GoodLife Victoria Marathon announces elite field

Two defending champions will be back to run the 35th annual GoodLife Fitness Marathon. Catrin Jones, the 2013 and 2010 champion, and Thomas Omwenga, the 2012 and 2011 winner will be returning on Sunday, Oct. 12 to tackle the Victoria course. As of noon Wednesday, when online registration closed, there were 9,541 in the four events – the marathon, half-marathon, 8K and the Thrifty Foods Kids Run.

Jones, who lives in Victoria, ran a personal best at the race last year in 2:43:03. She also recorded a first place finish in the Kamloops Marathon and Vancouver First Half Half. This year she set a course record in the Whistler 10K. She will be challenged by Lioudmila Kortchaguina, from Thornhill, Ont., who has a personal best of 2:29:42. In the 2013 Canadian Marathon Championships in Ottawa, she ran 2:33:10.

For Omwenga, a favourite with the Victoria crowd, this will be his fourth time running the event. He won the 2013 BMO Vancouver Marathon, and came fourth in Victoria the same year. Second seed Daniel Kipkoech from Lethbridge, Alta. has a personal best of 2:19:20 (Caen, 2012), and came third in the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon this year. There are three masters in the marathon field who should not be discounted and who could challenge for the top three – Jason Loutitt (PB of 2:24:00), Graeme Wilson (2:27:58), and Oliver Utting (2:21:01).

The women’s half-marathon will see Canadian Running’s Golden Shoe awards master of the year competing – Victoria’s Marilyn Arsenault. She has a personal bestof 1:15:39, set in Victoria in 2009. She won the Oak Bay Half-Marathon in 2014 and 2013, and is the 10,000 Canadian 40+ record holder (34:22.21). She will be competing against Lisa Brooking from White Rock (PB of 1:17:42) and Tori Tyler from California (PB 1:19:36).

The men’s field is led by Johana Kariankei (Guelph, Ont.) who has a personal best of 1:04:16. Two-time winner of the TC 10K, Willy Kimosop is returning, hoping to better his two third-place finishes in the Victoria Half-Marathon (2012 and 2013). He has a personal best of 1:05:03. In the masters category Jim Finlayson is the clear favourite – he is a previous champion in Victoria at both the marathon and half-marathon.

The 8K women’s field is led by Lindsay Carson, from Whitehorse, YT. She has a personal best of 27:17 from the 2014 Mondo Spring Run Off. Glynis Sim, from Salmon Arm, BC, who came fourth last year in 30:44 is returning, as is three-time Xterra World Champion Melanie McQuaid. Nancy Baxendale from Shawnigan Lake is the top master. She had an impressive record in the 2014 Vancouver Island Race Series winning her age group.

In the 8K Road Race, it will be a battle between Geoff Martinson and Nick Walker. Martinson was second in the half-marathon in 2013, setting a personal best of 1:05:39. He has represented Canada in the 1500m at the Track and Field World Championships, was top Canadian in the 2013 TC 10K and won the 2013 Frontrunners Island Race Series. Walker won the inaugural TC Half-Marathon this year and has an 8K PB of 25:06. Craig Odermatt and Bruce Deacon are the Masters contenders; Deacon has run 23:32 and Odermatt 25:10.

The 2014 Frontrunners Walk of Fame inductees were also announced today. Marilyn Arsenault and 92-year old Hans Sandberg were presented with their stones, which will be placed outside Frontrunners’ downtown store. Sandberg is the oldest participant in Sunday’s event and he will be running the half-marathon.