June 09, 2016
After a brief hiatus the BC Super Series resumes Friday evening with the eighth race, the BlueShore Financial Longest Day 5K at UBC, hosted by the Vancouver Thunderbirds. Also the seventh race in the regional Lifestages Lower Mainland Series.
Favourites are Catherine Watkins, second last year, and Jerry Ziak, third last year. Both have only run three BC Super Series races to date, so wins on Friday will undoubtedly move them to the fore in the series rankings where an individual’s best four results score. Neither of the current series leaders, Dayna Pidhoresky and Rob Watson, is expected to race. And a number of other series contenders are focused on track competition for the summer.
But victory will not come easy. Sabrina Wilkie has been steadily returning to form this year. And Robyn Mildren, who won the Whistler 10K outright last weekend, may also challenge. On the men’s side, Ziak’s competition will include Canadian Masters Cross Country Champion Craig Odermatt, and Chris Napier who lies immediately behind Odermatt in the rankings after 7 races.
In the rookie of the year rankings, open to anyone under 25, Olivia Willett will hope to consolidate her lead, fresh off of winning silver and bronze medals at the BC High Schools Track & Field Championships.
In the masters age graded rankings, Anthony Skuce will also be looking to strengthen his hold on the top spot. Further up the age groups, Lenore Montgomery ran an F8589 world age best at this race last year, and is capable of improving her time this year.
Of the seven people who share the lead in series participation by having completed five of the previous races, five are expected to complete their sixth race Friday.
The BlueShore Financial Longest Day 5K gets underway at 7:05pm on Friday at UBC Thunderbird Stadium, and will be followed by the usual popular barbeque, plus live entertainment by the Richard Reichert Band.
The ninth race in the BC Super Series follows in two weeks time, with the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon on June 26.
Complete series details at www.bcathletics.org/BCSuperSeries/