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29th
Annual CHCM Road Race
26 Years in
Garnish-Frenchman’s Cove
Looking Back –
Looking Forward
The first CHCM 10 Kilometer Road Race was held in Marystown
in 1981. The race started and finished at the Marystown Summer Games
Track, with an out and back course on the main street through the town.
It marked the first time that a major road race was held on the Burin
Peninsula, with runners visiting from Central Newfoundland and the
Avalon Peninsula. Paul McCloy and Colleen Martin from St. John’s were
the respective male and female winners in a field of over 30 runners.
In the second year, a smaller field of runners took to the road.
Colleen Martin returned as the female winner. Joe Ryan, from St.
John’s, took the senior male honors. Bill Hiller from Grand Falls won
the masters category. The race was not run in 1983 and 1984 but was
revived in 1985 using a new route and run in conjunction with the
Marystown Kinsmen Summer Festival.
By 1986, members of Mariners Athletics Running Club (MARC)
who organized the race were looking for a faster course. The Club moved
the race to Garnish-Frenchman’s Cove which was established as a
permanent site. This course is an out and back route which starts at
the Garnish Recreation Centre, passes through Frenchman's Cove, with a
turnaround point at the outskirts of the town.
The Garnish-Frenchman’s Cove course is flat making it
conducive to fast times, especially when there is no wind. In that
first year in Garnish-Frenchman’s Cove, Nicola Will from St. John’s set
a female course record in a time of 36:20. Will’s record stood for 25
years but was broken in 2010 when another St. John’s runner, Kate
Vaughan won her third straight CHCM title in a time of 35.29.
In 1989, Olympian Paul McCloy, Newfoundland’s most
successful distance runner, competing in his second CHCM Road Race, set
a male course record in a time of 29:53. Fortune native, Brian Collier
running under the MAC banner set a junior record in 32:33.
The race has become popular in the road racing community
with experienced and novice participants running for personal best
times. With a growing tradition of being one of several quality races
organized outside St. John’s, the CHCM Road Race was included in the
1990 Provincial TIMEX Road Race Series. The race continues to be
part of the TIMEX road race series and the newly established Toyota
Plaza series as organized by the Newfoundland and Labrador Athletics
Association (NLAA). Mariners Athletics Running Club remains the host
club and CHCM Radio continues to sponsor and promote the race.
In 2010 the Club secured a number of secondary sponsors to
complement the Town of Garnish sponsorship and the major sponsor CHCM
Radio. These secondary sponsors included Edwards and Associates,
Marystown; C&M Convenience Store, Frenchman’s Cove; and Long Ridge
Cabins and Senior’s Seaside Take-out and Convenience Store in Garnish.
The Southern Gazette, the local Burin Peninsula newspaper,
carries pre and post coverage of the race. The Garnish Town Council and
the Garnish Fire Department provide support in making the race a
community event. The Burin Ambulance provides ambulance services; the
Marystown RCMP Detachment provides road patrol during the race. As
well, back in 2010 MARC working in conjunction with the Garnish Town
Council, received permission to close an 800 meter section of the road
near the start-finish line for a 2-hour duration.
In the 1990’s, as the provincial road race scene
experienced a participation growth, so did the CHCM Road Race.
Participation doubled in 1993 with 77 participants – walkers, joggers
and serious road racers. Over the years the race has taken on an
interprovincial - international flavor. A large contingent of runners
from St. Pierre and Miquelon have joined the ever increasing number of
runners from the St. John's - Mount Pearl Region, other track and field
regions and other provinces.
Participation from most towns on the Burin Peninsula
continues to increase each year. Some participants are competitive,
racing against other competitors in their age categories. A number of
participants make the race a family affair. They jog or walk the course
for the challenge of covering the 10-K as family members and friends
come out to watch them and encourage them along the way to the finish
line.
In the 28 year history of the race, the race has had
several multiple winners. Claudio Arthur of St. Pierre has accumulated
the most wins with six first place finishes – 1993, 1999, 2000, 2003,
2004 and 2005. Paul McCloy of St. John’s has won three times – 1981,
1989, and 1991; Scott Young of St. John’s also has won three times –
1995, 1996 and 1998. Ryan Brockerville of Marystown is the latest
runner to claim three titles – 2007, 2009 and 2010.
Marie Decker of St. John’s has won the female division four
times recording victories in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2004. Tracey Pope,
originally from Grand Bank, has won three times – 1996, 1997, and 1998;
Kate Vaughan of St. John’s has won three times – 2008, 2009 and 2010.
Art Meaney of St. John’s has the distinction of holding two course
records – the male 40-49 age division record of 33.19 and the male 50-59
age division record of 34.46. Kevin Pardy of St. John’s has the honor
of setting a 70+ division record in two successive years; 57.07 in 2009
and 55:41 in 2010.
During the past 28 years, a number of male and female
runners from the Burin Peninsula have taken top honours – Gordon
Brockerville and Shelly Farrell (1985), Brian Collier (1987), Brenda
Foley (1991), Lionel Foote (1992), Tracey Pope (1996, 1997, and 1998),
Grant Handrigan (2006) and Ryan Brockerville (2007, 2009 and 2010).
In 2007, during the 25th anniversary run, a
record number of 78 participants completed the race. In 2008 that
number increased again as 85 participants toed the line with the oldest
participant being 80. In 2010, race directors, Lyman Keeping and Gordon
Brockerville, achieved their goal of 100 participants with a record
number of 131 finishers.
The course was re-certified in 2009. Road race markers
show the kilometers completed with the intent of motivating participants
to keeping moving towards the finish line clock. MARC organizers, CHCM
and Garnish Town Council representatives are hoping to top 100
participants again this year.
Starting this year (2011), race organizers will be going
with an early local registration and online registration only, thus
participants should note that there will be no late onsite registration
this year. Local participants may register early at the Marystown
Summer Games Building from 6:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. on Wednesday, June 1.
There may be a second onsite registration in the Grand Bank-Fortune
area. For online registration visit Atlantic Chip Timing (http://www.atlanticchip.ca/).
Online registration will close at 11:59 P.M., Wednesday, June 1.
Runners who have participation milestones of 5 years, 10
years, 15 years and 20 years are requested to notify the race
coordinators by e-mail.
The registration fee is $20.00 for NLAA members and $25.00
for non-NLAA. This fee includes a $2.00 Team Timex surcharge and a
$5.00 One Day Race Permit for non-NLAA members. A reception and medal
presentation will follow the race at approximately 2:00 PM. A number of
prize draws, which includes TIMEX watches, Toyota prizes and CHCM
prizes, will be made during the reception.
For more information, interested participants may contact
Lyman Keeping at (826-2787) / (lyman_k@hotmail.com)
or Gordon Brockerville at (279-0380) / (gbrockerville@eastlink.ca).
For more information about this race and other NLAA events you, may wish
to visit the NLAA website
http://www.nlaa.ca/ or the Garnish website
http://www.townofgarnish.com/Road%20Race%20Page.htm
Looking Back
COURSE RECORDS
|
Division |
Time |
Runners (Club) |
Year |
|
Men (19 & Under) |
32:33 |
Brian Collier (Mariners Athletics Club) |
1989 |
|
Women (19 & Under) |
41:20 |
Joanna Gillies (MUN Varsity Athletic Club) |
1994 |
|
Men (20 - 29) |
29:53 |
Paul McCloy (Memorial Track Club) |
1989 |
|
Women (20 - 29) |
36:20 |
Nicola Will (Memorial Track Club) |
1986 |
|
Men (30 - 39) |
31:00 |
Harold St. Croix (St. John’s Athletic Club) |
1991 |
|
Women (30 - 39) |
38:30 |
Noleen Wadden (MUN Varsity Athletic Club) |
1994 |
|
Men (40 - 49) |
33:19 |
Art Meaney (Gonzaga Track Club) |
1986 |
|
Women (40 - 49) |
40:16 |
Marie Decker (St. John’s Athletic Club) |
2003 |
|
Men (50 - 59) |
34:46 |
Art Meaney (St. John’s Athletic Club) |
1995 |
|
Women (50 - 59) |
44:37 |
Joan Bulgin (St. John’s Athletic Club) |
1998 |
|
Men (60 - 69) |
40:00 |
Fred Wight (St. John’s Athletic Club) |
1995 |
|
Women (60 - 69) |
59:47 |
Rosemary James (??) |
2008 |
Overall Winners of the CHCM Road Race
|
YEAR |
MALE |
FEMALE |
|
1981 |
Paul McCloy |
Colleen Martin |
|
1982 |
Joe Ryan |
Colleen Martin |
|
1983 |
No Competition |
No Competition |
|
1984 |
No Competition |
No Competition |
|
1985 |
Gordon Brockerville |
Shelley Farrell |
|
1986 |
Peter Lewis |
Nicola Will |
|
1987 |
Brian Collier |
No Competitors |
|
1988 |
Harold St. Croix |
Christine Young |
|
1989 |
Paul McCloy |
Elaine Myrick |
|
1990 |
Harold St. Croix |
Elaine Myrick |
|
1991 |
Paul McCloy |
Brenda Foley |
|
1992 |
Lional Foote |
Pam Bulgin |
|
1993 |
Claudio Arthur |
Noleen Wadden |
|
1994 |
Dave Ruggles |
Noeleen Wadden |
|
1995 |
Scott Young |
Pat Murphy |
|
1996 |
Scott Young |
Tracey Pope |
|
1997 |
Ernie Lucus |
Tracey Pope |
|
1998 |
Scott Young |
Tracey Pope |
|
1999 |
Claudio Arthur |
Marie Decker |
|
2000 |
Claudio Arthur |
Marie Decker |
|
2001 |
Brian Norman |
Marie Decker |
|
2002 |
Jeff Collingwood |
Allison Hobeike |
|
2003 |
Claudio Arthur |
Allison Hobeibe |
|
2004 |
Claudio Arthur |
Marie Decker |
|
2005 |
Claudio Arthur |
Carine Kerhoas |
|
2006 |
Grant Handrigan |
Carolyn Mcilroy |
|
2007 |
Ryan Brockerville |
Laura Pomeroy |
|
2008 |
Patrick O’Grady |
Kate Vanghan |
|
2009 |
Ryan Brockerville |
Kate Vanghan |
|
2010 |
Ryan Brockerville |
Kate Vaughn |
|
2011 |
Ryan Brockerville |
Kate Vaughn |
Please notify race coordinators if there are any errors or omissions.
The Winners
for 2011
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