Torrance back to win again Defending 10-mile champion Apr 17, 2010 06:00 am | By Jeff Hansen | St. Albert Gazette Brian Torrance will defend his coveted 10-mile crown Sunday, in what is expected to be a record-breaking turnout for the 25th anniversary of the St. Albert road race. “It was a great honour to win it last year,” he said. “To come back as the defending champion is neat. I don’t know how long it’s going to last but I will definitely enjoy it.” Firmly entrenched in fourth place for most of the race, Torrance pulled ahead with a gutsy effort with two miles to go en route to a first-place time of 54 minutes and 25 seconds. “There are not many races around that has the history that St. Albert does. Some great names have won it like Dennis Colburn [five-time champion], Paul Tichelaar [2008], Matty Norminton, who was unbelievable with his time [course-best 50:46] a few years ago, and Kelsey Kelemen [three-time champion]; I’ve spent most of my years chasing them so to win a race they had won was a big deal,” Torrance said. Even though his winter training didn’t go according to plan, the Edmonton Thunder Track and Field Club member was making up for lost time in recent workouts. “I really felt that I needed to have some urgency in the next couple of weeks to have a good race,” he said. “I’m feeling good. I’ve really started to do everything I can with my training. I’m even watching my nutrition to make sure that I will be OK for the race.” He concedes that Tichelaar, who pounded out a memorable 56:09 in blizzard-like conditions in 2008, is the pre-race favourite to win his second 10-miler in three years. Harrison Moore of the Alberta Golden Bears and St. Albert triathlete Ryan Kohlenberg will also challenge for the race title. “[Moore] will be very good. He’s been training better than ever,” Torrance said. “I had a training session with Ryan [recently] and he was very good as well.” His pick for the fastest female is Krissy Dooling, who battled the harsh elements two years ago to finish first in the female category at 68:41. Last year’s winner and the 2008 runner-up, Tara Struyk, will be gunning for a repeat victory after posting a time of 61:32. “Krissy will be a favourite,” Torrance predicted. The 10-miler historically signals the start of the outdoor season for runners of all ages and abilities. “For a lot of the guys with the Thunder club we don’t really focus on the track in the summer. We kind of switch to road racing and as soon as the snow goes away we like to get on the roads and St. Albert is always the first race we look forward to,” Torrance said. “I always enjoy the 10-miler. It’s a first class race.” The second portion of the course, past the 10-K sign on the Perron Bridge, separates the contenders from the pretenders. “Coming through town we’re all motivated. We get to see people again and the [Grandin] mall. That’s when you start going up the hills. If you can change gears and keep going up the hills you’re going to be OK and then the last mile is a very quick mile if you still have some legs under you,” said Torrance, 34. Race update The start line will be jam-packed with close to 1,000 projected runners. Online registrations closed Thursday night, with 651 entries processed. More registrations are expected to arrive by mail and from drop-off locations. The last chance to enter is the morning of the race in Grandin mall, prior to the 9:30 start time on Grandin Road. The fee is $65. Legendary cartoonist Yardley Jones will fire the starter’s gun. Prize money this year has increased to $500 for the fastest male and female, $300 to the second fastest and $100 to the third fastest. Framed pictures by local artist Allan Nuttall will also be presented to the top three males and females. To help commemorate the 25th anniversary, all runners and volunteers receive race bags with a vintage T-shirt by Jones from an earlier race. Among the draw prizes is a trip for two to Las Vegas to run the marathon or half marathon in December. The post-race festivities will feature a huge cake for the runners and volunteers to enjoy. The 10-miler, hosted by the St. Albert Roadrunners and Triathlon Club, is sanctioned by Athletics Alberta and is part of the TIMEX Canadian Road Race Series.

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