may be wondering what’s happened with the Gold Diggers.  They were last seen 231km from the finish line.  Plagued early on by sickness and weather, this team earned the determination badge this week.  Making their way through Summit Roadhouse, Gravel Lake, and the gold fields of Flat Creek and Rock Creek, they can now see Dawson City about 7 or 8km in the distance. They stopped for one last night. Marika and Ian did not find gold at Rock Creek but instead found some interesting books. (House Calls by Dogsled: Six Years in an Arctic Medical Outpost for Ian and At the Mountain’s Edge  - an historical fiction novel about the Yukon Gold Rush for Marika). Andy is enjoying a hot drink before tomorrow’s push to the finish line.

RESULTS WEEK 3

Giant’s Causeway (Goal 500km); add-on to Ballysadare (+217k) = 717km

Causeway Coasters – Ken (42km), Joldine (25.5km), Leslie Ann (32km), Sue (lost cell service!!) = cumulative 608km (complete), Lettermacaward, Ireland

Into the Mystic – Maggie (28km), Justin (16.5km), Donna H (22km), Kari (47.9km), Bri (26km) = 525km (100% Complete) Portsalon Beach!

Gold Rush (Goal 724km) add-on Yukon Arctic Ultra (+483km) = 1,207km

Boone’s Crew – This week’s mileage - Danny (88km), Jackie (54.85km), Robin (87km), Jill (53.71km) – Cumulative 1,094km (Gold Rush complete, Montaine Arctic Ultra about 76%)

Klondicitis – Sarah (106km), David D (67.2km), Paul (39.37km) – cumulative 917km (Gold Rush complete, Montaine Artic Ultra 40% complete, about 25 miles from the Mandanna check point)

The Gold Diggers – Andy (59.5km), Ian (71km), Marika (92.75km) – 716.2km (99% complete, on the outskirts of Dawson City)

STARR – January Blues – Week 3 Recap

St Eunan’s Cathedral

By Leslie Ann Bent

This has been an exciting third week on our virtual route challenges and of course we’ve had all sorts of weather. I’m excited to say it hasn’t impacted many of our STARR participants as the mileage this week looks very impressive. Two teams have finished. There is no prize for finishing first though. All of the STARRS who are still out on their routes are doing well and all have the finish lines in sight with 10 days left to go (We’re 67% of the way in terms of time and all teams have completed at least 68% of the mileage). Currently is it -33C in Dawson City and it’s raining and 7C at the Giant’s Causeway.

Giant’s Causeway Challenge, Coastal Ireland

Both Ireland teams have passed the Giant’s Causeway this week. Yay! All were awed by the dramatic cliffs and the wild Atlantic ocean surrounding the natural causeway. This site is Northern Ireland’s only UNESCO world heritage site. Some STARRs lingered to walk along the stones. Other took snapshots. Some Irish luck rained down on Ken when he found that Lucky 7 scratch card hidden among the stones.

Into the Mystic took their time exploring the rugged coast en route to the UNESCO site. Maggie decided to stop in Larne to enquire about ferries to Scotland and pause for a needed drink. Much to her surprise, at the Vintage Tea Room and Sensational Cakes shop, she found the first hidden prize of the week – a package of UK teas!

Donna carried on past Maggie as the fortified manor house (which is now thought to be haunted), the old mill and the Ballygally Castle Hotel piqued her interest. While searching for ghosts around the manor house premises, Donna found an Emerald Isle treat bag! Into the Mystic, happy with the week’s progress, settled for the night just passed the Giant’s Causeway.

Joldine and Sue were also lucky on their choices of rest stops. Joldine checked out the university town of Coleraine. From beaches to ruins, this spot is a great stopping point for anyone spending time on the coast. Joldine was curious about the medieval Dunluce Castle that inspired many from CS Lewis to Led Zeppelin and in searching the ruins, she found a book (Soul Sisters cookbook)!

Sue wandered through the cathedral town of Letterkenny. With its gothic revival architecture, the St Eunan’s Cathedral can be spotted from miles away. Sue also found a hidden book (The Complete Book of Running for Women by Claire Kowalchik) there under a pew. The Causeway Coasters finished their week at Portsalon, completing the challenge. They will continue along the coast to explore more of what Ireland has to offer with Ballysadare as their final destination. (216km from Portsalon).

The Gold Rush Challenge (724km)

Back on the other side of the world, three STARR teams continue to embrace the cold and the wild wilderness of the Yukon. Boone’s Crew has completed the challenge. Klondicitis is almost at Dawson City and the Gold Diggers are enjoying solitude as they evenly pace their selves to the finish line.

The thing about the Klondike Highway and the Gold Rush route is that one could go for kilometers upon kilometers and not find a town or even a soul. It can be a very beautiful but lonely place at times. Ian decided to stop at the 400km mark regardless. It was the middle of nowhere to be honest. With no one in sight, but with lots of snow, he just decided to break the monotony and build a snowman - making a supply of snowballs to greet STARRs passing by. What fun! This took him back to his childhood. Invigorated, he continued. (Ian has earned the Jelly Bellies snowman and chocolate snowballs – nice treats on a cold day).

Meanwhile, Paul was intrigued by the recently closed Minto copper and gold mine near Pelly Crossing. The community of about 300 residents looks huge on the horizon and Paul decided to see what he could find. Did you know that copper is also found in nuggets? Although the sign said “no trespassing” Paul figured a little look around the mine couldn’t hurt. Perhaps something of value was left behind? Paul found some copper nuggets! (copper-coloured wrapped chocolates).

Dave spent some time en route looking for the Summit Roadhouse. It was clearly marked on the map so why wouldn’t there be a roadhouse? It was there in 1914. Hmm. A book (A Runner's Journey by Bruce Kidd) was left by the sign and Dave took it before continuing north.

As some of the team members were nearing Dawson City, they realized they were passing the gold fields. Gold can still be found and many people who visit the region, test their luck while panning for gold in various hot spots. Marika found some “gold” nuggets at McQuesten. Robin was also successful finding some “gold” nuggets at Flat Creek. Jill wasn’t to be outdone by her teammates. Rock Creek was her sweet spot for bag of “gold.” (gold wrapped chocolates).

Jackie’s rest stop at Gravel Lake was also fruitful and hopefully lucky. A Gold Rush scratch card was hidden under the snow and picnic table.

Danny earned a gold prospector shirt and gold nuggets too as he led their team to Gerties in Dawson City. Boone’s Crew was quite pleased to rest awhile at Gerties and enjoy a few hot and cold drinks. They are not done! They have been recruited by the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra to help clear the route for the upcoming ultra starting on February 4th in Whitehorse. This ultra follows the famous Quest Trail – the trail of the world’s toughest sled dog race. The race offers a marathon, a 100-miler and a 300-miler which more or less follows along the route from Whitehorse towards Dawson City. Participants can choose to use their feet (run/walk/jog), mountain bike or cross-country skis when they take on this adventure. To make this event happen, the race organizers are in need of some extra volunteers to sweep the course before the participants head out. Boone’s Crew will do what they can to sweep the 430km course.

Klondicitis has completed their week just past Rock Creek while the Gold Diggers are almost at the Summit Roadhouse.

Congratulations to all of our teams. Who will win next week’s prizes?

RESULTS WEEK 3

Giant’s Causeway (Goal 500km)

Causeway Coasters – Ken (40km), Joldine (40.6km), Leslie Ann (28km), Sue (21km) = cumulative 508km (complete), Portsalon (just beyond!)

Into the Mystic – Maggie (33km), Justin (11km), Donna H (11km), Kari (43.5km), Bri (20km) =385 km (77% complete) Just beyond the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland

Gold Rush (Goal 724km)

Boone’s Crew – This week’s mileage - Danny (130.5km), Jackie (69.39km), Robin (73.5km), Jill (53.86km) – Cumulative 810km (Gold Rush complete, Montaine Arctic Ultra about 20%, approaching Dog Grave Lake checkpoint)

Klondicitis – Sarah (128km), David D (77km), Paul (62km) – 704.7km cumulative km (97% complete)

The Gold Diggers – Andy (21km), Ian (51km), Marika (91.3km) – 493km (68% complete)

Pioneer 8k Race Report, January 14, 2024

Maggie, Barbara, Kari, Andy, Jilll and Joldine

By Andy Smith

Kari, Andy and Melanie

STARR members enjoyed a crisp cool day of friendly competition at the Vancouver Island Race Series on Sunday in North Saanich. The 2024 season kicked off at the Pioneer 8k road race hosted by the Prairie Inn Harriers running club. This event makes a great entry to the race season as the distance and terrain is not too intimidating. Nine STARR club members represented STARR in different age categories at this popular and well attended event (541 participants). Fortunately, the snow and ice that made Sooke roads so treacherous last week was nowhere in evidence on the fast out-and-back course. This event attracts some fast elite runners, and this year was no exception. It was fun to cheer the elites as well as STARR teammates as we passed each other on the way back to the start/finish. The Prairie Inn Harriers did a great job with volunteers and food. Hot coffee, pizza and door prizes at the awards ceremony were much appreciated. Jill was winner of a prize draw for gourmet coffee! Other draw prizes included a pair of running shoes courtesy of race sponsor Frontrunners.

Jill, Maggie, and Kari

This year the overall race winner was Aaron Ahl from Calgary who ran a blistering time of 23:44. He competed collegiately at the University of Washington and recently moved to Victoria to train and run professionally. Top female finisher was Anja Krueger from Winnipeg with a time of 27:55. She trains out of Victoria as a triathlete. The most outstanding performance of the race came from Vancouver Island legend Roslyn Smith (F75-79) who wowed the spectators and fellow racers by breaking the Canadian F75 8k record with a time of 39:02.

Whether “racing hard” or “shaking off the cobwebs” STARR participants seemed pleased with their performances on the day. Four earned medals/ribbons for top ten age group results. It was great to see an impressive turnout for the race especially the increased number of younger runners which bodes well for the future of running and running clubs here on Vancouver Island. Congratulations to all our finishers!

Below photos courtesy of Joe Crazy Legs

January Blues – Week 2 Recap

Carmacks, Yukon

By Leslie Ann Bent

This has been an exciting second week on our virtual route challenges. The Yukon teams wanted to really experience winter conditions and so kindly brought the wind, ice and snow to our little spot on the globe here in Sooke. Today in Whitehorse, it was a high of -24C but felt like -42C this morning.  However, I’m told the weather is warming up. It’s not been so mild in Belfast either – just under zero there at the moment.  Seven “fabulous” prizes have been won again this week.  With 14 days of 31 under our belts, we’re 45% complete in time and all teams exceed 45%!!  Anything can happen though. Here is how this week played out.

Giant’s Causeway Challenge, Coastal Ireland

Our two Irish teams are quickly making their way north around the coast and are already experiencing what Northern Ireland has to offer.

This week, everyone had Belfast in their sights. The Causeway Coasters seemed to be on a mission.  They had no time to stop for tea or Bailey’s Irish Cream, nor even a Guinness as they made their way north, passing Portavogie with its pretty Kirkton church, nor in Ballycopeland to see the historic and only working windmill in Northern Ireland.  Even the world’s linen capital of Belfast did not give them time to pause and find the hidden treasures within. They didn’t even to stop to consider a side trip when they passed the ferry to Scotland.  No prizes for them this week but they are now very, very close to the UNESCO site – The Giant’s Causeway with its 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. If you are a Game of Thrones fan, you might recognize the area they are in – Ballintoy Harbour where part of it was filmed, and just beyond, the Dunseverick Castle – 1,500 years old!.  The Dunseverick Rambler’s Rest looked like just the spot for the Causeway Coasters to end week 2.

The Into the Mystic Team has decided to pace themselves because they want to experience some of what Northern Ireland has to offer while keeping a great pace too. Working together, their efforts have paid off. Bri was the first to get to Belfast and in The Tea Shop, guess what she found? A box of Irish breakfast tea and a souvenir sticker from Ireland. I hope she likes a strong tea! Belfast has a number of great tea shops and Bri was lucky enough to choose the right one! 

While Bri was enjoying her cuppa, Justin decided to secretly continue north and head a little off the beaten path once he arrived in Whiteabbey. His destination?  Mallusk.  He’d heard about the Bailey’s Irish Cream factory and he couldn’t resist. Maggie and Donna followed, wondering what he was up to. Fortunately, there were three cylinders of Bailey’s chocolates waiting for them, hidden near the factory. The team has carried on and are now comfortably resting at the Loughshore Hotel with a great view of the Norman Carrickfergus Castle said to be 800 years old and still intact.

The Gold Rush Challenge (724km)

Back on the other side of the world, three STARR teams continue to embrace the wild wilderness of the Yukon. All teams have had their last thrill of a big town, having left Whitehorse behind.

With Boone’s Crew leading the way, Jill took some time at Fox Lake to take some gorgeous photos.  While there, she was the first to find a bag of “gold” nuggets (gold foil wrapped chocolates). While Jill lingered, Danny, Jackie and Robin were a force to be reckoned with.  No stopping at the Montague Roadhouse and only a quick restock at the bake shop in Carmacks.  Although Jackie stopped quickly in Pelly Crossing to see where her son once worked, the rest of the crew carried on passing the Summit Road House. Although not quite there, I think Danny has his sights on McQuesten, which is a little known gem of a spot. It’s not far from the famous gold fields and offers excellent fishing, particularly for arctic grayling, with a good chance of sighting moose (as well as wolves and bears). The gang has set their tent up for the night with about 15km to McQuensten.

The Gold Diggers have been picking up their pace this week and have quickly passed Whitehorse. Marika wasted no time this week leading the charge and she was the first to reach the Montague Roadhouse historic site. It’s one of the last remaining relics of the Overland Trail.  She was lucky enough to find a Gold Rush scratch card.  Nice going Marika. With not quite enough time to reach Carmacks this week, and too early to stop in Braeburn at the lodge, the team has pitched a 4-season tent on the side of the road to end week 2 there.

Lastly, the Klondicitis had another fantastic week, with all members exceeding their individual goals once again. They too passed many of the spots that The Boone’s Crew passed but they did linger longer in Carmacks.  Sarah and Paul checked out the bake shop, while David wisely had a meal at the Sunshine Restaurant.  Under his seat, he too was lucky enough to find a Gold Rush scratch card.  With their stomachs refueled, the gang carried on towards Pelly Crossing.  They too were a bit short on time, so like the Gold Diggers, they found a protected spot by the side of the road not far from the abandoned Minto copper-gold mine and set up their winterized tent. It is the middle of winter. But somehow this area is warmer than Whitehorse – only -21C.  Some hot drinks would go down just fine.

Congratulations to all of our teams.  Who will win next week’s prizes?

RESULTS WEEK 2

Giant’s Causeway (Goal 500km)

Causeway Coasters – Ken (41km), Joldine (38km), Leslie Ann (45.9km), Sue (57.8km) = cumulative 378.8km (75% complete), Dunseverick, Northern Ireland

Into the Mystic – Maggie (28.5km), Justin (14.8km), Donna H (14.75), Kari (48km), Bri (20km) = 266.65 km (53% complete) Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland

Gold Rush (Goal 724km)

Boone’s Crew – This week’s mileage - Danny (130.5km), Jackie (69.39km), Robin (73.5km), Jill (53.86km) – Cumulative 572.2km (79% complete)

Klondicitis – Sarah (76km), David D (68km), Paul (64.82km) – cumulative 437.72km (60% complete)

The Gold Diggers – Andy (46km), Ian (56km), Marika (87.7km) – 330km (46% complete)