Whistler half-marathon records fall on perfect day

A pair of unheralded Vancouver runners had outstanding performances at the 2nd annual The North Face Whistler half-marathon on Saturday morning. David Palermo broke the men’s course record in 1:09:17, while Karin Tulloch set the new women’s mark in 1:17:31.

Palermo has a marathon best of 2:35, but hadn’t broken 1:10 in the half-marathon until Saturday, on the rolling Whistler course with scenic views of the snow-capped mountains.

“The course was gorgeous,” he said. “I enjoyed the hilly beginning half. It challenged everyone differently. I was able to push up the hills and stay strong on the downs to break [away].”

Tulloch was making her half-marathon debut in the race. Conditions were perfect — no wind, about 8 C with partly cloudy skies — as many of the 700 finishers recorded personal bests.

Race director Dave Clark confirmed that some runners and officials had reported concerns that the course may not have been accurate.

“Some runners felt the splits were a little short,” Clark said. “It came as a real surprise since the course was just certified by a team of three certifiers three weeks ago. We really don’t have an answer [about what might have happened] at this point.”

Clark promises to follow-up to find out what, if anything, was off with the course markings.

Despite potential issues with a course that might have been too fast to be true, Tulloch says the atmosphere and organization was top notch.  “It was a great experience,” she said. “So many races are a loop [or an out-and-back] course and you can see everyone coming and going. [But] this one was constantly through the [paved] trails — some people had bear sightings. And, Whistler is full of health and fitness and energy.”

The race also featured a live online and social media tracker, allowing spectators to keep tabs on their friends using smartphones. Full results are available here.

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(Watch for more on the Whistler Half-Marathon in the January issue of Canadian Running magazine.)

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