Runners chase spots on national team

Posted By Shawn Slaght

Posted 19 days ago

Pam Doyle/Banff Crag and Canyon. Canmore's Ivan Babikov, (far left) and Edward McCarthy from Vancouver, (middle), chase Gavin Hamilton, from Calgary, on a downhill stretch of the 12 km Canmore Challenge mountain running race at the Canmore Nordic Centre on Saturday.

By Shawn Slaght

shawn@thecrag.ca

More was at stake than just pride during the Canmore Challenge Saturday at the Canmore Nordic Centre.

This year the popular mountain running event ran in conjunction with the 2009 Canadian Mountain Running Championships.

Out of the top runners in the eight kilometre and 12 kilometre races, Team Canada would be made for the World Mountain Running Championship.

“For the senior men and senior women this is a national selection race to go to NACAC Championship, the North American champion, which is in New Hampshire in two weeks,” said race director Brian Torrance.

“Then is September they will go to the world championships in Italy, which is a big deal to wear the maple leaf on your chest.”

This year there were a total of about 200 runners, but Torrance said they have the volunteer base to get between 300 and 400 runners next year.

The eight-kilometre race acted as the selection race for the senior women and the junior men. Winning for the women was former Canmore resident, now residing in Calgary, Amy Golumbia.

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