Cambridge Harriers Running Club

 Steve Mota was 4th in his 60-64 age category in the Quebec City Marathon. On a scenic and hilly course in 14 degree temperature (nearly perfect) he ran 3 hours and 35 minutes. 
 On Thanksgiving Day Monday, George Aitken competed in his 1,221st career race, but only his first race in five years. It was in Guelph and he was in the one mile event and was the first over 40 finisher with a time of 9 minutes and 25 seconds.
  Jacob Zerko was 5th in 2:41 in his first marathon in Hamilton and Kath Willis was 1st 65 year female in the 5 race, in just under 27 minutes. 

There was a flurry of local activity in recent races including some good club performances.
 As might have been reported previously, Rob Brouillette was first in the Pasture Dash 10K off-road race near Ayr, and Jacob Zerko was 3rd. They had times of 33:45 and 35:28 in the field of 130 runners. Mike Hammond was 30th in 48:01 and was 1st in the 50-59 age category.
  In the recent Glass Canada Railway City 10K Race in St. Thomas, Steve Mota was 5th in 44:05 and won the 60-69 category. Dave Johnson won the 70+ category with a 53:40 clocking. In Saturday's Oakville Half Marathon, Jacob Zerko placed 4th overall in a time of 1:14:18 and Rob Brouillette was 5th with the same time. They placed 1st in their respective age classes (20-29 and 30-39). And in Sunday's Fall Classic 5K held in Riverside Park, over 500 runners competed with London's Jeremy Coughler winning in 14:15.
 Sydney Collins was the top female in 18:37. Greg Danayan of Cambridge was 5th in 15:47 while Gary Cassel junior led the Harriers contingent in 68th with a time of 21:40. He was 1st in the 55-59's. Katherine Willis won the women's 65-69 category in 27:13 and Brenda Cassel took silver in the 70+ category, running 42:33.        

​At the annual Runway Race on the Breslau Airport main runway, 151 runners competed, with Olivia Grafinger placing first among the female finishers in a time of 12:23. Kevin Medeiros was 3rd male overall in 10:42. Gary Cassel junior placed 9th overall with a 12:39 clocking and he was 2nd in the 50-59 age category. 
  At the Ontario Masters track and field championships in Toronto, June 30th, Gary Cassel junior doubled, with a 2:38 in the 800 metres and a 5:30 in the 1500 metres. Those times put him 5th and 4th in the 55-59 age category, respectively.
  Everyone is reminded of, and invited to take part in the annual Terry Fox Run in Riverside Park on September 15th. The official start time is 12 noon and the route is a flat, 2.5 km loop which can be run or walked as many times as you wish.
  Also on September 15th is the 3rd annual Pasture Dash 10 km trail run at Willibald Farm and Distillary on Wrigley Road near Ayr. Start time is 10 a.m.

Rob Brouillette competed in, and won the Run Waterloo EndurRun eight day, 7 race competition for the 8th time last week. The event totals 100 miles and the final event is a full marathon which Rob ran in a time of 2:44:24 this year. A couple of weeks before that, Rob competed in the Tally In The Valley 21K trail race in Ancaster, finishing second in 1:19:12. Charlotte Vasarhelyi of Cambridge was 3rd in the 12 hour race there, covering 98.0 kilometres.
  At the Canadian Masters Track Championships in Laval Quebec, former Harrier Ryan Leef, who lives in the Yukon placed 2nd in the men's age 50-54 category 1500 metres (4:49), 2nd in the 10,000 metres (41:23) and 1st in the 5000 metres (18:24) all in brutally hot conditions. Katherine Willis took gold in the women's 65-70 800 metres with a 3:47 clocking. Katherine's husband Bill was recently inducted into the Canadian Masters Hall of Feme for his many years of contribution as an administrator, runner and official.

​Steve Mota and Dave Johnson were among the 160 runners in last week's Summer Night 5K Road Race in London and were winners in the 60-69 and 70+ age categories, respectively. Behind the overall winner Matt Talbot (15:57), Steve Mota was 22nd in 21:29 and Dave was 68th in 26:43.

Last week, the Cambridge Mill Race returned after a covid delay and it was a major success for the Rare Bits club who took over the organization duties. Both the kids race and the 8K race were sell-outs. The race was run on the usual out and back trail route starting at Riverbluffs Park; We had at least 9 Harriers among the 170 finishers, including three category winners, while several more club members had volunteer positions.
    Patrick Dean from Guelph was the overall winner in 26:30 while Waterloo's Rachel Love took the women's title in 33:19.
 The Harriers included Jacob Zerko who was second in 27:17, Pedro Fernandes, the 50-59 category winner in 34:44, Steve Mota who was the 60+ category winner in 36:35 and the women's 40-49 category winner, Joyce Barlow (photo attached), who ran 42:28. The other Harrier results were: Nelson Coelho 39:44, Sharon Rutledge 45:24, Andrew Macdonald 47:50, Brad Hillier 48:19 and Martin Agnew 48:38.

   At the recent Watford Alviston 16 km Road Race, Jacob Zerko placed second in the field of 95, posting a time of 58:32. Then at the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend in the nation's capital, Jacob placed fifth out of 7400 runners in the 5K event, crossing the line in 15:52.
  At the Sulphur Springs Trail Races in Ancaster, Rob Brouillette was first in the 50K, running the hilly route in 3:33:41. There were 250 competitors. 
    A couple of Harriers ran the Baden 5K Road Race a week ago. Gary Cassel junior was 25th in the field of 225 runners, crossing the line in 21:42 to place 4th in the 50-59 age category. Katherine Willis was first in the women's 60-69 age category with a time of 27:42.

​Steve Mota was the lone Harrier in the Conquer The Canuck 12.5 kilometre trail race a Shades Mill Conservation Area on May11. He placed 2nd overall out of 90 runners with a time of 1 hour and 3 seconds, just 90 seconds out of first place. Both the winner (Pete Quevillon from Chatham) and Steve, were in the 50+ age category.

​A group of local runners including a few Harriers traveled to Dearborn Michigan last weekend to compete in the Martian Invasion Of Races.
 They included Pedro Fernandes who was 49th out of 750 in the half marathon in 1:35:26; Steve Mota - 79th in the half in 1:40:46; and John Palmer - 115th in the half in 1:44:44. Pedro was 2nd in the 55 category, Steve was 3rd in the 60 category and John was 1st in the 70 category.
 Dave Johnson ran 53:08 to place 83rd out of 500 in the 10K. He was 3rd in the men's 70+ category.

​Just a couple of club results from recent weeks. Jacob Zerko successfully defended his title at the Toronto Spring Run Off on Saturday. Running in the 5 kilometre event, Jacob ran 15:58 on the hilly course ahead of 1200 other runners. That was 30 seconds faster than in 2023.
   Three weeks ago, Gary Cassel junior competed in an indoor 800 metres at York University, running 2 minutes and 41 seconds.