Calling all women who can run at least 39:59 for 10000m (10k).

We have a Men’s Elite field assembling for the final meet of the season, now we are looking for a few women who may wish to race in spectacular Victoria.

A local coach has a few women interested in competing, now we need a few more to make it happen.

Late August is a great time for athletes who are training for a fall marathon or cross-country season to start racing longer distances, the August 27th date is timed perfectly to launch into the quality end of a training schedule aimed at a fall racing program.

The final meet of the 2011 Q’s Victoria Track Series happens on Saturday, August 27th at the Jack Wallace Memorial track at Oak Bay High School. Currently the events scheduled to happen are, Men’s Elite 10000m and All Comers (open-mixed) 5000m.

If you are interested or have potential athletes who may race, contact: info@victoriatrackseries.ca

Vote for the runner who wows you the most with their performance. That’s it! NO RULES, except you cannot vote for your self.

Email, info@victoriatrackseries.ca, indicate who you got. Vote after each meet. You could win some Q’s Victoria Track Series swag. Maurice Tarrant Performance Award Winner wins the big trophy featured in the video, plus a 2-night stay at the beautiful Sunrise Ridge Resort in Sunny Parksville.

2010 winner of the Maurice Tarrant Performance Award was non other than Maurice Tarrant with 4 Canadian and 1 BC age-group record in the 80-84 group.

So far for 2011, the 3-top leaders are:

Colin Dignum – 5 votes. For his Canadian age-group (45-49) 5000m record: 15:22.

Mark Pinckard – 3 votes. For his anchor leg in the breaking of the Canadian age-group record 50-54, 800m relay with teammates, Garth Campbell, Kevin Searle and Peter Holmes.

Vessy Heller – 3 votes. Her world record performance in the mile for 75-79 age-group, 7:47.

Results are updated for the 4 meets of 2011. Should you see any errors, please contact: info@victoriatrackseries.ca

There was some dated and conflicting information on the, ‘About Us’ page, which is now updated as of, 1:08PM, June 24, 2011.

More information to come however, mark your calendar….go ahead and walk over to your wall calendar or click on your Outlook calendar and add this event to the following date:

Sunday, August 28th

Sticky Wicket’s Maple Room – Strathcona Hotel 919 Douglas St. *No minors.

5:30 to 9:00 PM

The Q’s Victoria Track Series, Silent Auction and Awards Night. To benefit the Mustard Seed Food Bank.

Sunday June 19, 2011

Victoria, BC – The Q’s Victoria Track – 77 year old Helly Visser of Vancouver, BC smashed the 75-79 age-group World Mile Record at the 4th meet of The Q’s Victoria Track Series. She bested the previous record by 10 seconds in 7:47.

Visser said, “I recently ran 8:05 in Calgary at a meet there, the World Record is 7:57, I don’t know if I can do it, but I am going to try”. She did, she ran 7:47. The first lap was well ahead of pace and announcer Paul O’Callaghan got the crowd cheering for her and she hung onto the World Record pace throughout. Upon finishing she announced to the crowd, “and what a wonderful meet to achieve the record at”.

Colin Dignum also of Vancouver raced the Men’s Elite 5000m event and bettered the Canadian 45-59 age-group record from its previous time of 15:27, by 5 seconds, catching two-time Olympian Bruce Deacon in the final lap to finish in 15:22.
Colin Dignum had an “A” goal; taking down the Canadian Record of 15:27, his “B” goal was the provincial BC record of 15:38. He accomplished both easily. Colin ran the first few laps conservatively watching the runners ahead. Deacon, who led Dignum by as much as 50 metres became victim late in the race as Dignum saved his best for the final lap, to take the record and the two time Olympian.

Also, during the 5000m Men’s race, Trevor O’Brien continued his excellent comeback from injury by winning his 3rd of 3 races at the Q’s Victoria Track Series. Full results are at: www.victoriatrackseries.ca/results/

Other races were: 400m Open, 400m Women’s Elite, Open mile and 5000m Open, which was won by Laurence Coogan in 16:07.
The weather, for the fourth consecutive meet was outstanding with little to no wind, warm temperatures and sunny skies.
The fifth meet of the eight meet series happens again at the University of Victoria Track, Saturday, July 9th with the gun sounding at 6:30 PM. Athletes must sign in or be registered no later than 6:00 PM.

Sunday June 19, 2011
Victoria, BC – The Q’s Victoria Track – 77 year old Helly Visser of Vancouver, BC smashed the 75-79 age-group World Mile Record at the 4th meet of The Q’s Victoria Track Series. She bested the previous record by 10 seconds in 7:47.
Visser said, “I recently ran 8:05 in Calgary at a meet there, the World Record is 7:57, I don’t know if I can do it, but I am going to try”. She did, she ran 7:47. The first lap was well ahead of pace and announcer Paul O’Callaghan got the crowd cheering for her and she hung onto the World Record pace throughout. Upon finishing she announced to the crowd, “and what a wonderful meet to achieve the record at”.
Colin Dignum also of Vancouver raced the Men’s Elite 5000m event and bettered the Canadian 45-59 age-group record from its previous time of 15:27, by 5 seconds, catching two-time Olympian Bruce Deacon in the final lap to finish in 15:22.
Colin Dignum had an “A” goal; taking down the Canadian Record of 15:27, his “B” goal was the provincial BC record of 15:38. He accomplished both easily. Colin ran the first few laps conservatively watching the runners ahead. Deacon, who led Dignum by as much as 50 metres became victim late in the race as Dignum saved his best for the final lap, to take the record and the two time Olympian.
Also, during the 5000m Men’s race, Trevor O’Brien continued his excellent comeback from injury by winning his 3rd of 3 races at the Q’s Victoria Track Series. Full results are at: www.victoriatrackseries.ca/results/
Other races were: 400m Open, 400m Women’s Elite, Open mile and 5000m Open, which was won by Laurence Coogan in 16:07.
The weather, for the fourth consecutive meet was outstanding with little to no wind, warm temperatures and sunny skies.
The fifth meet of the eight meet series happens again at the University of Victoria Track, Saturday, July 9th with the gun sounding at 6:30 PM. Athletes must sign in or be registered no later than 6:00PM

77 year old Helly Visser of Vancouver, BC tonight, broke the world mile record for her age-group 75-79. The previous world best time was 7:57, Visser ran 7:47. Visser ran the first lap much faster than the pace required, then settled back and ran on pace for over half the race – the 4-lap, 1609m mile distance.

In the men’s 45-49 age-group, Colin Dignum also of Vancouver took down the Canadian 5000m record by running 15:22. The record he needed to beat was 15:27.

More details soon. See (nearly complete) results here.

77 year old Helly Visser of Vancouver, BC will attempt to break the World Record mile time in the female 75-79 age-group, at this Saturday’s meet of The Q’s Victoria Track Series – meet # 4. The meet takes place at the University of Victoria’s Centennial Stadium, starting at 6:30PM sharp.

She already broke the Canadian mile record, Saturday, May 21st. Visser ran the mile in Calgary, AB in the time of 8:05.048. This was at the New Balance #2 Athletic Series she was just short 9 seconds for a World Record.

The world record is currently held by Mary Harada from the USA. Her time is 7:55.74. Visser is very confident that she can break that record.

Master runner, also from Vancouver, Colin Dignum will attempt to take the Canadian 45-59 men’s age-group record, which is 15:27. Dignum is a highly competitive master’s runner and often wins his age group in distances from 5k to the marathon.

Also, running in the elite men’s 5000m field at 7:30 PM are Trevor O’Brien, who is expected to win.

O’Brien has won both of his comeback track races during the Q’s Victoria Track Series in both the 1500m and 3000m distances. O’Brien is known as a top level 800/mile runner and as the pacer who pulled Steve Osaduik to a new Royal Victoria Marathon (Good Life Fitness Victoria Marathon) course record of 2:16:49. O’Brien battled injuries for 4 years and is now rounding nicely into form. Additionally, two-time Olympian, Bruce Deacon will race in the master’s division, he also battled injuries recently and is once again fit. Deacon was Canada’s top marathon runner for more than a decade competing in two Olympic Games and winning Silver at the Pan American Games. Deacon also won the California International Marathon twice. He owns a personal best of 2:13 (twice) and had won the Royal Victoria Marathon and the Times Colonist 10k several times.

Before the men’s elite race starts there will be three open-mixed races for all levels of runner, from beginner to the serious age-group athlete, starting at 6:30PM with the 400m distance, followed by the Classic Mile and the open-mixed 5000m.
Full results will be available at the track series website: www.victoriatrackseries.ca/results/

Trainharder dot com carried the ‘Women Dominating Men’ article from meet # 3, thanks to Panos Skrivanos at Trainharder.com - the site that promotes everything outdoorsee from all over BC. The headline contained the phrase: ‘Women Dominating Men’. Accompanying the headline was a picture I supplied from the track meet, a picture of Simon Pearson.

Simon Pearson is no woman.

He did well by finishing second in the Open 800m in his first track race for 2011 and his first track race since the 2010 Q’s Victoria Track Series and his first race since going hard on minimal training for the BAA Boston Mararthon.

Pearson was patient enough to sit back and run behind and beside a couple competitors for the first lap and a little more before unleasing his aerobic fitness and finishing 2nd to Jim Barwise, who has won several races outright and has won his age-group pretty much every race during the two years the series has been on.

Pearson did however secure great manhood points by obtaining a poster, autographed to me, from the very great racontuer and 2:07 marathon runner, Steve Jones. Thanks Simon.

That made the meet worthwhile all in itself – that poster.