The Wednesday Night Running Club is organizing its popular handicap races again, a set of three races where runners start at staggered times depending on their ability so that by the end of the series any competitor has a chance of being the champion.
The three runs are just short of 5 kilometers (roughly 3 miles), and the route is the same as previous years.
They start at the old World Gym on Lawrence Boulevard and run counter-clockwise, with the traffic, past Camana Bay, on Sept. 24, Oct. 15 and Nov. 5. Runners will still meet at the usual new World Gym behind Queensgate Plaza at 6 p.m. and take a warmup jog to the start. Start time for the first runners will be 6:15 p.m. Last runner to start will be about 6:30 p.m.
Lights or reflective clothing is required and competitors must sign a waiver.
Fastest runners start last, so anyone of any ability can win. Usually the winner is the person who improves the most over the six weeks. Last year’s winner was Marcos Gaspar.
The running club will return to Sunset House for the annual social and trophy presentation on Nov. 12 from 7:30 p.m. Entrants run as fast as they can and get a good finish position. The best two finish positions count toward the overall score. So if someone cannot make all three, they can still win with just two runs.
The winner will have the best aggregate finish position from their two highest finish places. If it’s a tie, then the finish position in the third race is decisive. It is organized by Tony Watts and Justine Plenkiewicz. Her unique formula will again allocate starting times for the first race. Start times for subsequent races are based on the finish times of the previous race.
“The last race is always the best as everyone finishes at the same time and it is really manic,” said Watts.
“Previously there have been between 20 and 50 people at each race, mostly run club regulars. “Anyone can run, even if they haven’t been to the club before, but only actual members can win the Jim Kelly Trophy and be champ.”
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