• 21/10/2010

Last year I ran the 8K run at the Victoria Marathon, and after a lengthy running hiatus last winter and spring I wanted to do it again this year. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to run myself into the shape I wanted to be in, but instead another opportunity presented itself; Don Denton, the photo editor at Black Press, contacted me and offered me the chance to photograph the marathon.

I went for one last run to see if I was ready to participate in the 8K or not, and subsequently decided to take the work instead.  A great experience? Yes. Was I done when I was done? Pretty much.  Lugging two camera bodies and a heavy backpack (which I tried to keep as light as possible) around for five or six hours – even running from the start line, over the Legislature lawn, to catch the runners going past the Empress hotel – left the bottom of my feet swollen and sore.  But it was worth it.

Three of the following images (and one more which isn’t here) found their way to the pages of most or all of the Black Press papers in Greater Victoria.

Half marathon runners going past the Empress hotel.
Dr. Corey Renaud stretches before the marathon. No, this is not a Photoshop disaster.
Almost every marathon runner in the front row was on the clock when the race started.
James Lander, Philip Samoei, Gilbert Kiptoo and Bernard Onsare got the early lead in the full marathon.
A young woman was overcome by fatigue less than 200 metres from the half marathon finish line and was taken care of by the medical crew.
Half-marathon runner, whose full name I couldn’t find, needed a breather after the race.
Anna Russell receives a medal after finishing the half marathon.
Catrin Jones was the surprise(d) winner of the women’s full marathon.
Jeff Thompson won the wheelchair marathon.

And then two photos of newlyweds at the finish line:

Michelle Morris and Oliver Hohertz got married on marathon day and then walked across the finish line a few minutes ahead of the first marathon runners.
Newlyweds Oliver Hohertz and Michelle Morris were interviewed by media after they walked across the finish line at the Victoria Marathon.
Loka