Not rain, wind nor cold could stop over 600 people, along with countless friends, families and volunteers, from gathering at Mitford Park on Saturday (June 8) for the 2002 Dynastream Cochrane Challenge.
The race began promptly at 9 a.m. when 186 athletes set off to run a half-marathon. About 15 minutes later, 254 runners set off on the 10-kilometre race and a few minutes after that a whole lot of runners, joggers and walkers braved the cold to participate in the 5-km race.
“I think it went great. Despite the fact that it rained, all of the runners seemed to have a good time,” said race director Terry Booth, adding that he has already put in an order for better weather next year.
The top three male overall finishers for the half-marathon are Ed Bickley of Calgary, who ran the half-marathon in 1:22:39; Bert Starke of Calgary, who finished in 1:23:52; and Dean Dubyk of Calgary, who completed the race in 1:28:10.
The top three female finishers in the half-marathon are Fariyal Samson of Calgary, who finished in 1:30:58; Jay Cherian, who completed the race in 1:45:15 and Carmen Pavelich, who finished the half-marathon in 1:47:46.

The top three male finishers for the 10-kilometre race are Adrian Lumb, who finished in 35:35; Matt Seftel, who completed his run in 37:49 and Gary Plyim, who finished in 37:55. The top two female finishers are Elinor Fish, who finished her race in 43:13 and Amy Wesseling, who completed the race in 44:12.
Joel Jacques, of Canmore, took first place in the 5-km run. Only the top three runners were timed in the 5-km; the rest completed the race for their own fun and satisfaction.
Fish, who lives and trains in Canmore, says she enjoyed the course, which ran mainly along Cochrane pathways.
“It felt really good,” she said. “I was really looking forward to the hill at the end because I really like hills.”
Not everyone enjoyed the hill quite as much as fish did. Daren Christoffersen, who ran the 10-km in 58:43, described the hill coming up to the finish line as ‘killer.’
“Whoever thought up that hill to finish was a bad, bad person,” Christoffersen said, with a chuckle. “It was evil.”
The competition may have been fierce in the long distance runs, but in the 5-km things were a little more relaxed, at least for some of the runners. Mothers pushed baby carriages, fathers raced their kids and friends banded together. Finishing the race was an accomplishment in itself.
Eight-year-old Jacqueline Sinnett caught up with Faith Campbell, a teacher at Glenbow Elementary, about halfway through the race and the two stuck together for the remainder.
“We made a pact that we would come in together,” Campbell said, after crossing the finish line alongside Sinnett.
Amidst the rain and chilly air, volunteers came together to ensure the Challenge was a success no matter what. Entertainers performed in spite of less than ideal conditions, and as a result, spectators were able to watch more than just the finish line. Dancers from Dance Debut gave it their all in spite of the fact that they were slipping on a wet stage, and singer Alicia Bailey controlled her shivers to entertain the crowd.
Paul Vaillancourt of Cochrane, placed seventh overall in the half-marathon in a time of 1:34:01. His wife, Meredith, was there to congratulate him at the end of the race in spite of the fact that she is (or was) incredibly pregnant at the time. Vaillancourt proudly patted his wife’s belly post-race, glad that his family was there to see him cross the finish line.
“It’s really a beautiful, scenic course and I hope more people come out next year,” he said.
Hopefully, Booth’s request for sunny skies is granted and next year’s race is even more successful than this year’s.
Originally published June 12, 2002