(Victoria, BC – October 1, 2008) Steve Osaduik and Cheryl Murphy will be running the Royal Victoria Marathon on Sunday October 12 – both with the aim of setting new course records. Osaduik, who holds the course record of 2:16:49, is hoping to better his 2006 result, while Murphy’s sights are set on breaking the 20-year-old women’s record of 2:42:32.
Langley-based Osaduik feels he is equal or better shape than the last two years and so knows another course record is achievable. “With the marathon you never know until you are out there on the course so we will have to see,” he says. “Many things will play a role on race day: weather, pacing, and things that are out of my control, but all the things that are in my control, my training and attitude, are all where they need to be right now. I will apply the same tactic I apply in all my marathons - keep it conservative for the first half of the race, build confidence as I navigate through the course, and try and recapture some of the magic that saw the record fall in 2006. It should be a great race.”
For Victoria athlete Murphy it has been a year of achievements. She completed her first marathon in March – the Snickers Bar Marathon in Georgia – in 2:40:12 coming second in the women’s field. In May she won the BMO Vancouver Half Marathon women’s race in 1:15:56. She isn’t fazed about the pressure of a new course record. “I am very confident and as long as I have a good, long, solid run everything should go well,” she says. She will be paced by her training partner Phil Nicholls which she feels will be an advantage. “Having Phil there will keep me on pace and focused.”
World Marathon Record Holder aims to set new W80+ record at the Royal Victoria Marathon
Betty Jean McHugh, who holds the World Marathon Record in the W75-79 category, has confirmed she will be running the Royal Victoria Marathon on Sunday, October 12. Now 80, she is hoping to set a new World Record in the W80+ category.
McHugh set the W75-79 record in Victoria in 2003 in 4:08:54. In 2005 she ran the Vancouver Marathon in 4:11:28. Coming back from injury last year she set a new Canadian record in the W80+ in Honolulu in December 2007 (5:06:34). The current world record in the W80+ is 4:49:52. A resident of North Vancouver, McHugh say she isn’t daunted by her goal. “I just want to go out and enjoy it. I don’t feel any pressure I will just go and do the best I can,” she says.
The 29th Annual Royal Victoria Marathon takes place Sunday, October 12; in addition to the Marathon there is a Half Marathon, 8K Road Race and Thrifty Foods Kids Run. For registration details, visit www.royalvictoriamarathon.com.
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