http://www.journalpioneer.com/Sports/2011-08-21/article-2717960/MacKinnon-just-misses-personal-best-time/1
Jason Simmonds/Journal Pioneer Mike MacKinnon was the overall winner of the 38th annual Harvest Festival Road Race in Kensington on Saturday morning. His time in the 25-kilometre event was one hour 32 minutes 25 seconds (1:32:25).
Record field tackles "Killer Course"
KENSINGTON - Mike MacKinnon of Miscouche collected his second Harvest Festival Road Race victory here Saturday morning, and just missed setting a personal-best time in the process.
The 38-year-old automotive teacher at Three Oaks Senior High School in Summerside stopped the clock in one hour 32 minutes 25 seconds (1:32:25). MacKinnon finished 2:33 ahead of last year's winner, Steven Baglole, who checked in at 1:34:58.
"It's one run you can't come to unprepared," said MacKinnon, who was just three seconds off his Harvest Festival standard. He won the 2008 race in 1:32:22 in what he described as much better conditions.
"Some think it was nice and cool (on Saturday), but it wasn't," explained MacKinnon. "It was hot and humid, and the wind was on your back.
"It wasn't a strong wind, but a wind like today (Saturday), when it's not strong, would be better in your face to help keep you cool."
Elita Rahn of Carters Point, N.B., near Saint John, was the top female runner (see story below). Her time of 1:48:40 was good enough for ninth overall in the record field of 79 runners in the 38th annual run. It was the third year in a row the race drew a record field.
"Killer Course"
The 25-kilometre "Killer Course" begins in Stanchel, and runners are challenged by some steep hills right off the bat leading into Kinkora. The course continues through Freetown and Kelvin Grove, with the finish line in front of Community Gardens.
"I tried to go out relatively non-aggressive, but with being steady in mind," said MacKinnon, who led at all five water stations. "But when you finish the (early) hills they are not over.
"The Kinkora ones are over, but there are still rolling ones, you have Scales Pond and you hit the last one just off the Blue Shank Road. The hills never stop."
"Some think it was nice and cool (on Saturday), but it wasn't. It was hot and humid, and the wind was on your back. It wasn't a strong wind, but a wind like today (Saturday), when it's not strong, would be better in your face to help keep you cool." - Mike MacKinnon
Key point
A key point in the race, said MacKinnon, was near the Ultramar in Freetown.
"I was struggling (there), the heat was getting to me, I was drinking Gatorade and I needed water," said MacKinnon. "I said, 'I'm just going to turn here and see how far the gap is.'
"I was at the top of the hill and Steven Baglole, to me in my view, wasn't that far behind me. He was just at the bottom of the hill. I said, 'OK, I have to do something here or it's probably going to be over. He's a tough runner.'
"I just picked up the pace a bit to try to deter him because it's a little Z-turn, and then you go downhill on the Kelvin Grove Road I think it's called.
"I wanted to deter him whenever he got back on that road and got me in sight. I was hoping that there would be a big enough gap to deter him."
Awards
Harvest Festival 25K Road Race awards:
Top Three Males
Mike MacKinnon 1:32:25
Steven Baglole 1:34:58
Aron Croken 1:39:20
Top Three Females
Elita Rahn 1:48:40
Kristy Newson 1:49:32
Natalie Dallaire 1:53:49
Top 50-Over Runner
Gary Simmonds 1:51:26
Most Dedicated Runner
Evelyn Turcotte 3:16:30
Jason Simmonds/Journal Pioneer Elita Rahn was the top female in the 38th annual Harvest Festival Road Race on Saturday morning. Her time in the 25-kilometre event was one hour 48 minutes 40 seconds (1:48:40).
KENSINGTON - Elita Rahn had a successful weekend running the roads of Canada's smallest province.
"I looked on the race calendar for Run P.E.I., saw there were a lot of races over here this weekend and thought it would be a nice little weekend adventure to P.E.I. at the same time," said Rahn.
After finishing second in the female category of Friday morning's Gold Cup Trot five-kilometre run in Charlottetown in 19 minutes one second (19:01), Rahn had a successful debut in the 38th annual Harvest Festival Road Race on Saturday morning.
The 35-year-old from Carters Point, N.B., just outside of Saint John, was the top female runner in the 25-kilometre event. She finished ninth overall in a record field of 79 runners, just ahead of 10th-place finisher Kristy Newson.
"The girl (Newson) who was second was not behind by much," said Rahn, who was also considering running the 5K portion of the Alberton Fun Run on Sunday. "The last mile, I looked back and could see her."
Just how close were they?
Rahn's time was one hour 48 minutes 40 seconds (1:48:40) while Newson finished in 1:49:32.
Took over lead
Rahn took over the lead about "eight or nine miles" into the race, and felt one key to her victory was taking it easy through the early steep hills in Stanchel and Kinkora. The race continued through Freetown and Kelvin Grove, finishing in front of Community Gardens in Kensington.
"I looked on the race calendar for Run P.E.I., saw there were a lot of races over here this weekend and thought it would be a nice little weekend adventure to P.E.I. at the same time." - Elita Rahn
"Normally I would go out like a scared rabbit because I'm competitive," said Rahn. "I have not run this distance, so I thought I would run real easy.
"Once I got through all the hard hills I thought, 'That's not so bad, I don't feel so bad now.'
"And I just kept going."
Rahn also heard about the challenging Harvest Festival race from former course record-holder Alex Coffin, who resides in Saint John.
"He told me about this Kensington 'run from hell' or whatever for all the hills," said Rahn.
So, what were Rahn's thoughts on the course?
"It's a great course," she answered. "There are some nice challenging hills off the start, and if you are not smart about it you could be in a lot of pain halfway through.
"The first half is really challenging, a lot of good up-hills and down-hills."
