Luc Bruchet and Rachel Cliff win B.C. road titles at St. Patrick’s Day 5K

A pair of Asics-sponsored athletes set course records en route to victory at Saturday’s BMO St. Patrick’s Day 5K in Vancouver. With their overall wins, course record bonuses, mile bonuses and B.C. championship titles, Luc Bruchet and Rachel Cliff each took home $900.

The event, which acted as the provincial 5K road race championships, took runners through picturesque Stanley Park in what was the third race of the B.C. Super Series, a collaboration between B.C. Athletics and some of the province’s top road races.

Rather than a lead cyclist, the race had a Maserati set the pace. Bruchet led wire-to-wire, including a 4:24 first mile (a bonus), to finish in a course record of 14:22. Geoff Martinson held the previous record of 14:24, a mark he set in 2014. Chris Winter and Justin Kent both came in at 14:34 with Winter getting the edge for second.

Kevin O’Connor was top master in 15:37.

Rob Watson jumped into the race and ran 14:57 despite running a 15K tempo workout beforehand. He’s preparing for the IAAF world half-marathon championships on March 26 and the London Marathon in April.

Cliff improved her own course record by nine seconds on Saturday running 16:05. She went through the first mile in 4:50 before winning by 35 seconds over Dayna Pidhoresky (16:40) and Erica Digby (16:51). Catherine Watkins, Canadian Running‘s Masters athlete of the year, was fifth and the top women’s master in 17:03.

Former national champions Nancy Tinari and Thelma Wright won their respective age divisions.

Full results

The B.C. Super Series returns to Stanley Park next Sunday for the Modo Spring Run-Off 8K, for which online registration closes on Monday.

Footage from the start of the race can be found below:

– With excerpts from a B.C. Athletics press release. Cover photo: Greg White.