Janelle Brcic has a shorter distance for a podium finish in Sunday’s RunWild than last year as the fastest female in the marathon event.
But the three-time ironman competitor expects the 21.1 kilometre half-marathon through the streets and trails of St. Albert will be equally as difficult.
“I’m a better long distance runner. The faster stuff is just way too hard for me,” said Brcic, who has a personal-best one hour and 35 minutes in the half-marathon. “I really have to concentrate on my pace because I can pace myself for a marathon but I’m not a real half-distance runner so I have to make sure I don’t get too keen at the start knowing it’s a shorter race.”
The 42-km marathon at the fifth annual RunWild, hosted by Leading Edge Physiotherapy, was cancelled by the non-profit organization because of financial and volunteer requirements needed to meet the City of St. Albert’s new event guideline policy concerning safety for all participants on roadways. The decision was made last fall to drop the only marathon in St. Albert history from the RunWild lineup.
Last year Brcic placed fifth overall out of 76 marathon finishers at 3:12:24, surpassing her previous PB of 3:21:01 at the 2012 RunWild for seventh place as the top female.
“RunWild was definitely a highlight for myself last year,” said the 298th finisher at the 2014 Ironman Canada in Whistler at 11:42:28 for 46th overall among females for 11th place in her 30 to 34 age division.
Brcic’s last half-marathon was in last year’s Great White North half-ironman at 1:41:53 for first place in her 20 to 29 age category as the sixth fastest female and 41st overall finisher at 4:59:36 for another PB.
Her goal Sunday is to cross the finish line faster than 1:40 in her first standalone half-marathon a few years ago.
“I’m happy if I can do that,” said the Ecole Secondaire Saint Marguerite d’Youville alumna.
It’s also a litmus test for the St. Albert runner while working toward a half or full marathon but she is committed to the Great White North half-ironman in July.
“I’m excited to see where my fitness and training is,” said the 33rd overall finisher and seventh best female in last month’s St. Albert 10-miler at 1:07:21.
Brcic, 30, was among 1,821 runners and walkers who registered online before the Monday night deadline for the half-marathon, 10 km, five km and the extremely popular WildOnes Kids MaraFun for six- to 12-year-olds.
Last year’s RunWild featured a record 1,980 registered runners and walkers in five events.
“It’s quite a local event. It’s real fun,” said Brcic, who competed in every RunWild marathon except 2013, when she aggravated a left ankle injury and was forced to pull out on the eve of the race.
At the inaugural RunWild marathon she was the fourth overall female at 3:39:43 for 21st place.
The Father Jan School kindergarten teacher is also the guiding light for about 50 students in the MaraFun, where youths complete the last 1.6 km of their very own marathon, which started at their schools as they ran or walked one km at a time leading up to the RunWild event.
Jessica Khubyar-Ebert and Shannon Maisano join Brcic as the pre-race favourites for the female crown. Khubyar-Ebert was last year’s female half-marathon runner-up at 1:36:03 for ninth place out of 272 finishers and Maisano is an accomplished St. Albert runner at various distances who is coming off a 16th-place showing as the third fastest female in the St. Albert 10-miler at 1:03:12.
The status of last year’s female half-marathon winner, Sarah Magdalinski of St. Albert, was unclear at press time. Magdalinski’s time of 1:34:47 ranked sixth overall.
The RunWild starts on St. Anne Street at 8 a.m. for the half-marathon run/walk, 8:20 a.m. for the 10-km run/walk and 8:30 a.m. for the five-km run/walk.
The Victory Lane finish line is situated between the St. Albert Curling Club and Lions Park.
The awards ceremony is 11 a.m. and the Marafun goes at noon from the event village in Lions Park, where the beer gardens is located.
Fullback Calvin McCarty and defensive lineman Almondo Sewell of the Edmonton Eskimos are the guests of honour for the Marafun.
The RunWild has raised $290,000 for the Zebra Child Protection Centre and the St. Albert 50+ Club the past four years.
FAST TIMES: Last year, Nicolas Wang was the top 10-km runner at 38:06 and Corey Halabi placed second at 38:17. Halabi was the 2013 winner with a course record of 37:22. Wang was the 2012 champion at 37:51 and Halabi placed third at 39:46.
The leading 10-km female last year was Christina Lynn at 41:38 for fifth place.
There were 341 10-km finishers, compared to 379 runners and walkers in 2013.
Last year, St. Albert teenager Riley Stuermer set the five-km course record of 18:48. The previous mark was 19:23 by Dan Vigliatore in 2012.
The fastest five-km female last year was Christina MacKinnon of St. Albert at 23:15 for 13th place.
A total of 448 runners and walkers finished the five-km event. Two years ago 392 participants went the distance.
Visit www.runwild.ca to view the RunWild course maps.
RunWild results will be posted at www.Zone4.ca.
