Inaugural Lucky 7 Relay in Halifax a huge success

The first annual Lucky 7 Relay race held in Halifax this past Sunday was by all accounts a massive success.

Organized by United by Running, a local group that also puts on the Sole Sisters women’s race and Maritime Race Weekend, the 21.1K relay featured 1,300 participants divided into 400 three-person teams, as well as special guest ‘ringer’ runner Eric Gillis.

Gillis, a Nova Scotian, ran the entire half-marathon distance, helping three different teams in each leg of the relay. But Gillis and his teams faced some stiff competition, as many of the province’s best runners came out for the event on a perfect morning for racing in Halifax.

Denise Robson, who won the masters category at the 2010 Boston Marathon, got to run with Gillis as a teammate. “It was exciting participating on the Lucky 7 Olympic Dream Team with Eric,” Robson said in an email on Tuesday. “However, what was most exciting was I ran leg three with another team, which was the leg Eric chose to run with the lead runner. I was able to run with them for 3.5k and hang on their heels for the rest of the race. It was motivating for me to be in this pack (even knowing I was running hard and Eric was still doing a casual run) it pushed me to stay with them knowing I’m running with an Olympian. What a great event!”

Robson was the top individual female runner, finishing with a time of 25:22. She was also a part of the overall winning team, featuring Mike MacKinnon, Leah Jabbour and Robson and calling themselves “Snotty, Clotty & Gimpy”. Their accumulative winning time was 1:19:30.

The fastest individual men put on quite a show, running to a photo finish. Kenyan John Kuto, who recently moved to Canada, was challenged his training partner Dan Gorman right down to the line. Both finished with an official time of 25:12, with Gorman edging Kuto out at the line. And where was Gillis in all of this? “On the third leg, Eric paced the lead runners, which really gave the crowd a show,” race co-director Michelle Kempton told Canadian Running. “It was amazing to see the top Nova Scotian athletes running in a pack around the relay route with Eric Gillis among them.”

Ultimately, Gillis was there as ambassador for the sport and to interact with participants of all abilities, making time for everyone along the route. “Instead of bolting at the start-line, Eric ran with the crowd for the first two legs at a comfortable jog,” Kempton said. “Eric really embraced the theme of the Lucky 7 Relay — celebrating that we are all runners, regardless of pace!”

Gillis was really excited to be invited out to the event in its first year. “I was happy to be apart of it it’s inaugural year,” the Olympian said Tuesday. “I thoroughly enjoyed meting and chatting with fellow participants, don’t think I’ve ever signed so may autographs!”

The relay raised over $2,500 for Gillis so that he can go train in Kenyan this winter. A portion of the race registration went to the fund, as well as a silent auction for “Dream Team” spots to run the relay with Gillis.

John Kuto, who trains with SMU’s track team and plans on attending the school, got to pick up Gillis from the airport before the race so that the two could talk about what it’s like to train in Kenya and what it takes to qualify for the Olympics. “It was a privilege to talk to Eric,” Kuto said in a phone interview with Canadian Running on Tuesday afternoon. “He seemed so ordinary and was so kind and social. But yet he’s so focused and thinking ahead. Our talk gave me a lot of hope with my running.” Kuto is a middle distance track specialist, but boasts a 29:45 10K time on the road. The two bonded over shared training and racing experiences and became friends at the event.

The 32-year-old Kenyan, who hopes to become a Canadian citizen and perhaps qualify for the Rio Olympics, said Gillis was looking forward to training in Kuto’s native country. “He had many questions about Kenya that we discussed,” Kuto said. “He was very excited about going to train there. I think our talk gave him even more confidence about where he’s going and what he will get out of the experience.”

Judging by the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the event, United by Running will no doubt make the Lucky 7 Relay an annual tradition. “Our inbox has exploded with positive feedback from participants asking when they can sign-up for next year,” Kempton said. When asked what was next for her organization, Kempton said, “we have something big planned for next year, but it’s a surprise!” She did promise, however, that Canadian Running readers would be the first to know.