2018 Scotiabank Calgary Marathon & Ultra: a perfect day

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjSg0y7At3J/?taken-by=calgarymarathon

It was a spectacular day at the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon and associated races, with 10,000 people participating in a variety of distances and 20,000 others cheering them on at various points around the city.

Feyera Dadi of Ethiopia was the winner of the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon today, with a time of 2:16:37, a new course record. Daniel Cheruiyot Yegon of Kenya was second, in 2:23:11, and Daniel Kipkoech, also Kenyan, third, in 2:24:35. 

This was the first time running the Calgary marathon for Dadi, who lives and trains in Etobicoke, Ont.  

Kipkoech, who lives and trains in Calgary, does extremely well at the western Canada races. He was second at the Vancouver Half-Marathon earlier this month, and he won the Vancouver full in 2017.

RELATED: Calgary Marathon Race Weekend is host of two national championships

On the women’s side, Caroline Kiptoo of Guadeloupe (originally from Kenya) was the first marathoner to finish, in 2:46:37. Catrin Jones of Victoria, B.C. was second, in 2:52:37, and Lindsay Winter of Calgary third in 2:57:51. 

This is a remarkable result for Jones in particular, since it’s her second marathon (and second podium finish) this month. She was third at the Vancouver Marathon, where she is a multiple top-five finisher, on May 6. She’s also an accomplished ultramarathoner, having won bronze at the 2015 World Ultramarathon Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Calgary is unusual in offering a 50K ultramarathon as well as the full and half-marathon distances, and for the fifth year in a row, the organizers were awarded the Canadian Ultramarathon Championships. Jacob Puzey of Calgary was first across the line in the 50K, in 3:04:52, beating the course record by two minutes (and his own winning time from last year by six minutes). Sanjay Sachdev of Cochrane, Alta. was second, in 3:18:53, and Sean Hickey of Calgary was third, in 3:40:24.

“If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’”

Rudyard Kipling

Trusting my training, heart, nerve, sinew & will at ?? 50K Champs! pic.twitter.com/TkBX2JgEY6

— Jacob Puzey (@jacobpuzey) May 24, 2018

The ultra was launched in 2014 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the marathon. Five hundred runners signed up and 410 runners finished within the 6.5 hour time frame. After the race, many offered feedback through surveys, social media and email, and as a result the 50K has become a big part of Calgary’s marathon day.

Puzey ran the distance with the goal of finishing at the same time as a marathon team that ran while pushing a young man with mitochondrial disease, Evan Penny, to raise awareness and funds for the condition.

On the women’s side, Adriana Wild was first in the 50K, in 3:46:14. Kim Young was second, in 4:01:02, and Shelley Bender third, in 4:06:07.

“After a particularly difficult, cold winter, it feels as if our city came out of hibernation today to celebrate all things Calgary,” said Kirsten Fleming, Executive Director, Run Calgary.