Over 600 runners tested their speed on the notoriously fast Bazan Bay 5K course in Sidney on Sunday, April 13, concluding the Vancouver Island Race Series.
Featuring eight races ranging from 5K to 21K, the series spanned Vancouver Island, highlighting the passion and commitment of local running clubs and athletes.
Brandon Vail of Speedfarm seized first place overall and in the men's category, clocking in an impressive 14 minutes and 31 seconds in the last race.
This marked a 13-second improvement from his previous Bazan Bay run.
"It feels great," Vail said after the finish line. "The whole series leads up to this, and it’s more competitive with a lot of younger athletes in the field. It makes it exciting; I had to fight for it pretty hard today."
The 26-year-old dominated the series, winning three of the eight races, including the West Coast Sooke 10K and the Comox Valley Half-Marathon, in addition to the Bazan Bay 5K.
“Unfortunately, the two guys that beat me last year aren't here today, so I can't quite claim a win over them, but maybe in the future we'll have another chance,” Vail added.
Olympian Natasha Wodak, representing Prairie Inn Harriers, claimed victory in the women's category with a time of 16 minutes and one second. She finished 21st overall in the Sidney leg of the series.
“This is my first Bazan Bay run, if you can believe that,” the 43-year-old long-distance runner said. “I’ve done the Pioneer 8K about ten times, but I always seem to have something else going on in April, so I'm happy to be here.”
Wodak emphasized the joy of running and being healthy.
“It’s such a privilege to be able to come – that's never lost on me because so many people don't have the ability to run and here we are out here enjoying the sunshine together.”
Beyond the elite runners, the Bazan Bay 5K was a community celebration of health and fitness.
North Saanich father and son, Matthew and Noah Coulson, used the race as a return to running.
10-year-old Noah impressively finished his first 5K in 26 minutes, leaving his father in the dust with a personal best of 32 minutes.
"He left me and absolutely destroyed the race today. He did such a fantastic job," Matt said.
The race also saw strong community participation, with Lokesh Sharma running alongside seven family members from the Victoria Hindu Community, representing a larger group of 61 participants.
"We have about 61 participants and this is our first time running the Bazan Bay race," he said.
Sidney councillor Scott Garnett flagged off the race, which Team West Coast Running and Triathlon Society and Saanich Physio organized.
The event drew hundreds of families and friends who lined Lochside Drive and Tulista Park, cheering on the runners and giving them high fives as they crossed the finish line of one of Canada's fastest 5K routes.
