Runner Genevieve Lalonde, like the rest of the Tokyo Olympics class, had a unique and peculiar Games experience. She went from making the Olympic final of the 3,000-metre steeplechase in a hauntingly empty National Stadium last summer in Tokyo to the roads of North Saanich on Sunday. And to great effect in winning the women’s race of the Harriers Pioneer 8K in 25:58.
“There were people around the whole course, so that was cool,” said Lalonde.
“It’s great to be back to normal in both competition and training, especially after the lead-up to Tokyo and the restrictions at that time.”
Lalonde was just off the current Pioneer 8K course record of 25:55 set in 2020 by two-time Rio and Tokyo Olympian Natasha Wodak, a seven-time women’s champion of the Pioneer race, but it was still a satisfying result.
“It was my first race of the year and I didn’t have many expectations going in,” said Lalonde.
“The community support and the number of runners in Victoria is so deep. This is definitely the place to be for athletes in any Summer Olympics sport. I’m lucky to be training with the UVic Vikes team.”
Lalonde, the national record holder and 2019 Lima Pan Am Games bronze medallist and 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games participant, became the first Canadian to make the Olympic final in the women’s steeplechase at Rio in 2016. She also uses the facilities at the Western Hub national training centre located at PISE on the Camosun College Interurban campus after stops in Montreal, Moncton, N.B., and Guelph, Ont.
Whether road, track or off-road, terrain is not an issue for Lalonde, who is also the two-time Canadian women’s cross-country champion and top-20 in the world. She won the 2020 Pan American cross-country championship on Bear Mountain.
Kate Ayers of Victoria was second female across in 27:31 Sunday behind Lalonde and Elise Coates from the UVic Vikes was third in 28:00. Jen Millar of Victoria was the best women’s masters racer in 28:20.
Tristan Woodfine, one of four Canadian men to make Olympic standard in the marathon but the odd man out on Canada’s three-runner team to Tokyo last summer, won the men’s and overall championship of the Harriers Pioneer 8K in 23:10. Brendan Wong of Coquitlam was second in 24:31 and Brendan Vail of the UVic Vikes third in 24:42. Andrew Russell of Victoria, an engineer and former national-level triathlete, was top masters male in 25:23.
About 400 runners took part as Sunday’s men’s and women’s races also stood as the B.C. 8K championships. Part of the field was Bob Cook of Nanaimo, who has contested all 43 Harriers Pioneer races since the annual event’s inauguration.
The big events this year for Lalonde, Woodfine and other national team runners are the 2022 IAAF world track and field championships July 15-24 in Eugene, Oregon, and the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, from July 28 to Aug. 8.
“After two Olympic finals I’m looking to make the world final,” said Lalonde.
Sunday was good early-season preparation. The Harriers Pioneer course is popular because it is considered one of the fastest in the province. It is a softly undulating rural out and back route starting and finishing at the Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Information Centre located on the west side of the Pat Bay Highway in North Saanich.
It is part of the Island Race Series, which will continue with the Comox Valley RV Half Marathon on March 13, Westcoast Sooke 10K on March 27 and the Synergy Health Management Bazan Bay 5K on April 10. The Cobble Hill 10K in January and Hatley Castle 8K this month – with Russell top male in 26:46 and Natasha Parsons top female in 31:47 — opened the series.
The 2022 Island Race Series heralds the continuing return of live, in-person racing following the cancellation of the Series in 2021 due to the pandemic. It is part of the B.C. Athletics Super Series, with runners tabulating season points in races held on the Island and Lower Mainland.
