Marc Meunier lived up to the hype as the pre-race favourite in the Leading Edge Physiotherapy RunWild.
The popular hometown runner was uncatchable in the Priority Printing half-marathon Sunday morning with a winning time of one hour, 22 minutes and 28 seconds.
“Honestly, this feels really good,” said a satisfied Meunier while glowing in the limelight of the Victory Lane finish area surrounded by his two boys.
“I didn’t come in super fit but sometimes you just race for position rather than time and today it wasn’t about the time,” said the Paul Kane High School athletic director. “I went out there pretty easy for the first 10 K and it felt pretty good. I didn’t accelerate too much but I was kind of happy just to hold a good steady pace and fight the winds.”
Paul St. Amant of Bonnyville finished a distant second at 1:27:33, followed by a trio of St. Albert runners – Rory Rogal at 1:30:27, Donald Fairweather at 1:31:15 and Dylan Green at 1:32:36.
“I thought maybe a few guys were going to catch up. I did a few shoulder checks because I’m always nervous out there,” Meunier said.
Coincidentally, Meunier and Amant were first and third, respectively, in the first marathon in St. Albert history at the inaugural 2011 RunWild.
Two years ago, Meunier placed second in the RunWild half-marathon at 1:18:52.
“I’m not as quick as I used to be so whenever you can place in a half or a full (marathon) I’m happy with that at this point. I’ve got to be realistic,” said Meunier, 44, a three-time RunWild marathon winner and the 2013 runner-up. “I noticed there are guys coming up and gunning after me so I’ll maintain what I can and push as hard as I can until the old legs say no.”
Amant, 53, was able to pull away from the rest of the field despite gradually falling behind Meunier.
“About three or four of us ran for about five K and then it was just the two of us in second and third together until about eight K and then I passed him and slowly crept away,” Amant said. “But I never saw the guy in first though.”
Meunier was in the same position as Amant in the 2015 half-marathon while frantically pursuing the elusive Sean Seville of St. Albert, who set a course record of 1:15:39.
“Sean is a rabbit. I was chasing him and it always makes a difference when you’re trying to reel someone in. Whether you catch him or not it’s going to keep you moving,” Meunier said. “But sometimes you get a little complacent out there when you’re ahead and there is not anybody to chase and sort of pick off.”
The 21.1-kilometre half-marathon route is as flat as the St. Albert landscape or what RunWild organizers would allow. The race starts in front of St. Albert Place and winds up Sturgeon Road to join up with the Red Willow Trail system. Running beside the Sturgeon river to Kingswood Park, the participants soak up the countryside while making their way down Bellerose Drive and continue into Oakmont. After crossing the Oakmont bridge, the runners rejoin the trails out to Riel Business Park before heading towards Victory Lane by Lions Park via Riel Drive and Sir Winston Churchill Avenue.
“It was a hilly course but windy so I’m happy with my time,” said Amant, the winner of the 2013 Fall Challenge half-marathon in 1:23:14 on the Red Willow trails after passing Seville towards the end of the race.
Meunier agreed it was “a little breezy today” but the wind didn’t stop him from running away with the RunWild title.
“They put on such a great race. I love it,” said the shoe-in for Paul Kane’s teacher of the month award after his RunWild triumph. “I know a lot of times there are big races that are happening every weekend but I still have this listed on my calendar because this is one I like to be a part of.
“It’s great to run in a race in the city I love. I work here and we live here and it’s really nice to have the family here supporting me.”
The last big race for Meunier was the 20th marathon of his career and last year in Chicago he was clocked at 2:48:36 for 26th in the 40 to 44 men’s age division for 310th overall as the 284th fastest male.
“I was hoping for something a little closer to 2:40 that day,” said Meunier, who last did a half-marathon two years ago at RunWild.
So, what’s the next race for Paul Kane’s second-most accomplished athlete on staff behind curler Lori Olson-Johns?
“I’m kind of a late signer-upper now. I’ve got to see how my body feels and then I kind of assess from there. I have to see with my running buddies and see what they’re doing and see if we can figure something out,” said Meunier, who is leaning towards the fall to give it a go. “I need to get some miles in and have a good summer of racing and maybe some shorter stuff and just get the legs moving again.
“I’m getting old, I guess,” he added. “I feel like 48 some days.”
Meanwhile, the top-three finishers in the Rapid Cash 10-km race were Jon Bakker of Edmonton at 39:58, Dylan Pollmann of Edmonton at 40:03 and Shannon Maisano of St. Albert at 41:26.
The podium finishers in the Leading Edge five km were Glynis Milne of Edmonton at 19:27 and Tyson Brook of Edmonton at 20:07 and Tracy Romans at 20:16.
Visit www.zone4.ca for complete RunWild results.
