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Island runner finishes first overall in national championship race

ALBERTA—Not only did runner Evan Bayer (originally from Manitoulin Island who now lives in Alberta), end up as the overall winner of a national championship this past weekend, he shattered the previous record.

“I ended up first overall,” Mr. Bayer told the Recorder this past Monday, in regards to the 50K Canadian Trail Championships Lost Soul Ultramarathon, held in Lethbridge, Alberta this past Saturday. He explained the ultramarathon is any race whose distance is longer than a marathon, and this Canadian championship race was a 50 kilometre race.

There were over 150 runners taking part in the event. 

“I was thinking before the race I would like to post a time of four hours 30 minutes,” Mr. Bayer told the Recorder. However, he took first overall in the race in a time of four hours 14 minutes, breaking the previous record in the race by 38 minutes.

“I knew the record was within reach,” Mr. Bayer told the Recorder. “I was ready for the race, although my body was hanging on by a thread by the end. I was as ready for the race as I could be.” He has been dealing with an achilles tendon issue all year.

Among the upcoming races he is planning to take part in this fall and winter includes the 2018 Phoenix Marathon and while he is home this fall he is hoping to take part in the annual Wikwemikong Road Race.

Article written by

Tom Sasvari
Tom Sasvarihttps://www.manitoulin.com
Tom Sasvari serves as the West Manitoulin news editor for The Expositor. Mr. Sasvari is a graduate of North Bay’s Canadore College School of Journalism and has been employed on Manitoulin Island, at the Manitoulin West Recorder, and now the Manitoulin Expositor, for more than a quarter-century. Mr. Sasvari is also an active community volunteer. His office is in Gore Bay.