Westover relay survives

When the Salty Dawgs came down the beach in Grand Bend, Ont. to win the Westover Shore to Shore Relay for the second year in a row, Willy Van Klooster was already thinking about next year’s race. “Just as soon as they crossed the finish line, I congratulated them, and then said ‘I am going deep into the heart of Toronto to find teams to challenge you.’”

Van Klooster is the executive director of the Westover Treatment Centre in Thamesville, Ont., and organizes the scenic Shore to Shore race. With the success of the relay at the end of May, Van Klooster secured it as the signature fundraising event for the centre.

Salty Dawgs captain Rod Henning said when the idea of the race was first pitched in early 2007, he and his running friends in London, Ont. were intrigued: “It was kind of interesting, but we all thought it seemed kind of insane” The two-day race begins in Port Stanley, on the north shore of Lake Erie, and ends in Grand Bend on Lake Huron. The 333.6K course, which juts west to the St. Clair River, is divided into 37 legs, each ranging from 5K to 14K. The race is further split into five stages.

“We all thought, ‘If we don’t do it, who will?’” Henning said. “It needed to be supported by runners in southwestern Ontario.”

Van Klooster was counting on that support. The 2007 event lost money, so if there was to be a 2009 edition, he needed this year’s race to break even. Luckily for him, 780 runners on 58 teams raised more than $20,000 for the treatment centre, which provides residential care, counselling and support to people recovering from tobacco, alcohol and drug addictions. The Salty Dawgs led the pack for most of the race, finishing in 20:51:41. They are keen to see more competition, but Henning won’t sacrifice a team member for speed. “Our team will be what it is,” Henning said. “We’re pretty much as fast as we’re going to get.” The team dynamic makes the Shore to Shore a unique running experience.

– Josette deBrouwer