2011「加拿大陸軍 半馬拉松賽」/ 2011 Canada Army Run Half-marathon Race

On Sept 18, 2011, I finished my 3rd Canada Army Run half-marathon race with a Personal Best (PB) that beats my May 30, 2004 ING Marathon record (at the 21.1 km mark) by 33 seconds !!! Altho the difference is not that much in absolute terms, an age gap of 7+ years is significant over a runner's life span.

For example:

The qualifying time for the Boston Marathon "eases up" as a runner enters into his/her next 5-year age group. So, there is hope for those who can still run 42.2 km at age 80+ !!!!

2013 Qualifying Times (effective September 24, 2011)

Age Group	Men	Women
18-34	3hrs 05min 00sec	3hrs 35min 00sec
35-39	3hrs 10min 00sec	3hrs 40min 00sec
40-44	3hrs 15min 00sec	3hrs 45min 00sec
45-49	3hrs 25min 00sec	3hrs 55min 00sec
50-54	3hrs 30min 00sec	4hrs 00min 00sec
55-59	3hrs 40min 00sec	4hrs 10min 00sec
60-64	3hrs 55min 00sec	4hrs 25min 00sec
65-69	4hrs 10min 00sec	4hrs 40min 00sec
70-74	4hrs 25min 00sec	4hrs 55min 00sec
75-79	4hrs 40min 00sec	5hrs 10min 00sec
80 and over	4hrs 55min 00sec	5hrs 25min 00sec

(Source: http://www.baa.org/Races/Boston-Marathon/Participant-Information/Qualifying.aspx)

Anyway, here are the photos and videos of the 2011 Canada Army Run.

Photo #1: At 09h00 sharp, this cannon was fired with a loud BANG, and the half-marathon race was on !!

Photo #2: Among the front runners sprinting off at the starting line of the half-marathon was #73 Rebecca Stallwood.
Photo #3: This runner ran into trouble and had to be held to get off the race track.Photo #4: Over 16,000 people participated in the Canada Army Run at the Ottawa location on Sept 18, 2011, including many injured soldiers.

Photo #5: In the half-marathon race, Joshua Karanja of Ottawa won the male category (1/3239) and the M20-29 age division (1/607), with a chip time of 1 hr 8 min 18.9 sec and an avg pace of 3.15 min/km over 42.2 kilometres.

Photo #6: In the half-marathon race, Rebecca Stallwood won the female category (1/3147) and the F30-39 age division (1/1025), with a chip time of 1 hr 23 min 2.1 sec and a pace of 3.57 min/km over 42.2 kilometres.

Photo #7 and #8: My friend Peter (in red cap) had a new machine this year and finished the half-marathon in 1 hr 12 min 47.1 sec at a 3.27 min/km avg pace. Bravo Peter !!

Photo #9: At the end of the event, awards were given to the winners of all the races that took place in Ottawa (see video below for the Canada Army Run held in Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan).

Video #1: Here is a clip of the runners taking off at the half-marathon starting line in Ottawa.

Video #2:

Over 700 participants from different countries ran the Canada Army Run held at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. You would notice three runners were wearing face-masks as an added challenge. With the face-mask on, your air-intake rate is somewhat restricted by the filters while your body is crying for more oxygen !!!


Photo/video Credit:

* I took photos #7, 8, and 9; while the rest are from The Ottawa Citizen (Source: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/Photos+Video+Army+triumph+will+many/5421654/story.html)

* The YouTube videos are posted on-line by the Govt of Canada.

Note: At the end of my half-marathon race, I crossed over the foot-bridge near the Ottawa University and ran an additional 3+ km with my friends toward the finish line.

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UPDATED Sept 28, 2011 Re Ottawa Sun interview with Peter Morel:
Army Run keeps on growing by Kelly Roche, Ottawa Sun

First posted: Friday, September 16, 2011 08:04 PM EDT | Updated: Friday, September 16, 2011 08:16 PM EDT

Peter Morel isn’t satisfied with completing the Army Run half-marathon in 90 minutes. Morel reckons he can cover the 21-km in his hand cycle faster than his 2010 time, so on Sunday he’s taking another crack at it. “Our race bikes can cruise fairly fast, so we can cruise at around the 18 km/h mark,” he said.
He was born with spina bifida, but using a wheelchair hasn’t stopped him from excelling in athletics. “I was a Paralympic rower and am trying out for the national adaptive shooting team,” he said. And the Army Run is an event that’s close to Morel’s heart. “My father was in the Second World War, in the air force. My grandfather was in the army in the First World War,” he said, adding three friends are currently serving in the military.
He isn’t the only one training. In running circles, it’s said to be the fastest growing event — roughly 16,000 people are registered in the 2011 Army Run. “Every member of the Canadian Forces takes pride in the growing popularity of this event,” said Lt.-Gen. Peter Devlin, commander of the Canadian Army. “Although the event was created as a way for the military to thank Canadians for their support, it has become clear that Canadians also want to thank the men and women of the Canadian Forces for all they do at home and abroad. And we sincerely appreciate that.” When the Army Run began in 2008, 7,000 people participated. Last year, that number doubled to 14,000 and more than $100,000 was raised for the Military Families Fund and the Soldier On program, which trains injured soldiers.
Morel co-owns TopShape Fitness Studio in Westboro, where many of his clients are in the military. “We’ve had everything from complete amputations from land mines and IEDs to spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, you know, the list goes on and on,” he said. His goal is to get soldiers moving again. “We design programs for them and teach them how to exercise properly,” said Morel. “These are highly motivated people to begin with.” They’re so motivated, Morel has recruited about 20 others to take part with him in Sunday’s event. “These guys can do anything they want if they put their minds to it,” he said.
http://www.ottawasun.com/2011/09/16/army-run-keeps-on-growing