Cambridge Harriers Running Club

  Athletes from the Cambridge Harriers brought home several medals from the Canadian Masters Indoor Track And Field Championships over the weekend. Wayne Gagne captured two golds and a bronze, winning the age 60-64 200 metres in 29.1 seconds, the 60 metres in 7.55 seconds, and taking 3rd in the 400 metres in 67.3 seconds.
  Katherine Willis won gold in the 55-59 category 3000 metres with a 15 minute and 42 second clocking, while Gary Cassel junior ran to 3rd place in the men's 50-54 category 3000 metres with a time of 11:06. Cassel also ran the 1500 metres, placing 4th in 5:01.
 Matt Beechey of the Invictus Track Club took gold by 1 centimetre in the 45-49 shot put with a toss of 8.60 metres. He was second in the triple jump with a leap of 8.25 metres, 4th in the 60 metres (8.08 seconds), 5th in the 50 metres (6.93 seconds) and 6th in the 200 metres (26.83 seconds).
  In the Burlington Chilly Half Marathon, Rob Brouillette of Cambridge placed 15th in a field of 1000 runners, covering the 21.1 kilometres in 1 hour, 12 minutes and 25 seconds. Cambridge's Robin Todd was first in the women's 50-54 age category with a time of 1 hour, 30 minutes and 59 seconds. Mike Hammond of the Harriers posted a time of 2:24:58.
 In the Burlington Frosty 5 km Race, Robert Ritchie of Cambridge ran a time of 22:40 while Sarah Aitken was the top Cambridge female with a time of 23:33.
  Lisa and Greg Leskien of the Cambridge Harriers continued their snowshoeing endeavors on the weekend, competing in the U.S. championships in Bennington Vermont. On a difficult course which climbed for the first 4 kilometres to a mountain summit in 3 feet of fresh powder snow, Lisa placed 5th overall out of 53 and first among the international competitors, covering the 10 kilometre route in 1 hour, 31 minutes and 17 seconds. Greg was 31st in the field of 100 men, posting a time of 1 hour, 26 minutes and 55 seconds. He was 3rd in the international category.

Only two Harriers ventured out into the wind and freezing rain to race in the annual Waterloo Fridgee Eighter 8 Mile Road Race on the weekend. Steve Mota placed 23rd with a time of 58 minutes and 12 seconds, while Heather Chan was 76th in 1:23:15. Both were 4th in their respective age categories. 100 runners competed.

  Lisa Leskien was the first place female in the Dion Summerstown Forest Snowshoe Race in Williamsburg Ontario on the weekend. She covered the 7.5 kilometres in 42 minutes and 1 second for a margin of victory of over 5 minutes.

  On January 13th Greg was 7th overall in the Ignite The Night race at Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg. He covered the 10 km in 1:05:21. Lisa was 12th overall and second female with a time of 1:08:06. There were 25 competitors.
  Lisa Leskien placed third in the women's standings in the North American Snowshoe Racing Championships in Saranac Lake, New York on January 14th. She covered the 10 km route in 1 hour, 2 minutes even, finishing 2 and a half minutes behind the winner, Sara Dunham. Lisa was 18th overall in the field of 66 competitors on a very cold day, while Greg Leskien was 12th overall in a time of 59:49. 
    60 racers competed in the Brighton Dion 5 km race in Goodrich-Loomis Conservation Area on January 27th. The course was shortened to 5 km due to patches of bare ground. Greg Leskien placed 2nd with a time of 23:12 and Lisa was top female with a 24:04 clocking.
  There were 800 competitors in Sunday's Robbie Burns 8 km Road Race in Burlington. Steve Mota was the lone Harrier competing and he placed 153rd in 34:53. Blair Morgan of Dundas was the overall winner in 24:32 and Hamilton's Victoria Coates was the top female in 27:30. John McLean was the top Cambridge runner in 19th with a 27:28 clocking while Robin Todd was the top Cambridge female to finish, running 33:55 to place 2nd in the 50-59 age category. Mitch Free was 22nd overall and 2nd in the 40-49 category in 27:34.

183 runners competed and Gary Cassel junior was the top Harrier, finishing 12th in 20:22 to win the 45-49 age category. Sharon Rutledge was 44th in 24:04, placing 3rd in the 30-34 category. We had two silver medalists in the 65-69 category with Geoff Whitehead on the men's side in 27:02, and Brenda Cassel for the women in 37:48.  ​

Lots of runners in the Scotiabank Toronto Marathon events, but only one from our 'group' as far as I could see. Rob Brouillette placed 23rd out of 9,900 runners in the half marathon, running 1 hour 14 minutes and 24 seconds.
 The previous weekend, Anita and Scott Cressman ran at the Thornbury Rotary Apple Races on a hilly course on a very windy day.. Scott placed 7th in the 10 km with a time of 47:06, while Anita was 26th in the half marathon with a time of 1:57:11.
 Our Sydenham Trail Race crew made it a weekend trip to the venue north of Kingston and competed on a fast rail trail course with some very fast competition. Lisa Leskien was 14th overall, posting a time of 32:07. She was first in the 30-39 category. Steve Mota crossed the line 28th with a time of 35:47 followed by Jenn Kellett, 51st in 40:02 and Sean Kellett, 58th in 41:11. The top male covered the distance in 26:24 and the top female sped the distance in 27:05.

Rob Brouillette placed 2nd in the Fall Classic Oktoberfast 5 km Road Race in Waterloo on Sunday. he recorded a pb of 15:23 in the field of 400 runners. John McLean of Cambridge was 6th, and first in the 35-39 category, crossing the line in 15:59.
 George Sutton was 459th in the Niagara Half Marathon the same day, running 2:09:28.
 Mike Hammond was missed back in September when he ran the Harvest Half Marathon in St. Clements, finishing 19th overall in 1:40:14.

More club results to report from the past week or so.
  Gary Cassel junior competed in the Chase The Coyote Trail Race near Orangeville, placing 8th out of 190 runners on the technical 12 km route. His time was 59:54.
 At the Run The Edge Races in Tobermory, we had several Harriers competing in two events. In the 5 km Flower Pot Island race, Lisa Leskien was 2nd female in 28:30 and Sharon Rutledge was 5th with a 35:52 clocking. Greg Leskien was the third place male in 25:34 (behind 2nd place Ray Vandenberg who ran 25:29), and Nelson Coelho was 6th in 35:17. In the trail marathon event, Calvin Douma of Cambridge was 3rd in 4:52:46. Paula Dawson was 9th in the masters division in the trail half marathon, running 3:14:37.
  Katherine Willis was 4th female in the Rondeau Park Pumpkin Run 5 km last weekend. She covered the route in 27:00 and was 1st in the 50-59 age category.
  A few Harriers were part of this year's Run For The Toad Trail Race experience at Pinehurst Lake. After a week of stifling heat, then a day of cold wind and rain, Saturday dawned clear and cool. Mitch Free placed 2nd in the 25 km race, running 1 hour and 39 minutes while Lisa Leskien took 4th place overall (and first female), clocking 1:51:20. Mark Taylor crossed the line in 2:53:36 and Sharon Rutledge finished in 2:38:30.