From the Victoria Times Colonist

(Full race results are now available at www.royalvictoriamarathon.com)

Victoria lifted her gray and glowering weekend canopy for an enticing and ravishing few hours Sunday morning to allow for a surprisingly pleasant start for the thousands of people running in the 28th annual Royal Victoria Marathon.

But it was back to pounding rain as defending-champion and Olympic hopeful Steve Osaduik of Nanaimo scored another popular home-Island victory, completing the 42.2K course in two hours, 20 minutes and 14 seconds.

Suzanne Evans of New Westminster did one better by scoring a threepeat to take her third successive Royal Victoria women’s title in a personal best 2:45:38 to better her 2005 and 2006 winning times of 2:50:24 and 2:47:05.

Osaduik, Canada’s top marathoner, had a time slower than his 2006 winning clocking of 2:16:49, which had shattered the 25-year-old event record. The Dover Bay Secondary grad also missed the international and Canadian qualifying standards for the 2008 Beijing Summer Games of 2:15 and 2:12, respectively, but said he believes he can achieve those in December at the elite Fukuoka Marathon in Japan.

“It was nice to be a winner again in Victoria and this was a great tune-up for Fukuoka,” said the Prairie Inn Harriers runner, who was well clear of second-place Graeme Wilson of Vancouver (2:29:45) and third-place Anthony Skuce (2:32:50).

“I never felt I hit the wall. I had tons of support and there were so many people cheering me on along the course and everyone was saying my name and that was definitely inspiring and got me through it. I really appreciated it. Now I’ll see what I can do in Japan. Beijing is coming up quick but I can only do it one step at a time.”

Final numbers were being tabulated but organizers estimated between 9,000 and 9,500 participants contested the Royal marathon, half-marathon, 8K and kids run events.

Bruce Deacon of Victoria, who represented Canada at the 1996 Atlanta and 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics, is now a masters-age runner and showed he still has the legs by winning the men’s Royal Victoria half marathon in 1:08:02.

Another former international runner from Victoria, Lucy Smith, geared up for next month’s massive New York City Marathon by winning the women’s half marathon in 1:16:11. Both Deacon’s and Smith’s times were good enough to break the men’s and women’s national records.

“I usually wave to the supporters when I’m coming down the stretch but this time I put my head down when I saw the finish line and just went for it [the record],” said Smith.

Simon Whitfield, 2000 Sydney Olympic triathlon champion, won the Royal Victoria 8K in 24:23 while Marilyn Arsenault of Victoria took the women’s 8K in 28:15. (Check out her training blog on this site)

The weather held nicely for the half marathon and 8K races but finally gave way during the latter part of the marathon. But Osaduik said getting wet over just the final few kilometres sure beats being drenched from wire to wire.

“We were extremely lucky because the forecast was terrible. The weather was actually a lot better than last year when I won,” said the 123-pound wisp of a runner.

Women’s champion Evans donned a T-shirt commemorating the Terry Fox Run following her strides across the finish line and then the 35-year-old Lower Mainland stay-at-home mom clutched the hands of her seven-year-old daughter Zoa and five-year-old son Kai.

“It was an awesome race. Everything about this race and this city is great - the scenery and the tons of spectators who cheer you on,” said Evans, who now trails only six-time winner Cindy Rhodes in the number of Royal Victoria women’s marathon victories.

“I guess there’s a little bit of pressure now [to keep her Royal Victoria winning streak alive],” said Evans, with a smile.

Second-place Wendy Terris of Portland, who has been invited to race the U.S. Olympic trials for Beijing in April at Boston, led for much of the women’s race and pushed Evans to her personal best time.

“I’m glad the weather held off until it did,” said Terris, who clocked 2:49:56 and will run the New York City Marathon next month.

“It was challenging but this is a beautifully-organized race in a beautiful city.”

Perhaps as a harbinger of the graying of the baby boom population, masters-age athletes were dominant. Three of the top-five men’s finishers were masters runners, including 50-year-old fifth-place finisher Kevin Titus. The Whistler Secondary teacher and counselor, the 1993 Royal Victoria champion, ran his first marathon in 10 years and clocked a more-than-respectable 2:37:58.

“I don’t have the speed I once had but this feels great and I’m really happy,” said Titus.

The average age for those running the Royal Victoria full marathon was 41.6 years old, perhaps indicating that running as a lifestyle trend has not yet crested and is still growing among those in their 30s, 40s and 50s.