FINISH LINE RETIRED AFTER 25 YEARS

If you've run a road race in Thunder Bay, chances are that you've passed under the uprights of the start-finish line structure which has served the running community since 1984.
 


Back in the days when the Run For The Meatball was called the Ground Hog Ground Pounder, founding members of the Thunder Bay Metre Eaters, Norm Holman and Joe Kirchman, built the structure with steel tubing and threaded couplings.  Aluminum posts were added to define the finishing chutes, and later, the frame of a Vauxhall provided by Bruce Villella was mechanically adapted by Roger Rickards to wheel the components to each race site.
 


After 25 years of solid service, the old finish line has finally been retired, and will be replaced at the Ten Miler finish line this year with new uprights, also purchased and provided by the Thunder Bay Metre Eaters.

Storyline and photos by Jay Henderson.  Watch for Jay's fuller history of the Metre Eater finish line soon on the website under Race History.
 

COMPETITIVE PULSE

In the weeks leading up to this years race, we'd like to provide some insights into how our 2010 award winners are progressing with their training, and whether we can expect them to contend again for 2011.

    NICKI WILBERFORCE        
Nicki had a silver performance in last year's Ten Miler with a time of 63:37.  Since 1997, she has finished first or second overall on ten occasions, in addition to placing first or second in her age group in eleven of those
years.  Elsewhere in 2010, Nicki won the inaugural Thunder Bay Marathon, as well as capturing triathlon wins in Sioux Lookout and Marathon, a first in the Embro Highland Games 10K [east of London, Ontario], and a gold
performance in an 8.4 mile hill run in Scotland.  Since the Sleeping Giant Loppet, she’s been transitioning from her winter training regimen to a renewed focus on the Ten Mile.  Minor injuries over the past year to
her ankle and hip have responded positively to physiotherapy.  Nicki confirms that the Ten Miler is definitely in her plans for 2011.

      JOHN GARLAND
When John passed the race director’s torch for the Ten Mile Road Race along to Mark Smith in 2010, he also resumed racing.  He responded by winning his age class in the Ten Miler [68:51], the Fresh Air 10K [42:15] and the June Classic 10K [41:25]. He also captured silver at the Gary Bjorkland Half Marathon with a time of 1:35:29.  John concedes that he placed some competitive pressure on himself last year, but says he’s taking a more relaxed approach for this season.  His training has progressed well and injury-free through the off-season, and, if anything, he may be a tick ahead of last year’s conditioning. 

 
    HEATHER HILLSBURG
Over the past three years, Heather has consistently delivered third place finishes overall at the Ten Miler, but this spring she’s targeting the National Capital Marathon in Ottawa where she now resides.  Having completed her PhD coursework and exams, there’s more time for training and a healthier life balance.  She hasn’t raced since taking home the silverware at the Thunder Bay Half Marathon in a time of 1:30:11. Her workout pace is up a notch from past year’s and she still follows a regimen laid out by Thunderwolves coach Kip Sigsworth; inserting a sizeable chunk of tempo at the front end of her long runs.  Heather says she’d like to set new PBs this year for the 5K and half marathon, but she’s not sure what to expect at the Ottawa Marathon; her first test at 26.2 miles.
 

FINISH LINE BANNER UNVEILED

There will be more colour overhead as you celebrate your 2011 finish at the Ten Mile Road Race.  Our new banner is in production, and here's a sneak-peak at what it will look like [admittedly compressed]:



The actual banner size is thirty inches high and 18 feet long.
 

WHERE DO OUR ENTRIES COME FROM?

Race entry forms over the past six years reveal that the Ten Mile Road Race has largely been a community and regional celebration.  For the years 2005 through 2010, 87.13% of race entrants resided in Thunder Bay, while a further 6.57% originated from elsewhere in northwest Ontario.



The balance of our runners come to join us from elsewhere in Ontario [1.62%], the United States [1.42%], western Canada [1.01%], and other countries [.11%].

Data compilation by Frank Wilson.
 

FINISHERS MEDAL FOR 2011 

The artwork is settled and the die is cast for this year's finisher medal:


    

DIGITAL MEMORIES OF 2010

Thanx to the diligence and generosity of the Ten Miler’s roving band of sports photographers, our website has been populated with hundreds of photos from the 2010 race.  If you were out there pounding the pavement, your efforts have probably been commemorated.

  Laurie Niskanen [167], Jacqui Soulias [904] and Andrea Van Vliet [114] find themselves in a happy place as they approach the finish line.

      
Lisa Hodges [162], Gerry Goulet [424] and Carol Daniher [240] savour the moment with the finish line in their sights.


Michael Tassotto [791] closes the deal with Jim Keyes [647] in pursuit.

Photos by Roger Rickards, 2010.

Should you find that ’special’ photo on the website, you can secure a hi-resolution version [with more detailed muscle-definition] by e-mailing contact@10mileroadrace.org .
  

SHORT SPRINTS

Monogrammed Ten Miler race apparel will be launched this year.  Details to follow in subsequent editions of Ten Miler News.

As of April 5th, the Ten Mile Training Program at Fresh Air Experience is supporting 149 runners in their preparation for May 23rd.  New recruits every week.  Contact Fresh Air to participate in the camaraderie.

You’ll find a list of confirmed entries for the race on the website @ http://www.10mileroadrace.org/article/2011-entries--individual-runners-to-april-4-2011-420.asp.
  

TEN MILE TRIVIA

1)  What do the fastest man and fastest woman to ever run the Ten Miler have in common?
2)  What runner had the longest stretch of back-to-back wins?
3)  When did women first officially become involved in the race?

Watch for the answers in the next edition of this newsletter.

Answers to trivia questions in the last newsletter:
1) There were 24 entrants for the 1920 race. Each was required to present his amateur card. Dr. Robert J. Manion dutifully tested the bellows [lungs]of every entrant, and two were advised not to run. Another entrant, for unknown reasons, elected to withdraw.  Consequently, a total of 21 runners actually toed the start line, and 16 finished the race.
2) The 'unidentified young boy' as announced by a CKPR Radio Reporter was actually a short-haired 17-year-old high school girl named Janet Sillman [a member of the Thunder Bay Olympic Club] who had slipped into the race from the sidewalk as the starting pistol was fired. In 1975 [when the women‟s event became a permanent fixture], Janet officially entered and won the race, finishing in a time of 63:25.
3) The original sponsor of the Ten Mile Road Race was a predecessor of the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal.  In 1910, it was called the Fort William Daily Times-Journal.  The sponsorship of road races, especially by newspapers was very popular during this period.  The race began beside the Times-Journal Office and the title sponsorship by the newspaper continued for 25 years.

ERRATA PROFUNDIS 
In the March 10th release of Ten Miler News, the caption of the photo depicting Ramon Verardo and Werner Schwar closing on the 2010 finish line mistakenly switched the runners’ race bib numbers. The editors sincerely regret any confusion this misinformation may have precipitated.  Both gentlemen are perfectly capable of identifying themselves, even after a depleting race.

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