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Ambassador Claire trains and race by “Party Pace”

PARTY PACE

Party Pace is a term I recently stumbled upon. Essentially, you are picking a pace that is comfortable and fun for yourself. Simple. Right?

The truth is, I have no idea what anyone is talking about. Splits, watches, training loads, heart rate, shoes, and for the love of running: STRAVA!

It’s a lot.

I played team sports my entire life and was a complete animal in the competitive department. So, I get the urge to go all in, and while I’m not completely out to lunch on all this lingo, it’s just not for me. Spoiler alert: I don’t even own a running watch.

“But Claire, how do you know your heart rate?” I don’t.

“How about your splits?” Ummmm…

“Will you ever know if you got a PB?” Probably not.

“Or a PR?” Wait, isn’t that the same…

The truth is, I got into running as a new hobby. I was looking for something that I could do whenever and wherever I wanted. I signed up for a few races, thinking my competitive edge would kick in, but by race day, I had logged the km’s but hadn’t “trained hard” like I thought I would. Race after race I would run, usually mid pack, jump in puddles, graze the food tables and go home. Happy as a clam.

Huh, I didn’t expect that. Confused and concerned by my lack of burning desire to crush my competition, I signed up with a running group. Maybe that would be the ticket. It wasn’t. I found I looked forward to my three running dates with myself for a week, and I didn’t want to cancel them. Week after week, I was showing up for myself, with my only goal being to get out the door.

I got so wrapped up thinking I needed a PB, a set goal, or a running group that I lost sight of why I liked running. Don’t get me wrong, I think these things are phenomenal, and I encourage everyone to find their place in the community, but for me, I realized I’m ok just showing up, on my own, chatting with strangers, running my party pace, without a watch, looking like a nut cheering every person on and beelining it to the food station.

This doesn’t mean I’ll never join a group (I’d like to find one now) or that I’ll never get more serious about racing. It just means where I am right now is fun, and I dig that. Being an ambassador for the Island Race Series has taught me that we all have a pace and place in racing, and it’s not linear for anyone. Ready, set, party!

PS For those concerned, I DO have the “Strava,” and I DO turn it on about 5 minutes before the race. The horror, I know!

PPS

If someone in the Parksville/QB area would like to start a weekly Party Pace beer run, I could easily be persuaded.

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Brandon Vail and Zoe Hamel win 2025 Comox Valley RV Half Marathon

Brandon Vail and Zoe Hamel of Greater Victoria won the *39th annual Comox Valley RV Half Marathon on Sunday. Vail finished in a personal best time of one hour, eight minutes and 32 seconds. Hamel clocked in at 1:18:47 and 20th overall.

Men’s race

Vail with Speedfarm Running Club, ran a near two-minute personal best and more than three minutes faster than he raced the Comox Valley RV Half Marathon in 2024.

“Yes, I am happy with running over three minutes faster than last year. The conditions were good except the final 3km had a tough headwind,” shared Vail.

Brandon Vail for the win. Photo credit: Derek Boessenkool

The 25-year-old ran 1:10:12 at the Royal Victoria Half Marathon in October and 1:11:38 at the 2024 Comox race.

Finishing in second place was Andrew Russell with the Prairie Inn Harrier’s Running Club. He also finished first in the masters 40-plus category clocking in at 1:10:43.

Taking third was Nanaimo’s Nicolas Jirot in 1:11:32. He was the second 40-plus master. Jirot has run as fast as 1:10:09 at the 2023 Vancouver Half Marathon.

Vail will compete in the Bazan Bay 5km on Sunday, April 13. He will look to run faster than the 14:44 that he did last year on the flat and fast course. In August he will compete in the Canadian Half Marathon Championships in Edmonton, where he grew up.

Women’s race

Zoe Hamel had one of her better Island Series races in Comox finishing in the time of 1:18:47 for the win. The performance gives Hamel her highest age-graded performance to date at 84%.

“It was good, but that final stretch was windy,” shared Hamel, a sentiment every runner shared upon finishing including Kate Ayers who took second in the time of 1:20:39.  Ayers is back racing. Next up for her will be the TC10K in Victoria as well as an internship on a farm around her agriculture studies this summer, “I will need a distraction.”

Hamel, a competitive tennis player from France is a teacher at Pearson College. She is with Esprit Run Club and is coached by Jim Finlayson, who also raced winning the 50-plus category.

Zoe Hamel for the win. Photo credit: Derek Boessenkool

Taking third was Speedfarm’s Patricia Roney with her 1:21:15 performance. She was also the first in the 40-plus category. Her best on the course is 1:20:05 from 2024. Her finish time on Sunday and last year are a long cry from her days as a beginning runner 19 years ago, where she finished the Comox race in the time of 1:53:06.

Race director Rob Kelly took in the event coming in at 1:28:57 and finishing first in the 60-plus age group.

The race had the most finishers in the event’s history at 701, with 1101 registered. The race was capped for 2025. This year is the first time in the 45-year history of the series and 39 years of the race to sell out in advance. From 1986 to 1994 it was run as a 20km distance event.

The inaugural race (20km) was won by 1980 Olympian Mike Creery in the time of 1:07:07. Sally Balchin won the women’s race in 1:18:49.

Kelvin Broad — five-time winner of the Royal Victoria Marathon won the first edition of the half-marathon (21.1km) in the time of 1:08:33. Stephanie Wood won in 1:21:11 that year.

Next up in the series is the McLean Mill 10K in Port Alberni on Sunday, April 6 and the Bazan Bay 5K happening Sunday, April 13.

2025 full results
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Teams and individual points races heating up; next three races critical

The 2025 Vancouver Island Race Series has surpassed the halfway mark with the running of the Bastion 12K on Sunday, March 16. There are three key races remaining in the series.

The sold-out Comox Valley RV Half Marathon is the next race on tap, happening Sunday, March 23, in Courtney from the Florence Filberg Centre. The Bastion 12K and Comox Valley Half Marathon are the only races over 10K in length, a requirement for series standings for individual competitions as well as the two team competitions, the VIRA Cup, and the Island Series Cup.

The half-marathon, put on by the Comox Valley Road Runners, is the first race in the 45-year history of the series to sell out. A cap of 1100 was set and met over a week in advance.

The race will be critical for standings, so expect a high percentage of participants to show, especially if the weather is favourable.

Club standings

Island Series Cup

Currently, Speedfarm Racing is in first place in the Island Series with a low score of 137 points. Chasing them is Esprit RC with 144, and in third place is Bastion Run Club with 426. Low score wins, and currently, 16 teams are challenging for positions. Only four teams are currently qualified.

Clubs must field three women and three men at any race to earn points.

Speedfarm are the two-time defending champions and will be difficult to unseat.

VIRA Cup

The VIRA Cup, which is a competition where the highest score wins, sees the usual suspects in the top three with the Prairie Inn Harriers Running Club with 1865 points, closely followed by Speedfarm with 1742 in second and in third is the Ceevacs Roadrunners with 1707 points. The way the points tally works, the VIRA Cup is essentially a three-way tie between these clubs. Each race matters.

Bastion Run Club, which hosted the Bastion 12K Sunday, is not far out of the picture for top three with 1380 points, but they will need all hands on deck to catch up. However, it is possible. There are 127 teams or clubs listed. However, just 26 have at least 100 points.

The Island Series Cup is all about fielding fast runners overall, while the VIRA Cup is about earning as many points as possible within the age groups.

Individual standings

Amanda Polus with the Prairie Inn Harriers Running Club is winning with the overall points, having amassed a total of 780.5 to date.

The top three are Polus, Kim Coscia (755) with Run to Beer Comox Valley and Emily Bugoy with Bad ass Chicks Run Trails (745.57). The race between these three can come down to the wire. It is that close.

The top three men are Paul Auton with Bastion Run Club with 737.79 points. He was closely followed in by Jerry Loeb of Esprit RC with 734.79. Finn Feschuk of Bastion Run Club is in there with 731.72 points. He is competing in the 16-19 category.

Points earners not qualifying for series standings include Russell Pennock, who earned 892.54 points in his only races so far this season. He won the Harriers Pioneer 8K on January 12 in the time of 24:01.

Samantha Jory is the first female who is not going to qualify, she picked up 892 points at the Cobble Hill 10K and BC 10K Championships. She won the race in the time of 34:25 and finished behind only 13 men.

The year prior, Glynis Sim clocked a course record of 33:23 and finished behind just 12 men.

The 2024 series individual champions were Jennifer Erickson and Brandon Vail, both with Speedfarm.

Currently, there are 37 runners with 600 or more points. There are seven with 700 or more. Eighty-seven have 500 or more.

Most prolific runners

Bruce Hawkes (STARR) in the 80-84 category has not raced this season, however, he is the most prolific runner with 238 Vancouver Island Race Series races complete. Considering there is typically eight races each season, he has run for 30 consecutive years.

Currently, the second most prolific runner is Comox Valley Road Runner Keith Wakelin with 201 races.

The third most prolific is Hazura Sangha with 190. The three most prolific who continue to finish events are Wakelin, Gary Duncan with the Prairie Inn Harriers Running Club and Rob Hare with Team West Coast. Duncan has raced 186 times, while Hare has 179 to his credit.

Bob Cook, who is not far behind, raced 178 times. Wakelin, Duncan, Hare and Cook all races the Bastion 12K.

The 2025 Bastion 12K

Previously known as the Cedar 12K, the event was to run in Lantzville in 2025 for the first time. However, the weatherman had something to say about that and caused a postponement with the race moving back to Cedar for one more year.

Even though several runners could not make the new date and with the reschedule, there are three races in three weeks, still 309 showed up and 309 finished the event.

Dusty Spiller from Cowichan Valley Running won in the time of 40:08, clocking an average pace of 3:21 per km.

He was followed in by Nathanael Tabert with Speedfarm, who finished in 41:03, and taking third was Joshua Koromei with his 41:30 performance.

Julia Tschanz won the women’s race in the time of 44:58. She is also with Speedfarm, as was second place finisher Jennifer Erickson clocking 46:40. Emily Bugoy with Bad Ass Chicks Run Trails took third in 47:01.

Jim Finlayson continues to return to form. He is racing in the 50-54 category and won the masters, 40-plus competition with his fifth overall finish recording a 42:05 performance. Finlayson is the head coach with Esprit RC.

Kate Guy with Speedfarm was the first master female in at 47:17. She races in the 45-49 age group.

Forty-one athletes clocked under 50 minutes or 4:10 per km.

David Shanks, who races in the 80-84 age group, clocked in at 1:38:52. There were two women in the 80-84 age group, Jill Davies in at 1:24:53 and Mei-Sheng Shanks with her 1:40:24 performance.

There were two men in the U16 age group, Sebastian Flynn and Locke Legear, who finished in 1:01:02 and 1:07:35, respectively. There was one female in the 16-19 age group, Sricherni Gaddam, clocking in at 1:33:53.

The Cedar race started in 1989 as a 15K race and ran at that distance until 1999, however, two shorter versions ran, one in 1997 at 7K and 8K in 1995, likely due to snow. The race switched to a 12K in the year 2000.

Currently, the series results date back to 1985. The series board of directors, mainly Maurice Wilson and Chris Callendar, continue to digitize and upload results going back to the beginning of the series, which started in 1980.

The 1985 edition of the Bastion/Cedar race was the Bastion 15K. The only runner who took in that race and ran the 2025 edition was Keith Wakelin, who finished in 52:53, nearly one minute per km faster over the longer distance 3:32/km versus 4:24/km today.

Bob Cook of the Bastion Run Club missed the race 40 years ago but was actively competing. He ran today in the 75-79 category. Brian Connon, who is travelling, raced then and will be racing Comox, so he continues to be active as well. he ran 51:46 in 1985 as a 36-year-old for the Prairie Inn Harriers.

Jim Finlayson

Jim Finlayson, the coach of Cameron Levins, North America’s all-time fastest marathon runner with his personal best of 2:05:36 from Tokyo 2023, continues to run well.

Finalyson raced the Cedar 12K event as fast as 37:11 during the 2011 edition. He has also run 37:30 and 38:26 twice. His 2011 performance is an 89 per cent age-graded finish time. This is pre-super shoe era.

Finlayson has run in the 93 percentile at least twice and over 90 several more times, including clocking a 1:05:42 Comox Valley RV Half Marathon in 2005. He finished in second place to three-time Olympian Jon Brown, who holds the course record at 1:03:57.

The next race is the 2025 Comox Valley RV Half Marathon.

On for a record run in 2025 — thank you…

Christopher Kelsall, president and GM of Run Van Isle and the Vancouver Island Race Series thanks all the volunteers, sponsors, race directors and the many who have registered.

The Vancouver Island Race Series may be on to a third-consecutive record run in 2025, the series’ 45th year.

December 2024 newsletter: Awards changes, kick-off event and season pass sales are on record pace

Vancouver Island Race Series

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Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. It is very long, yes. We promise shorter editions in the future. This newsletter contains valuable information right down to the bottom.

Exciting news!

We are enjoying our third consecutive record year for registrations.

Season Pass sales surpassed 2024 on Friday, December 13. 

A total of 371 season passes were purchased for the 2024 season. We hit 376 at 7:00 PM (Sunday) and expect over 400. Single-race entries are going well too. All races are likely to experience record years. Stay tuned. 

We are capping the Cobble Hill 10K and BC 10K Championships at 800 registrations.  

The legendary, official commemorative souvenir technical racing socks are back

Get them before they sell out.
They are priced at $22 each or three for $55.

*Price displayed in shopping cart includes taxes (by law).

A portion of the proceeds go to our new charity of choice KidSport BC.
The socks are base white with two logos and are the trendy 7″ height. 
One-size fits most.

They will be in your hands and on your feet by the end of January.

2025 Season kick-off event at Frontrunners

You are invited to the series kick-off at Frontrunners Footwear at Yates and Vancouver on Friday, January 10. 

Pick up your series race bib (2), or Harriers Pioneer 8K bib, draw prizes, mingle, and enjoy beverages and finger foods. Meet our eight ambassadors. The store will be open for your business only.

We are seeking your help. Run Van Isle board members Maurice Wilson and Chris Callendar have been busy finding old, sometimes coffee-stained and faded Island Series results and digitizing them. You may view them dating back to 1985 on the website now.

Maurice and Chris have also been correcting misspelled or alternate name uses. Our display of results is unique to the series. Check them out. 

From Maurice: 
“Run Van Isle has an ongoing project to upload all Vancouver Island Race Series race results into the online database. We currently have the results from over 300 of the 340 races since the series began in 1983, accessible through the series website. And we’re searching the Island for the remaining results. Specifically, we’re looking for any of the following:

1991 – Comox Valley 20K
1988 and 1987 – all results
1986 – Cherry Point 10K
1985 – Comox Valley 20K, Port Alberni Paper Chase 10K, Nanaimo 10 Miler, and Victoria Half Marathon
1984 – Nanaimo 10 Miler and Parksville Pacers 10K
1983 – all resultsIf you should have any of the above, or know of someone who may, we’d very much like to know. Any help is appreciated.”

New sponsors


Check out our sponsor page. New to the series are Moreau Real Estate Team, Smart Dolphins IT Solutions, Virgin Radio 107.3, and Athletic Brewing Co. 

Frequent their businesses if you can as well as our long-standing sponsors: 
Frontrunners Footwear, Brooks, Quality Foods, Athletics Illustrated Magazine, Black Press, Andrew Smith IG Wealth Management, PISE, Old Victoria Water and Dairyland/Saputo. Each of the eight races also has local-to-them sponsors to consider. See each within the pages of the series’ site.

Thank you to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation

We would like to thank the Victoria Hospitals Foundation (VHF) for all that they do to support the Jubilee, Victoria General and Gorge Road Hospitals. The VHF was the series’ charity of choice for several years. The partnership was wonderful, but it is time to move on.

The Run Van Isle board decided that the charity that best fits the series’ profile and one we can make the most impact with is KidSport BC. 

So, welcome to KidSport BC! 

We will collect your donations in the shopping cart, and then KidSport BC will disperse your donations directly to the community branch serving your area. The organization has locations in Greater Victoria, Cowichan, Comox, Port Alberni and Nanaimo regions. 

Before you read about the very important Beta Test that will have big changes for the series this year, look at the Qualify Foods, right there, from 2024 season kick-off.

Before you read about the very important Beta Test that will have big changes for the series this year, look at the Qualify Foods, right there, from the 2024 season kick-off.

BETA TEST ALERT

After reviewing our post-season survey results, we have found that there is only one, single, solitary, recurring complaint. But it is a big one centred around our post-race awards — they are too long! 

We need your assistance, here. 

For the 2025 season, we will place several tables in our indoor facilities and have volunteers on hand to help. Your medals and ribbons will be picked up by you at those tables. If this works well, we will continue, if not, we will return to the long awards presentations as we have done since the 1980s. 

However, we will formally recognize the top three overall, top three juniors U20 and top three masters 40-plus male and female. We will also recognize special achievements like provincial, national or world records, and the 1000-Mile Club among others. 

We will display a big selfy banner where you may take photos: selfies, pose for the cell phone paparazzi or with official event photographers. 

Draw prizes will be pre-drawn at all events ad on display for all to read. Except for the grand prize. The grand prize will be announced at the end. Athletes must collect their draw prizes and awards at the event. There will be no other way to pick up your awards or prizes after the fact. Should you need to leave early, have a friend or family member stay at the post-race awards presentation to pick up on your behalf. 

How to: 

  • Have a great time racing. 
  • Once inside the facility, seek results (or on your device) and find out how you did. (paper copies of results should be taped to the wall near the entrance — please be patient as the timer is busy juggling things in the timing van).
  • Should you place in the top 10 in your age group, go to the awards tables and let the volunteers know who you are, for example, “I am Bob Smith, I placed fifth in my 55-59 age group.” 
  • With your medal or ribbon, find the selfie banner and take photos. The hashtags are #IslandRaceSeries and #RunVanIsle. See selfie banner image below (It’s a proof, not the final product).
  • Stick around or leave. 
  • Basque in the glory and afterglow of an effort well run.

Winners of the cutest couple honours at the 2024 kick-off: Jason and Kathleen, co-race directors Westcoast Sooke Running 10K. She is also treasurer and bookkeeper for Run Van Isle and the series.

By the way, our good friends at Frontrunners Westshore who operate the Hatley Castle 8K have booked an auspicious indoor facility for the race. So, no more Hatley Hurricanes. Well, there may be more hurricanes, but you are a tough, gnarly, well-conditioned athlete with an auspicious indoor facility at your beck and call.

 

Below is: the 2024 series’ ambassador, Sean, serving it right. And above is a proof (not the final product) of the selfie banner.

Vancouver Island Race Series adopts KidSport BC as charity of choice

The Vancouver Island Race Series has adopted KidSport BC as its charity of choice as of December 3, 2024. All funds donated will be directed to KidSport BC and then dispersed to each of the island community branches where series races take place.

Series participants can optionally donate when registering for races at the series digital shopping cart located at Race Roster. Visit www.islandseries.org/register/ to register and or donate.

“As a board, we visited our long-standing relationship with the Victoria Hospitals Foundation (VHF). While we value the VHF and its purpose, we decided that the money raised by our paying participants would better represent our purpose by supporting KidSport BC,” said Christopher Kelsall, president of Run Van Isle, the association that owns the Vancouver Island Race Series. 

“The VHF is a wonderful organization, and we wish them all the best in their continued fundraising endeavours. The VHF supports every area of care at Royal Jubilee Hospital, Victoria General Hospital, and the Gorge Road Health Centre.”

“We are incredibly grateful to the Vancouver Island Race Series for choosing to support KidSport through their events. The growing demand from families in need highlights the critical importance of programs like ours to ensure every child has the opportunity to participate in organized sports, but the increasing volume is putting a strain on our funding resources, especially given that the majority of our community chapters are completely volunteer run,” says Angela Crowther, Director of the KidSport program in BC. “Donations to KidSport through the Race Series will help ensure we can keep pace with the demand and continue providing valuable sport experiences for children in need.”

Families facing financial need are encouraged to apply for support through the KidSport chapter in their community. Local chapters provide season-of-sport registration grants for qualifying families, so that financial barriers do not hold any kids back from the chance to participate in a season of organized sport.

“Active children benefit by improved physical health, physical literacy, mental health and builds a foundation of activity that often stays with them throughout their life,” shared Kelsall. “One benefit result in having healthy adults who may rely on hospital care less often due to being active from an early age.” 
The series offers the opportunity for runners and walkers of all abilities to participate in certified accurate, live-timed and well-organized road races from Sooke to Sidney and from Colwood to Courtenay.

The series begins Sunday, Jan. 13, 2025, with the 45th Harriers Pioneer 8K and ends with the Bazan Bay 5K on Sunday, April 13. The Cobble Hill 10K serves as the BC 10K Championships on Sunday, Jan. 27. Other races include the popular Sooke and McLean Mill 10Ks, Hatley Castle 8K and Bastion 12K with a new course and venue.

Out with the old, in with the new: Logo and brand change for Vancouver Island Runners’ Association

The Vancouver Island Runners’ Association (VIRA) board has been working hard to modernize its branding. Today, we are pleased to introduce a new logo and name for VIRA.

The name, legally speaking, remains as “VIRA.” VIRA is an association in good standing with the BC Societies Act. The marketing going forward will now be the new and improved “Run Van Isle.” The logo below depicts Vancouver Island and uses the same colour scheme as the Vancouver Island Race Series logo: Green for the forest, blue for the ocean and sky and the trim colour or shade of black.

New logo and name: Run Van Isle

Catchy and concise, yes?

The change to Run Van Isle was inspired in part by Run Van, which is the Vancouver International Runners Society, the organization that puts on the BMO Vancouver Marathon. Also, Run Sport, is the organization that brings you the TC10K race in April each year.

VIRA or Run Van Isle owns the Vancouver Island Race Series, member clubs organize each event.

The board would like to thank everyone who provided feedback during our crowdsourcing over social media to narrow down the general look and the specific layout. The sub-committee was led by secretary Kate Guy of Speedfarm and included Mariah Kelly (at-large) with The Track Club and Christopher Kelsall president and general manager of Run Van Isle and the series, and is a member of the Prairie Inn Harriers Running Club.

For all those who may wonder what is VIRA or Run Van Isle? Well, let us tell you.

Run Van Isle provides marketing, liability insurance and decades of race organization expertise to member clubs and races on Vancouver Island. The fee for a club or a race to be a member is $100/year.

Read the Run Van Isle Mission
Vancouver Island Runners’ Association (VIRA) logo

Run Van Isle is made up of board members from each club that hosts a Vancouver Island Race Series event. Also, there are at-large board members who bring to the table a wealth of knowledge, experience and expertise.

View the Run Van Isle board

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Become a Vancouver Island Race Series Ambassador

Apply to become a Vancouver Island Race Series ambassador. The Vancouver Island Runners’ Association is seeking a few ambassadors to represent the Vancouver Island Race Series as well as the association (VIRA) and our member clubs. Enjoy all the benefits and social connections while being a series ambassador. Applications are now closed. Eight ambassadors have […]

Read more

2025 Vancouver Island Race Series schedule is confirmed

The 2025 Vancouver Island Race Series schedule is set. Once again the series continues with eight road races scheduled over 16 weeks. All races happen on Sundays as usual.

The order of events is unchanged from 2024. Barring any weather-related schedule changes no races are held on holidays.

Bazan Bay finish 2023. Photo credit: Joseph Camilleri.

The series kicks off with the Harriers Pioneer 8K. The series is capped by the Bazan Bay 5K, in between are the Cobble Hill 10K, Bastion 12K (renamed from “Cedar 12”), Hatley Castle 8K, Westcoast Sooke 10K, Comox Valley RV Half Marathon, and McLean Mill 10K.

The Cobble Hill 10K will once act as the provincial 10K championships.

Race LocationDateTime
KickoffTBDFriday, January 106:00 PM
Harriers Pioneer 8KNorth Saanich Middle School , North Saanich, BCSunday, January 1211:30 AM
Cobble Hill 10KGeorge Bonner Elementary, Cobble Hill, BCSunday, January 2611:00 AM
Bastion 12KTBDSunday, February 911:00 AM
Hatley Castle 8KRoyal Roads, Hatley Castle, Colwood, BCSunday, February 2311:00 AM
Westcoast Sooke 10KEdward Milne School, Sooke, BCSunday, March 911:00 AM
Comox Valley RV Half MarathonFlorence Filberg Centre, Courtenay, BCSunday, March 2311:00 AM
McLean Mill 10KMcLean Mill Historic Site, Port Alberni, BCSunday, April 611:00 AM
Bazan Bay 5KMary Winspear Centre, Sidney, BCSunday, April 1311:00 AM or 11:30 AM, TBD

Vancouver Island Runners’ Association elects new VP and secretary, adds two members to the board

The Vancouver Island Runners’ Association (VIRA) elected a new secretary and vice president on Saturday in Nanaimo at the 2024 annual general meeting (AGM).

Mariah Kelly

Mariah Kelly has taken the vacant vice-president’s position on the VIRA board. She was elected in absentia on Saturday.

Kelly was a Tokyo Olympic team member as an alternate in the 1500-metre event. The Niagara Falls, ON native, is a coach and is the head of The Track Club, technical director with the Royal Victoria Marathon and race director of the TC10K.

Mariah Kelly at the Coffee Cup Classic at UVic’s Centennial Stadium. Photo credit: Christopher Kelsall

“I feel honoured and privileged to step into the role of vice president for the Vancouver Island Runners’ Association. Running has been transformative for me. shaping who I am today. The running community has enriched my soul and fuelled my dreams,” shared Kelly. “Vancouver Island will always hold a special place in my heart — it’s where my Olympic aspirations started to come to life. Even though I didn’t quite get there, the journey has been the ultimate gift. I have met countless incredible people and have had experiences beyond my expectations. Now my focus is giving back to the sport and community that has given so much to me.”

“Mariah has immersed herself deeply into the Vancouver Island athletics community as a runner, coach, race director and technical liaison. Her experience and enthusiasm will bring even more energy to an already vibrant VIRA board,” shared Christopher Kelsall, president, and general manager.

Kate Guy

Speedfarm athlete Kate Guy was elected as secretary of the VIRA board. The Toronto native moved to Greater Victoria in 2023 and has lived in France, Taiwan, the UK, Indonesia, and the US. She enjoys competitive racing, especially in marathons and has finished seven Ironman triathlons. Guy is an entrepreneur and event organizer.

“Kate brings to the association strong organizational skills that will complement the experienced VIRA team that has grown to near its maximum of 20 board members,” said Kelsall.

“I am thrilled to be part of VIRA’s board and look forward to continually improving the series for participants and helping foster and grow the relationships within the community. With my extensive event and marketing experience and knowledge as a runner, I hope to enhance the series and take it to the next level,” shared Guy.

“While we welcome Kate to the board, we would like to thank Chris Sullivan for his seven years of service to VIRA. Chris will stay on the board for one more year to support the transition of the new members as an at-large board member.”

Chris Callendar and Maurice Wilson

Added to the board is Chris Callendar from the Prairie Inn Harriers Running Club. He is an experienced runner, soccer player and is a father of two boys. Callendar is a full-stack developer, his technical skills will assist the marketing and results team. Chris is the primary person responsible for developing the website RaceStats.org.

Maurice Wilson, formerly with BC Athletics, was added as an advisor in the capacity of at-large board member. Wilson is a former competitive runner and knows the Canadian and international athletics community as well as anyone in Western Canada.

“On behalf of the entire board, I am pleased to say that we anticipate continued strong growth with VIRA and the Vancouver Island Race Series with this very experienced crew of board members,” added Kelsall. “This is likely the most talented team in VIRA’s 44-year history.”

Current board and executive

Race directors:

Brenda Niziol (Ceevacs Roadrunners, Cobble Hill 10K)
Rob Kelly (Comox Valley Road Runners, Comox Valley Half Marathon)
Sasha Visona (Ridgeview Health & Performance, McLean Mill 10K)
Nick Walker (Frontrunners Athletic Club, Hatley Castle 8K)
Cindy Todd (Frontrunners Athletic Club, Hatley Castle 8K)
Jason Ball (Westcoast Running, Westcoast Sooke 10K)
Trent Horwood (Bastion Run Club, Cedar 12K)
Jeff Beddoes (Prairie Inn Harriers Running Club, Harriers Pioneer 8K)
Rob Hare (Team West Coast Running and Triathlon Society, Bazan Bay 5K)

At-large:

Chris Sullivan (Team West Coast Running and Triathlon Society)
Dr. Eric Ellis (Salt Spring Sneakers)
Wayne Crowe (Comox Valley Road Runners)
Gary Duncan (Prairie Inn Harriers Running Club)
Maurice Wilson
Chris Callendar (Prairie Inn Harriers Running Club)

Executive:

Treasurer: Kathleen Quast (Westcoast Running)
Secretary: Kate Guy (Speedfarm)
Vice-president: Mariah Kelly (The Track Club)
President: Christopher Kelsall (Prairie Inn Harriers Running Club)

The Vancouver Island Runners’ Association owns the Vancouver Island Race Series. VIRA also supports running on Vancouver Island with marketing, best practices guidance athlete support and access to liability insurance for island member clubs in good standing.

The Vancouver Island Race Series is an eight-event series of races that take place from January to April over a 16-week span. The races take place in Courtenay, Port Alberni, Nanaimo, Cobble Hill, Sooke, Colwood, Sidney and North Saanich.

To find out more, visit the website: www.islandseries.org.