Newcomer Grinds His Way To Win In Inaugural Running Race

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A newcomer to the Kelowna running scene was obviously up to the inaugural Fresh Air Hard Knox Challenge.

Brad Bickley also had his eye on a new pair of running shoes.

The 24-year-old University of Calgary graduate now living in Kelowna, covered the 12-kilometre course through the streets of Kelowna; along some of the city’s multi-use pathways; and up a gruelling portion of Knox Mountain Park in 40 minutes 51 seconds (40:51) to lead the field of 118 runners on Sunday.

Sean Bergman, 17, of the Okanagan Athletics Club and Kelowna Secondary School, followed in second place overall in 41:05.5, while veteran Trevor Haaheim, 43, of Kelowna placed third in 42:33.9.

The top female was 15-year-old Chantel Jeffrey of Blind Bay, B.C., who was clocked in 53:49.0, while Kelowna’s Pana Athanasopoulos finished second among the women in 54:21.8. Third place went to Marie-Josee Bedard of Penticton in 56:04.7.

In two races within the main race, Bickley and Bergman also recorded the best times on the steep 740-metre Knox Grind Trail. He was followed by Timothy Mundall of Salmon Arm. Jeffrey was the top female, with Kelowna’s Jackie Johnston and Victoria Frost placing second and third.

The “Monster Mile”, the last portion of the race along Poplar Point Drive, saw Bickley (5:12.0), Bergman (5:21.3) and Haaheim (5:35.7) again finish 1-2-3. Jeffrey led the women in 6:52.5, while Athanasopoulos was second in 7:13.7 and Bedard placed third in 7:14.6.

Bickley, who moved to Kelowna from Calgary in August, wasted little time taking the lead on Bergman and the rest of the field on Sunday. He dictated the pace for the first (flat) eight kilometres and stretched a narrow lead over his nearest rival on the Knox Grind Trail

“It was definitely a grind, but I thought I better push it hard because I figured it would be the only way to stay ahead of Sean,” said Bickley, who trains with the Grade 12 KSS student. “I might have a bit better cardio because I train more than Sean does, but he’s such a strong runner and raw talent, I had to be aware of him.”

Bickley also thought there might be runners behind him who were laying back during opening flat stretch to put themselves in the running for one of the major prizes.

“To tell you the truth, I really wanted that pair of Mizunos (shoes donated by Fresh Air Experience). I’m not sponsored, so I need all the help I can get.”

Bickley, running in his second race in Kelowna (he was third in the Wine Country Half Marathon earlier this month), said Sunday’s race was a “great” training session for him and he was especially pleased to have the opportunity to run it because it was recommended to him by Kelowna’s Malindi Elmore.

“It was nice to have Malindi suggest it to me because I have a great deal of respect for her,” said Bickley of the former 1,500 metre Olympian, who trained at the University of Calgary when Bickley was just starting out on the Dinos track and field and cross country teams. He was also coached in Calgary by Mike Van Tieghem, Elmore’s former coach, who taught school in the Central Okanagan and coached with the Kelowna Track and Field Club.

While Bickley will continue to take part in local events, — with new shoes — his longer-term goal is to run a sub-four-minute mile.

“I’ve come close (3:44 for the 1,500 metres), so I’m going to continue to train to fulfil that part of my bucket list.”

The Hard Knox Challenge, organized by the Kelowna Running Club, replaced the 31-year-old Peak to Beak Run and was the final Interior Running Association race in the nine-event Canadian Tire Road Race Series.

Haaheim, winner of seven Peak To Beaks, said that while the PTB was longer (18K) and had some nasty sections, they were spread out more.

“This was shorter, but it wasn’t any easier if you were going full out,” said Haaheim. “I enjoyed the new course, I just wish I had come in with a little better form.”

Partly due to an injured achilles and a busy schedule, he took eight months off from running and didn’t get back at it until July.

He said his layoff showed about six kilometres into Sunday’s run when Bickley “turned it up a notch”.

“I would like to think I could have stayed closer to him if I was fitter, but I just popped at that point. By the time I got to the grind, I was already on a death march. I just crawled (jogged) up the hill.”

Still, Haaheim won his age group (40-44) easily, while Randy Goncalves of Kelowna was second in 50:43.1.

Other age class winners from the Central Okanagan were:

Joshua Fraser (M25-29 - 48:29.5)

Jeff Vogt (M35-39 - 44:21.1)

Kris Malczynski (M55-59 - 49:45.8)

Roly Muller (M60-64 - 51:01.6)

Victoria Frost (F20-24 - 57:59.1)

Kendall Crowley (F25-29- 59:28.5)

Jane Jones (F35-39 - 56:42.2)

Kirsty Thomson (F55-59 - 1:09:05.4)

Astrid Varga (F65-69 - 1:09:50.2)

Diane Leonard (F70-74 0 1:03:06.6)

Complete results here.

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