YMCA Blue Sky 15 km race champion Adam Lalonde jogs along carrying his certificate and his new pair of shoes. Photo by Andrew Hopkins.
On a nice and sunny day and under beautiful blue skies Sunday morning, 23 year old Adam Lalonde cruised to the overall title in the second annual YMCA Blue Sky 15 kilometer run.
Lalonde completed the 15-km course through the streets of North Bay, which started and finished at the YMCA on Chippewa Street West with an impressive time of 55:59.
Lalonde, a North Bay native, says that this was the first time that he has run this 15k course but was confident in his ability to complete it.
"I saw the map and I was familiar with a lot of the streets and I ran it in little parts over the last couple of weeks," said Lalonde.
For Lalonde, this was also the first time that he has attempted to complete a race of this distance.
"I’m up from 600-meters in track and field right up to cross-country which is 10,000-meters in the Fall (10k), so 15 is a little longer then I usually do but I can handle it," explained Lalonde.
Meanwhile, defending women’s champion in the 15km race, Donna Mae Robins was the fourth person to cross the finish line and the first female to complete the 15-km course to capture the ladies overall title for a second consecutive year in a time of 58:21.
Robins wasn’t sure if she would be able to win her race again this year, but she pulled it off in the end.
"It was about a minute-and-a-half slower then last year but I noticed that almost everybody was slower then last year so it was still good," says Robins.
Robins says that although the course is challenging she does like it.
"It’s really good, its scenic, so it’s hot and you got to run along the lake, and it was a little bit windy there today but its not too bad. But its good, you know its flat for a long way and then you get some rolling hills and there is some down hills so its good and it worked out pretty easy," Robins said.
"I have done a couple of half-marathons so I kind of knew that distance in there so I guess 15 is starting to get in there, but it's only the second one that I have done," says Robins.
Robins says that her goal for the race was just to finish the course under one-hour.
"I was trying, I wasn’t sure if I could do it, but I knew that I did it last year so I thought that I would probably be close but it has been a hot-summer," explained Robbins.
YMCA CEO Kim Kanmacher says that there was over 150 runners that registered to take part in two different races.
"There’s a 15k for those that are typically runners and a 3X5K for team relays," Kanmacher said.
Kanmacher also mentioned that all the proceeds from the race will go towards charity.
"This is a fund-raiser for our annual giving campaign which supports kids and families that wouldn’t necessarily be able to afford a Y membership or a camp experience or a child-care experience. Currently the Y supports over 348-thousand dollars worth of sponsorship annually, so certainly this fund-raiser goes towards a great cause," explained Kanmacher.
The race course winds its way through the city and Kanmacher says that there was even a little surprise for the runners at the 12k mark.
"Right at the end we have a little bit of a tricky hill going up Algonquin that some of the people that ran last year had asked us if we could remove it this year. But again it is a nice challenging course and it certainly showcases North Bay," says Kanmacher.
Both Adam Lalonde and Donna Mae Robins each received a pair of brand new "New Balance" shoes as well as a certificate recognizing them as the overall men’s and women’s winners in the race.
Certificates were also giving to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place overall in each 15k male and female age category including under-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59 and 60+. There was also prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the 3X5-kilometer relay. A draw for door prizes for every participant was also held and each runner who crossed the finish line received a participant medal.
In the male 15km race Adam Lalonde was the overall winner in a time of 55:49, in 2nd place overall was Ed McColm in a time of 56:49 and Ian Aseltine finished in 3rd place overall in a time of 57:48.
While in the women’s side of the race Donna Mae Robins finished 4th overall in a time of 58:21, in 7th place overall was Angela Batsford in a time of 59:32 and Krista Bolyea finished 15th overall in a time of 1:04:17.
In the 3X5 relay in first place in a time of 58:42 were Matt, Nick and Dan Walters. Second place went to Marc-Andre Paulin, Jonathan Chain and Eric Lalande in time of 59:13. Third place went the team of Abby Callahan in time of 1:06:23.
Organizers of the race have called the second annual Blue Sky 15k race a success and were pleased with the increase in participation from last year.
"Last year we had about 130 and certainly the word has gotten out and we’ve got a perfect day again this year that’s why we call it the Blue Sky and we have a blue sky again this morning for our race," said Kamnacher.
For the complete results of the Second annual Blue Sky 15k race and the 3X5k relay, you can check out www.chiptimeresults.com
