BURST
Allison Sanghe and Cynthia Sedun haven’t been training but felt more than ready to join the other walkers on the bright, sunny day in downtown Vancouver for the annual Sun Run.
“The moms are walking and the kids are running,” Sedun said. “We both thought it was cool that our kids were doing it, so we thought, ‘Why not?'”
Sedun and Sanghe have become new friends and are both returning to the Sun Run this year after many years off.
Sanghe hasn’t participated for 15 years, having done it last when her children were young.
The two were supporting each other the entire way, with Sanghe feeling more nervous than Sedun, who is an avid long-distance bicyclist.
Participants in the walking division start later than the elite athletes at the Vancouver Sun Run, which this year had 57,518 registered participants. On Sunday, the sky was clear, the sun was shining bright as they geared up to take on the 10-kilometre run, walk or ride.
While the competitive runners wrapped up their route earlier in the day, the participants choosing to walk had a slower start. Some stretched, others relaxed with family and friends and some, like Dani Lloyd, were preparing their babies for the long day.
“It really just takes a lot of packing,” said Lloyd, who is from Kamloops and came to visit family in Vancouver.
“Her (Andi) first birthday was on Tuesday so it was a one-year postpartum goal for myself to at least finish it at a walking pace with her stroller.”
Lloyd was feeding Andi, who was getting energetic just like many others in the large crowd awaiting their start times.
“I was a little worried about how she would do here but she’s excited, she loves the crowd,” she said.
Another group of friends participating in the Sun Run for the first time were getting their stretches in near the Vancouver Art Gallery.
“I came here to Vancouver just last year and I heard this is a really fun thing in Vancouver and I’ve never tried it before,” said Bella Kim. “I’m a bit nervous though — 10K is a lot for me.”
She did enlist another friend, Henry Park, for camaraderie.
“I’m really nervous,” he admitted.
But spirits were still high for the group of international students taking part in Canada’s largest 10K road race.
Race director Tim Hopkins was proud to see this year’s turnout bring the second-highest number of people in the race’s 41-year-long history.
“Whether you’re walking or running, it’s just great for everyone to be out in the community on this beautiful day,” Hopkins told Postmedia after the race’s conclusion.
“It’s great for competitive, elite athletes and also people trying to get back into fitness — it works for so many people.”
As the afternoon rolled in, so did the remaining of the racers, mostly from the walking division, with some finishing out the 10 kilometres with a jog. Regardless of finishing first or last, those on the sidelines cheered on everyone just the same.
“We’re just happy and excited,” Sanghe said. “We just love that our city, Vancouver, has an event like this that brings out so many people. It’s such a good, positive day.”