As Old Man Winter creeps down the mountainsides into the Whitehorse valley, the competitive running and walking season is winding up.
Over the past five months, hundreds of Yukoners have participated in almost 20 Intersport 5K Fun Run and Walks held every Tuesday evening since May.
Most runners would say that the season started in April with the annual Law Day Charity Fun Run & Walk.
It will finish up with the Yukon Cross Country Running Championships on September 30 and Yukon Electrical’s annual Turkey Trot for charity on October 3.
While close to 50 runners and walkers will continue to train for the Royal Victoria Marathon, held on the Thanksgiving weekend, some will persevere during the fall and winter, running inside on treadmills and even braving sub-zero temperatures outside.
The cool, rainy weather on Tuesday evening did not deter nine runners and walkers from participating in the last Intersport 5K Fun Run and Walk of the season.
Running a breathtaking pace of six-minute miles, the speedy old lion Bill Matiation was the first male runner with a time of 18:50.
The modest Josianne Markley ran an enviable 7:15-minute-per-mile pace to finish in 22:30.
For the third time this season, Markley was the fastest woman. The season’s most frequent race walkers, Doris Dart and Lorne Whittaker, crossed the finish line together at 43:25.
Athletics Yukon would like to thank Intersport for sponsoring the Tuesday night races.
It would also like to acknowledge all runners and walkers who participated in the Tuesday events as well as the many other races sanctioned by Athletics Yukon over the last six months.
A special word of appreciation goes to official timers Marg White and Nicole Hulstein who each Tuesday timed, cheered on and recorded runners and walkers as they crossed over the finish line.
The results from Tuesday night are as follows:
1st Bill Matiation, 18:50
2nd Don White, 20:53
3rd Josianne Markley, 22:30
4th Clarke La Prairie, 23:36
5th Brian Mottus, 24:37
6th Sierra Vandermeer, 25:03
7th Grant Macdonald, 29:31
Walkers: Doris Dart & Lorne Whittaker 43:25