Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 21, 2004, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free press monday june 21, 2004 b3 Manitoba Marathon hard working Volunteer Crew crucial to events operation by Julie Horbal while the 26th running of the Manitoba Marathon did to officially Start until seven of clock yesterday morning the Day began much earlier for some of the people who make the event possible. At 4 a.m., Jeff Dovyak coordinator of Amateur radio emergency services for the annual run picked up physio therapist Russ Horbal his Marathon Day partner of 26 years and they began their Long Day in one of the Marathon medical vans. As two of More than 2,000 volunteers the men ? along with All the others who donated their time to the Marathon ? played what Marathon executive director Shirley Lumb refers to As an integral role in the operation of the Marathon. We would not be Able to do any of it without our volunteers said Lumb. Some volunteers Start their work on the Day of the Marathon some Start it five months prior to the event. The Dedica Tion and hard work of All those who Volunteer is so according to Lumb the increase in the size of the Marathon caused a need for More volunteers and harder work than Ever this year. We be had a tech team working for the last year said Lumb referring to the Core team of volunteers who co Ordi Nate All Volunteer departments. But we need and appreciate Many kinds of help from people who provide water and sponges and gatorade to those who Over see All in his third year As ares co Ordina Tor and 26th year As a Marathon Volun Teer Dovyak is in charge of 88 local Amateur radio operators who provide constant communication for hospitality and medical Crews. Together Dovyak and Riding mate Horbal who provided medical coverage for the Day patrolled the course for injuries and rising problems. We have people at the hospitality stations on the buses in the relay Exchange zones in the Lead vehicles in the sweep vans and the medical stations said Dovyak an avid radio Buff and health care administrator. They just keep in constant communication about supplies injured runners and anything else that should arise on the Dovyak said the number of Amateur radio operators in Winnipeg is growing and events like the Marathon serve As opportunities for them to give Back to the Community and get a bit of excitement. Its a constant Challenge said Dovyak. Although a lot of elements Are the same from year to year you never know what May arise that will require you to have a role in solving it. It can always be Horbal who has been involved As a physiotherapist and medical Volunteer in Many Amateur and professional sport ing events agrees. Its challenging and exciting said Horbal. But its Nice to be Able to give Back to the Amateur sporting communi?ty.?. courageous Glowach proud of run two time Victor in full Marathon does it Blind for the first time by Ashley Prest and Julie Horbal Chris Glowach the Manitoba marathons poster celebrity immortalized by the Chris steam signs All Over the City crossed the finish line of the 2004 full Marathon yesterday in a time of 3 01 29. That in itself is quite a feat for most people but Glowach completed the full Marathon for the 22nd time ? this time for the first time being legally Blind in both eyes. He was greeted by huge cheers in the u of m stadium and hugged by wife Lynne in the recovery area As he blinked Back tears of Joy and Relief and spoke of Pride. Mentally this is probably the hard est i have Ever done. I a proud of myself said Glowach who was the men a full Marathon Cham Pion in 1997 2 28 56 and 1998 2 30 44. It was mentally really Tough. Trying to run a fast Pace and worrying about footing. The last eight or 10 Miles was really Tough. But i said id run Between three hours and 3 10. Chris steam was a special fundraising initiative by the Manitoba Marathon in which participants officially joined up with Glowach wore entered the rest and recovery area weeks before the race. He ran the first team to shirts attended Marathon relat Scott was waiting there to hug his leg of the relay before continuing on toed events and ran their Warmup to the father and clap him on the Back. Finish the full Marathon with a time of Start line together. Chris steam raised Good Job dad Good Job Scott said. 3 16 56, 16 minutes quicker than his$10,000. How Are you 2003 finish. Glowach has been diagnosed with retinal arterial occlusion blood clots in the artery leading to the Eye in both they re All about team its the heart that matters eyes ? the right Eye in january 2001 and the left last fall. Despite losing a member of their two years after suffering cardiac John Robertson who founded the team to a Back injury just weeks before arrest and collapsing on Thatcher Marathon in 1979, described Glowach the 2004 Manitoba Marathon the slow drive during the 2002 full Marathon recently As being my hero. The most but sure relay team held True to their and with subsequent triple bypass courageous athlete i be Ever met. He a name. Surgery and a built in Defi Eulator Ron Only 5-foot-5 inches tall and weighs just Heather Erhard Shannon Loeppky latter completed the free press 10k 118 pounds soaking wet. But you could Laurette Marks Connie Taillon and walk in the Manitoba Marathon yes get a hernia trying to Bench press his last minute substitute Philippe Erhard Ter Day. did to break any records with their latter 67, crossed the finish line time in the Marathon relay. But they with Elaine his wife of 42 years. The finished in 4 12 37, and at the end All Good Job dad Good Job couple went in the 2.6-mile super run the group of self proclaimed Over the last year with their grandchildren. Age of 30? runners were sure they a be Len Rolfson of Winnipeg now the Way it was explained to me is doing it again next year. Belongs to an exclusive one Man club. That if i was 67-65 per cent efficient the relay which Breaks the course when the 56-year-old Rolfson crossed heart function when i had the Inci into five legs ranging from seven to 10 the finish line in the 2004 Manitoba Dent then today i a 40-45 per cent and Kilometres allows a group of five run Marathon yesterday with a time of four i should to think about what i could do ners to Complete the race As a team and hours and 15 minutes he became the if i was 67-65 per cent said latter the motivate each other along the Way. Only individual to have run in and com co founder of the after 5 running club for the slow but sure team to depleted All 26 full marathons. And a longtime Marathon participant motivation was definitely a Factor. Len was accompanied by his son prior to his heart condition. Its not in its a great motivator to have the Scott 25, who has run with him the past me any experience of being on a team Lepp few years. Scott and Len parted com by said. There san enthusiasm All latter a collapse ? and the other car Pany around mile 14 when both started along the Way to keep you going until Diac arrest incident suffered later that feeling peaked but Scott decided to Day two years ago by Steve Herbster your leg is strike out ahead. Scott finished with a Erhard a husband Philippe filled in ? were the first serious cardiovascular time of 3 44 17. For original team member Kerry Lin incidents in runners in the marathons when Len left the track area and Klater who injured her Back a few history. Youngest runners get their kicks with mini mites event by Julie Horbal at 6 30 yesterday morning most kids were lying at Home in bed. Some however were groggily wan Dering around the University of Mani Toba Campus rubbing fatigue out of their eyes stretching their sleepy Muscles and gearing up to participate in their own Little part of a major Marathon. With her parents and older brother in Tow four year old Arianna Zamonsky was getting ready to see weeks of prac Tice come to fruition. Along with about 30 other kids under the age of five Arianna strutted her stuff As part of the 2004 Manitoba Marathon mini mites fun run. She a been practising running for weeks said Wendy Zamonsky Mother of the bubbly blonde haired athlete in training. Every time we be gone out she a been running through parking lots. She a really been looking Forward to for the second year in a Row the mini mites fun run was staged at the Start line just before the full Marathon took off and despite a momentary episode of sleepy stage fright the kids involved ran As fast As their Little legs could carry them. Parents grandparents and older Sib Lings watched As the racers ? some As Young As 18 months ? sprinted the 100?yard course with smiles on their faces and determination in their eyes. Its great to get them into being part of things said Rhonda Kitchen whose daughter Naomi 4, ran the race for the second year in a Row. To get them Shar ing in and seeing this whole experience at such a Young age is a great shortly after the running of the mini mites Rhonda Kitchen participated in the half Marathon ? and got to share the experience of participation with her daughter. Marathon executive director Shirley Lumb said its because of experiences like the kitchens that the mini mites run has become a part of the Days events ;