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Browne wins the gold

Vancouver resident posts top time at ƵappDays 10K
Ben Lypka/The Ƶapp
Runners head out from the start line at the ƵappDays 10 kilometre race on Sunday, Aug. 3.

The searing heat didn’t dissuade the 126 runners who participated in the annual ƵappDays 10 kilometre run on Sunday (Aug. 3) – but it may have slowed them down.

Vancouver’s Nicholas Browne crossed the finish line first with a time of 34:29 but admitted the heat made it a more difficult run and he was looking for a quicker time.

“It was tough,” he said at the finish line. “I thought I might have had a little bit more in me to get a better time but it’s always nice to get the win.”

Browne edged out Vancouver’s Anthony Bourdel by 30 seconds and Richmond’s Marcus Ribi to pick up the win. He said he started fast out of the gates but struggled to maintain the quick pace.

“I was pretty ambitious off the start,” he joked. “After one kilometre I was by myself but then I slowed down quite a bit and the guys behind me had a more consistent pace and got closer.”

He explained he’s training for the New York City marathon later this year and was trying to maintain a certain pace but after three kilometers he realized it was going to be tough to do so. 

This year marked the debut for Browne in Ƶappand he’s now first place in his 30 to 34 age group in the Lower Mainland Road Race Series (LMRRS), which concludes at the Richmond Olympic Oval on Aug. 17. 

Kristin Smart from North Vancouver was the top female competitor with a time of 38:33. Smart also won the ƵappDays race in 2012.

“I was two minutes slower than I wanted,” she said after the race. “But it was a little bit due to the weather and also I’ve been doing marathon training so this was a harder pace. It was a really high tempo pace out there today.”

Like Browne, Smart said she was aiming to keep up with all of her splits but at the four km mark she decided to play it by ear. Smart is in training to eventually compete in the Chicago marathon in October. 

This year’s winners of the Slavo Lehockey Memorial Trophy, given to the local runners with the fastest times, were Eric Goodwin for the men and Margreet Dietz for the women. Goodwin was just off the podium in fourth place overall with a time of 37:15. Dietz placed fourth amongst all women with a time of 41:05.

Other Ƶappresidents in the top 20 included Andrew Clegg (8th), Marko Toijanen (12th) and Tim Moore (20th).

Victoria’s Peter Winters beat out Squamish’s Kris Duncan and Wendy Vandersteen in the stroller division and Tristan Smyth placed first in the wheelchair division. 

The Flashback Mile saw North Vancouver’s Sven Jensen beat out Squamish’s Linnea Uunila by 13 seconds to post the top time of 5:55.

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