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Canada Running Series 2008 is all set to open for another exciting season with a record crowd and strong field at Harry's Spring Run Off Vancouver 8K to fight prostate cancer, this Sunday March 9th, on the world-famous Stanley Park Seawall.
More than 1,000 participants will toe the line for the 10am start at Lumberman's Arch in Canada's most spectacular urban park; and they expect to raise $130,000 for research at the Prostate Centre at Vancouver General Hospital. Both marks are well ahead of last year's totals and will set new records for the second-year event.
To lead the charge, Harry Rosen CEO, Larry Rosen, will be joined by a competitive field that includes some of BCs best. The men's race promises to be a good battle between Richmond's Ryan Hayden, the 25-year-old recent winner of the First Half Half Marathon, Nanaimo's Steve Osaduik [winner of the 2006 Victoria Marathon], and Vancouver's Jerry Ziak. Jerry had a strong marathon debut at Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon last September, where he placed 11th in 2:17:24. Hayden is the defending champion, having crossed the line first in the inaugural Harry's Vancouver 8K last March, in 23:47; Osaduik placed 4th almost 50 seconds back.
Calgary's veteran Olympian, Lisa Harvey, will start as women's favourite, to be challenged by Whistler's Kristina Rody and Coquitlam's Nancy Tinari. Lisa hopes to start '08 where she left off in 2007, as the Canada Running Series Women's National Champion. She started her 2007 season with a victory at Harry's Vancouver 8K [27:45], then showed her versatility, going undefeated with subsequent victories at the Scotiabank Vancouver Half in June, the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in September, and the Oasis ZooRun 10K at Toronto Zoo in October.
The forecast for Sunday looks excellent for running, with a temperature of 9 celcius, variable cloudiness, only a 20% chance of rain, and a very light breeze of just 5km/hr from the East. There's still time to sign up, with in-person registration on Saturday from 10am to 5pm at the Running Room store at 679 Denman, on the corner of Georgia.
And don't forget... daylight savings time begins on Saturday night [Sunday morning at 2am to be exact], so move your clocks forward one hour. Don't forget and turn up 1 hour late!
Lisa Harvey winning the 2007 Harry's Spring Run Off Vancouver 8K
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