Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - June 18, 2012, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE A4 A 4 WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, MONDAY, JUNE 18, 2012 MANITOBA MARATHON winnipegfreepress. com $ 50 ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT ( a $ 175 value) Available Fridays only, from 9 - 1 till June 22. Sylvan Learning of Winnipeg 17 - 200 Meadowood Drive ( near St. Vital Shopping Centre) 204- 988- 5055 www. SylvanLearning. com Offer expires 06/ 22/ 12. Valid at participating centres only. May not be combined with other offers. Single subject testing only. For greater success in school this fall, Call us! In as little as 3 hours a week, help your child be a more successful student! Fit us in around other summer activities, and be amazed at the results this fall! . Reading, Math, Writing . Build self confidence and skills . Flexible programming: days, evgs & half days . Payment options available . Guaranteed READING, MATH, WRITING, STUDY SKILLS C ALLING all runners. And then some. Shirley Lumb, executive director of the Manitoba Marathon, couldn't wait until the day's end before issuing a challenge to the province for next year's marathon. " A challenge for next year, 20,000 people," Lumb said Sunday. " Come on people, let's go." Next year will mark the 35th anniversary of the Manitoba Marathon - the province's biggest participatory event - and Lumb believes if anyone can rise to the occasion, it's the people of Manitoba. " We're a community event and we have such awesome community support and spirit," said Lumb. " Anything is possible." This year's turnout reached a total of 13,667 - more than 6,000 shy of what Lumb wants to see a year from now. But figures aside, Lumb is satisfied with how the day turned out. " I'm so proud of Manitoba to have that many people come together and celebrate their fitness and their wellness and help us with fundraising. It is totally amazing and I'm thrilled." Mother nature also appeared to be in good spirits as blue skies welcomed each participant throughout the day. " That's because we've ordered this," joked Lumb. " A little bit more breeze would have been perfect but we can't complain about this at all. After the rain and stuff we've had this past week, this is totally awesome." The full marathon had 762 athletes; 4,228 people participated in the half marathon; the super run attracted 3,345 and the relay recorded 3,695 participants. THEY came still in their jammies. They brought balloons and cowbells. They even serenaded runners with Bob Marley songs. " Way to go, 604!" hollered one fan, as a small gaggle of runners crossed Maryland Street. " Good work! Way to go, No. 11!" Fans, friends and families who dotted the marathon route spent a lovely morning sitting on curbs or perched on lawn chairs, cheering on the thousands of runners as they plodded by. Some handed out water and others had funny signs, including one that read, " Whose idea was this anyway?" Christine Rudachek's family camped out on a shady part of Wolseley Avenue to cheer on the 40- year- old in her first marathon. " I told her yesterday to look for the pink balloons," said Rudachek's mother, Linda. The group had a bouquet of balloons tied to their lawn chairs, and they were keeping their eyes peeled for Rudachek, whom they figured was still hoofing it down Portage Avenue. Meanwhile, a little further down the course, the Zifarelli family was hanging out near the gates to Armstrong Point. Parents Dawn and Lino, both casual joggers who have run the half marathon before, came to encourage their kids to stay active and give the runners a little boost during the race's long d�nouement. " The runners feel really good when they see people cheering," said Dawn. " It gives them that little oomph." On Wolseley Avenue, a young duo played reggae tunes on their bongo drums and guitar while runners passed, some starting to struggle a little with half the race still ahead. " w's why you're here - to give them some energy to make it the next mile," said Ron Hector, a human resources worker who sat outside his apartment to clap loudly as the runners passed. Alexcia Fullerton, a 15- year- old who favours basketball over running, was on Langside Street with her family early enough to see men's marathon winner Thomas Omwenga cruise by at about 8: 20 a. m. Fullerton and her family were amazed at how relaxed he looked at the 25th kilometre - barely a bead of sweat, no huffing and puffing and clearly in the zone. " Even though he did smile, you could tell he was really into it," said Fullerton. Start training - next year's goal is 20,000 Cheering runners with all they've got ALL Phil Klassen wanted for Father's Day was a few volunteers. And, he got them. Most of the yellow- shirted helpers at the refreshment stop and relay exchange in Wolseley were Klassen's kids, his kids' friends, his neighbours or others he'd cheerfully roped into helping out. " I've run a few marathons and just wanted to give back," said Klassen, the man in charge of the race point in front of Laura Secord School. " I've conned all my kids into volunteering for me for Father's Day." Among those conned was Vanessa Wiens, good friends with Klassen's daughter. The two controlled the water table, one madly filling up dozens of paper cups while the other held the cups out for runners to grab. " I saw the early runners, and I haven't seen anyone since," said Wiens, head down, pouring water into dozens of paper cups on the refreshment table. The relay exchange point was minor mayhem, as relay runners looked for their teammates, spectators cheered and chatted and speakers blared music by Billy Bragg and The Clash to keep the runners motivated. Top of mind for volunteers at the water station was making sure the full- marathon runners got water if they need it. That meant keeping an eye out for runners with white bibs who were zoning out. Volunteers often yelled " Water!" as the runners cruised up to the station. " I try to wake them up just before they need to decide whether they want water," said Klassen, as he gently scooched spectators back from the crowded running route. A few metres past the water station, volunteer Bill Algeo - Klassen's neighbour and a runner himself before he took up cycling - stood ready with a big garbage bag, able to catch any cups and energy- gel wrappers as the runners zipped past. He said even the fatigued runners were in good spirits, often tossing their cups in his bag basketball- style. - Mary Agnes Welch Forget the tie, dad wants 5,000 cups of cold water COLE BREILAND / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Relay participants are welcomed past the finish line of the Manitoba Marathon Sunday ( above). A young fan offers a wet sponge to a runner ( below). A_ 04_ Jun- 18- 12_ FP_ 01. indd A4 6/ 17/ 12 8: 43: 38 PM ;