Stanley Park, 9am, under light overcast skies & crisp air stood seventeen runners for group photos before departing the start/finish line, the Brockton Oval drinking fountain, on a 25Km out & back course. No racing on this day, everyone's too busy catching up on gossip & running plans for 99.
Two groups quickly formed, running along Stanley Park's beautiful rolling groomed trails. One group moving at a leisurely pace & the other at a more leisurely pace. Soon it's on to the Seawall, over the Burrard St. Bridge & out through Kitsilano & Jericho beaches before heading into the trail systems of the University of B.C.
Race organizers Ean Jackson & Karl Jensen provided everyone with a detailed map & written directions so all stayed on course. There were many drinking fountains along the way giving everyone an opportunity to recharge their bottles. The day improved to gorgeous sunshine with spectacular vistas of the snow covered North Shore mountains bringing families out for a New Years Day stroll.
Returning through English Bay runners had to navigate through the 1000 polar bear swimmers & the 5,000 watchers. Ean Jackson & Michael Wardas topped off the run with their own polar bear swim while the rest of us took refuge under the warm Brockton showers. Afterwards we all assembled at Milestone's Restaurant on W4th for some fine food, beer & more chit chat.
Ean & Karl are already planning for the Vancouver Fat Ass 50Km 2000, it'll be big & beautiful with no Y2K bugs.
Rob Grant
1999 Vancouver Fat-Ass 50 Results
|
Name
|
Time
|
Place
|
|
Herb Phillips, Jim Swadling |
4:39 |
1 |
|
Terry Lewis |
4:42 |
3 |
|
Rob Grant, Ean Jackson |
4:54 |
4 |
|
Michel Richard |
4:56 |
6 |
|
Al Sherwood, Michael Wardas |
5:05 |
8 |
|
Michel Pelletier |
5:15 |
9 |
|
Jane Ballantyne, Andy Jones-Cox |
5:17 |
10 |
|
William Leitch |
5:46 |
12 |
|
Ron Adams |
6:19 |
13 |
|
Ken Macleod, Karl Jensen, Murray Cameron |
6:23 |
14 |
|
|
|
|
|
Vida Morkunas |
25K |
|
Total Starters: 17
Total Finishers: 16
