PEI Marathon 15th Anniversary Edition - Tuesday, October 9, 2018 - October 12th-14th, 2018 - The Guardian

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PEI Marathon 15th Anniversary Edition - Tuesday, October 9, 2018 - October 12th-14th, 2018 - The Guardian
Tuesday, October 9, 2018

          PEI Marathon 15th Anniversary Edition
          October 12th-14th, 2018

7695462
PEI Marathon 15th Anniversary Edition - Tuesday, October 9, 2018 - October 12th-14th, 2018 - The Guardian
2           OCTOBER 2018                                                                                                   THEGUARDIAN.PE.CA

P.E.I. Marathon Weekend Event Schedule
    Please note that the Healthy Lifestyle Expo & Registration will be held in our
    “NEW” Headquarters Location at the Delta Prince Edward Hotel, 18 Queen St, Charlottetown

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12               9:00 AM – 7:00 PM                   10:45 AM – 11:00 AM
12:00 PM – 6:00 PM               Race Kit Pick Up @ DELTA            Kids Fox Trot presented by
PEI Marathon Healthy Lifestyle   PRINCE EDWARD                       Sobeys Extra and The Guardian
Expo @ DELTA PRINCE              9:00 AM – 7:00 PM                   “warm up” with Ocean 100’s Kirk
EDWARD                           On-Site Registration @ DELTA        MacKinnon
12:00 PM – 6:00 PM               PRINCE EDWARD                       11:00 AM                             9:00 AM
Race Kit Pick Up @ DELTA         9:30 AM                             First heat, kids ages 6 – 14, 2 laps Bell Let’s Talk Half
PRINCE EDWARD                                                        11:15 AM                             Marathon Walk for Mental
                                 Running Room 3K Friendship
                                                                     Second heat, kids ages 5 and         Health, Corner of Queen &
12:00 PM – 6:00 PM               Run @ RUNNING ROOM
                                 CHARLOTTETOWN                       under, 1 lap                         Grafton St
On-Site Registration @ DELTA
PRINCE EDWARD                    10:00 AM – 10:45 AM                                                     9:10 AM
                                                                     SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14                  Pursuit 10K Run, Corner of
                                 Kids Fox Trot presented by
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13             Sobeys Extra and The Guardian,      * Please note the NEW start times   Queen & Grafton St
9:00 AM – 7:00 PM                “On-Site Registration” @            for the Half Marathon, 10k, 5k      9:10 AM
Marathon Expo @ DELTA            ALUMNI CANADA GAMES                 and Wheelchair events*              Bell Let’s Talk 10K Walk for
PRINCE EDWARD                    PLACE, UPEI                         7:00 AM                             Mental Health, Corner of Queen
                                                                     Buses for the Grant Thornton        & Grafton St
                                                                     Full Marathon Depart for            9:20 AM
                                                                     National Park Start Line,           Goodlife Fitness 5K Run, Corner
                                                                     Confederation Center Queen St       of Queen & Grafton St
                                                                     Entrance
                                                                                                         9:20 AM
                                                                     7:00 AM
                                                                                                         Bell Let’s Talk 5K Walk for
                                                                     Buses for Subaru of
                                                                                                         Mental Health, Corner of Queen
                                                                     Charlottetown Corporate Relay
                                                                                                         & Grafton St
                                                                     (1st leg) Depart for Brackley
                                                                     Beach, PEI National Park Start      9:30 AM
                                                                     Line, Confederation Center          Spinal Cord Injury PEI 2K
                                                                     Entrance Queen St                   Wheelchair, NEW Start line at
                                                                     8:00 AM                             Corner of Queen & Grafton St
                                                                     Grant Thornton Full Marathon, 10:45 AM – 2:15 PM
                                                                     Brackley Beach, PEI National Park Participant Massage presented
                                                                     8:00 AM                           by Downtown Charlottetown
                                                                     Subaru of Charlottetown           Inc, The Mack, Corner of Great
                                                                     Corporate/Team Relay (1st Leg) George and Grafton St
                                                                     Brackley Beach, PEI National Park 2:30 PM
                                                                     9:00 AM                           PEI Marathon Awards Ceremony
                                                                     Dairy Farmers of Canada Half      presented by Murphy Hospitality
                                                                     Marathon Run, Corner of Queen Group, The Mack, Corner of
                                                           7695677
                                                       7695677
                                                                     & Grafton St                      Great George and Grafton St
PEI Marathon 15th Anniversary Edition - Tuesday, October 9, 2018 - October 12th-14th, 2018 - The Guardian
THEGUARDIAN.PE.CA                                                                             OCTOBER 2018     3

    Welcome to the                                                                   Thanks to our
   P.E.I. Marathon                                                                   Amazing Partners
                                           • The P.E.I. Marathon is the second
                                             largest marathon in Atlantic Can-
                                             ada and has attracted more than
                                             27,000 participants in the various
                                             event categories since 2004.
                                           • •     More than 640 P.E.I. Marathon
                                             participants have qualified for the
                                             Boston Marathon.
                                           • •     More than 4,600 volunteers
                                             helped to ensure Marathon Week-
                                             end runs smoothly.
                                           • •     The event has consistently at-
                                             tracted participants from every
                                             Province in Canada, the USA, and
                                             internationally to P.E.I. each year.
                                           • In 2017, we partnered with Can-
                                             adian Mental Health – P.E.I. Div-
                                             ision to raise awareness of the rela-
                                             tionship of being active and having
MYRTLE JENKINS-SMITH                         a healthy mindset.
                                           • We are very proud of our popular
                                             free kids event the “Kids Fox Trot”
   I welcome all participants to the         attracting more than 500 kids each
15th anniversary of the Prince Edward        year
Island Marathon (P.E.I. Marathon) tak-     • Creation of a youth rate to help get
ing place October 12-14. Thank you for       more youth active.
choosing to celebrate with us.             • The Marathon presented a new
                                             race in 2016, The Georgetown 5K
  P.E.I. has had a strong running his-       and 10K.
tory going back many, many years. As       • Through various programs the
Race Director, looking back over the         P.E.I. Marathon has helped local or-
past 14 years, I think how fortunate we      ganizations and teams raise more
are to have such strong support in help-     than $100,000 to date.
ing to grow this wonderful P.E.I. Mara-
thon weekend.                            On behalf of the entire P.E.I. Mara-
                                       thon team, we wish all participants a
  Thank you to the event’s board, dir- fun and safe weekend!
ectors, manager, committee, sponsors
and 300+ volunteers that help to pull    Many thanks,
off this massive weekend. We could not   Myrtle Jenkins-Smith
do this without you!                     Race Director, PEI Marathon
  Some marathon weekend highlights
from over the past 14 years include:

 • The P.E.I. Marathon is a Boston
   Qualifier and in 2016 was voted
   one of the “Top 5 Boston qualifiers
   in Canada.”
 • It has achieved continuous growth
   each year, reaching 2,361 partici-
   pants in 2017.
 • The Marathon’s goal has always
   been to make the weekend a family
   friendly event and has grown to
   include 10 running, walking and
                                                                                                             7695634

   wheeling categories – “Something
   for Everyone!”
PEI Marathon 15th Anniversary Edition - Tuesday, October 9, 2018 - October 12th-14th, 2018 - The Guardian
4             OCTOBER 2018                                                                                                                                THEGUARDIAN.PE.CA

                                                       A legacy of racing
        BY HEATHER LAURA CLARKE               ing), the Corporate relay, the kids’ event Marathon, they started giving away a       clude the Wally Rodd 5K and 10K, the
                                              and the wheelchair event.”                 weekly prize 15 weeks before the big       Fulton Campbell half marathon, the
  Sixteen years ago, Myrtle Jenkins-                                                     weekend. During the final race day, Jen-   Desmond Baglole 15K, the Freeze Your
Smith was considering the idea of a             The P.E.I. Marathon is celebrating its kins-Smith says they’ll be giving away       Gizzard half marathon (held every Feb-
marathon weekend on P.E.I. – which            15th anniversary this year, and Jenkins- $1,500 cash.                                 ruary), the Bunny Hop 5K and 10K, the
had hosted lots of Saturday-morning           Smith says last year’s visiting runners                                               Dunk River 11.6K and the Harvest Fes-
marathons, but never a full weekend of        came from every province in Canada, 18        Even though the 15th P.E.I. Marathon    tival 25K – which has been running for
events.                                       different U.S. states, Mexico, Japan and has yet to begin officially, Jenkins-Smith   45 years.
                                              Australia – giving the province a huge says she and the other organizers are
  “Every other province in Canada had         tourism boost during the slower shoul- already well into preparations for Year          Kevin McCarville, president of the
a full race weekend, so we wanted to          der season.                                16. They’re adding another category        PEI Roadrunners Club, says they don’t
try doing the same thing,” says Jenkins-                                                 which they’ll be announcing around         organize races per se, rather they pro-
Smith, who remains at the helm as Race          Part of the reason it’s so popular is Christmas.                                    vide support to the individual race
Director. “That first year, we had 173        that the P.E.I. Marathon has been a                                                   directors. This year they’re overseeing
runners which felt like a huge success        qualifying race for the Boston Marathon       She says they’re so fortunate to have   more than 70 race events, and the club
considering it was brand new.”                since its second year. Jenkins-Smith a great management team and sup-                 averages 250 members annually.
                                              says runners come from all over the portive sponsors, as well as a team of
  By last year, the P.E.I. Marathon was       world for the relatively flat course and more than 300 loyal volunteers – many          McCarville says the Roadrunners’
up to 2,375 runners organized into 10         comfortable autumn weather.                of whom have been there since the be-      website lists all of the races and posts
different categories.                                                                    ginning.                                   the results – including name, age, time
                                                “Being a Boston qualifier has opened                                                and pace.
  “Our goal from the very beginning was       a lot of doors to people coming from           Although this is the 15th year for
to offer an inclusive weekend – some-         away,” says Jenkins-Smith. “We’ve been the P.E.I. Marathon, it’s by no means          “One of our members, Janet Bain,
thing for the entire family,” says Jenkins-   voted one of the Top 5 Boston Qualifiers the 15th year of marathon running on       stands at the finish line and takes
Smith. “So we have the full marathon,         in Canada, which is not an easy thing Prince Edward Island.                         photos of every finisher and puts
the half marathon (running or walking),       for us to have achieved!”                                                           the photos on the website,” says Mc-
the 10K and the 5K (running or walk-                                                        The PEI Roadrunners Club has been     Carville. “There are tens of thousands, if
                                                To celebrate 15 years of the P.E.I. operating since the ’70s and organized        not hundreds of thousands of pictures
                                                                                         its first marathon in 1979.              of tired, happy, wet, cold, hot and sore
                                                                                                                                  runners on the site – mostly tired and
                                                                                             Their long-running annual events in- happy.”

        O    n behalf of council and the City of Charlottetown,
        I’d like to thank the PEI Marathon organizers and
        volunteers for their dedication to the event for the past
        15 years. Events of this magnitude couldn’t happen
        without the people working behind the scenes. We are
        proud to be the host city for this event and wish you
        continued success this year and into the future.
                                                                                   7695678

        Best of luck to all of the participants!

        Mayor Clifford Lee
        City of Charlottetown

                                              w w w. c ha rlottetown .ca
PEI Marathon 15th Anniversary Edition - Tuesday, October 9, 2018 - October 12th-14th, 2018 - The Guardian
THEGUARDIAN.PE.CA                                                                                                                                      OCTOBER 2018             5

5 things you need to know
about the P.E.I. Marathon
        BY HEATHER LAURA CLARKE               marathon – and follow a 2km looped
                                              course through downtown Charlotte-
   Even if it’s your first time visiting      town to the marathon finish line.
P.E.I., there’s some stuff you’ve already       Just be sure to check the schedule
figured out.                                  closely. Marathon manager Jennifer
   You know the local potatoes, the sea-      Hanus says they’ve decided to stagger
food and the COWS ice cream is all go-        some of the start times this year, so the
ing to be delicious. You know the people      half marathon will start at 9 a.m., the
are going to be super friendly. You know      10K will start at 9:10 a.m., the 5K will
you’re going to have MANY opportun-           start at 9:20 a.m. and the wheelchair
ities to drink raspberry cordial and buy      event will start at 9:30 a.m.
Anne of Green Gables souvenirs.
   But you likely don’t know it all ... at    3. There’s a custom medal rack for sale.
least not yet. So from pasta dinner hot-         The Healthy Living Expo at the Delta
spots and the limited-edition racing          Prince Edward will include vendors to
token you’re going to want to buy, here       help people discover new ways to main-
are five things you might not know            tain or begin a healthy, active lifestyle.
about P.E.I. Marathon weekend ...             It runs Friday (Oct. 12) from noon to 6
                                              p.m. and Saturday (Oct. 13) from 9 a.m.
1. You don’t have to run the whole mara-      to 7 p.m.
                                                 One of the biggest requests from run-       “It could be warm and sunny and in          and discard items along the route as
thon yourself.
                                              ners during previous years was to have       the 20s, or it could be raining and sleet-    they heat up. Just make sure it’s some-
  Race director Myrtle Jenkins-Smith
                                              a vendor selling racks to hang racing        ing and hailing – or all of that in the       thing you don’t particularly want back!”
says there’s space for 50 corporate
                                              medals, so there will be a custom metal      same day,” says Hanus. “If it’s a cold day,   All items along the route will be dis-
teams who work together to complete
                                              P.E.I. Marathon rack available for sale –    a lot of runners like to dress in layers      carded.
the marathon, relay-style. But you don’t
                                              with five per cent of the profits benefit-
need co-workers to be on board for it!
                                              ing the Canadian Mental Health Asso-
  “A corporate team can be made up of
                                              ciation of Prince Edward Island.
eight people who work together, or just
eight friends,” says Jenkins-Smith. “You                                                                                                   WELCOME TO
                                              4. You can save $$$ in lots of unexpected

                                                                                                                               Charlottetown!
might not be able to run a whole mara-
thon by yourself, but if your section is      places.
just 7.2km or 2.7km, it’s achievable.”           Most racers like to enjoy a big pasta
  She says it’s “a wonderful morale           dinner the night before their race, and
booster” for a group, and everyone is         Hanus says now it’s going to be eas-
treated just like all other participants --   ier than ever to tuck into a great meal
shirts, medals, the works. Pretty cool to     thanks to their ReCharge, ReFuel, Re-
                                              Ward program.
                                                                                                                                         GOOD LUCK!
be able to wear a marathon medal with-
out having run the whole thing, right?           “You can go to different restaurants
                                              around town, show your race bib and
2. There’s something for everyone.            get 10-15 per cent off signature pasta
   Whether you walk, run or roll, there’s     dishes all weekend long,” says Hanus.
a race for you -- no matter what your            Participating restaurants include
age or athletic ability.                      Water’s Edge, Redwater Rustic Grille,
   Youngsters under five have a race all      The Gahan House, Sims Corner Steak-
of their own, and so do kids up to age 14.    house & Oyster Bar, Merchant Man, The
If you sign up early online (http://pei-      Brickhouse, Boston Pizza, Hunter’s Ale
marathon.ca/free-kids-run) your child         House and The Factory.
is guaranteed a goodie bag, racing bib,          The ReCharge, ReFuel, ReWard pro-
T-shirt and a medal at the end.               gram also includes a racer discount at
   Runners aged 14-16 can run the half        participating shops and accommoda-
marathon (with parental consent) and          tions, including the Holman Grand Ho-
16- and 17-year-olds can run the full         tel, The Delta Prince Edward, Fairholm
marathon (with parental consent).             Properties, The Holiday Inn Express and
There’s a special youth rate this year, too.  The Hotel on Pownal.                                                                                                        7695404

   This year the free wheelchair event                                                                          Share your marathon memories at #DiscoverCharlottetown
has been extended to a 2K because 5. The weather is a question mark.
participants requested a longer route.         Be prepared for any kind of weather
They’ll start at the corner of Queen and because Jennifer Hanus says “you just                                         www.DiscoverCharlottetown.com
Grafton – the same start line as the half never know” what mid-October might
                                             bring.
PEI Marathon 15th Anniversary Edition - Tuesday, October 9, 2018 - October 12th-14th, 2018 - The Guardian
6            OCTOBER 2018                                                                                                                              THEGUARDIAN.PE.CA

Let’s hear it for the kids!
          Introducing the Kids’ Fox Trot
        BY HEATHER LAURA CLARKE           free race each year, which takes place
                                          on the track of the UPEI Alumni Can-
   A crowd of very excited racers will ada Games Place.
be giggling and bouncing around as
they prepare to race in front of hun-       Although the run is in its 14th year,
dreds of spectators. This is their time it recently got a brand-new name. P.EI.
to shine, and there’s even chocolate Marathon organizers invited children
milk waiting for them at the finish to suggest a new name for the youth
line.                                     race – formerly called the Spud Run –
                                          and even design a new logo.
   Kirk MacDonald, director of mar-
keting and sponsorship with the P.E.I.      Two winners were selected, and
Marathon, says the annual kids’ race      now   the youth run will be known as
is the organizers’ “favourite event of the Kids’
the whole weekend.”
                                            Fox Trot. There’s also an adorable
   “As with anything, you want to start fox-themed logo to go with it.
them early and get them excited about
staying active,” says MacDonald. “Get-      “We wanted to let the kids choose         receive an official race bib, a goodie ing up to the race so they have the best
ting a child interested in running since it’s their race,” says MacDonald.            bag, a T-shirt and a medal. Everyone chance of getting the right T-shirt size.
means they might get involved with “It was nice to get the community in-              will get to enjoy a nice cold chocolate   If your child feels ready for a longer
track in junior high or high school. It’s volved and have some fun with it.”          milk after their race.                  race, MacDonald says there’s a brand-
something they can enjoy for years.”                                                                                          new option this year to sign them up
                                            The race is free for kids up to age 14,     Kids can register online in advance for either the 5K or 10K at a reduced
   Between 500 and 600 kids run the and the first 500 kids who register will          and pick up their shirt on Friday (Oct. youth rate of $25 for the 5K and $35
                                                                                      12) between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the for the 10K. He says the youth rate is
                                                                                      Delta Prince Edward. Or they can open to anyone under 17, but runners
                                                                                      register at the Alumni Canada Games under 12 must be running with an
                                                                                      Place, UPEI on Saturday morning (Oct. adult.
                                                                                      13) from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. and pick
                                                                                      up their shirt then.                      “It’s a great next step for older kids
                                                                                                                              who are really getting interested in
                                                                                        There’s a fun warm-up for everyone
                                                                                                                              running and want to see what they
                                                                                      with Kirk MacKinnon from Ocean 100
                                                                                      (100.3FM) at 10:45 a.m. The race is can do,” says MacDonald.
                                                                                      divided into two heats to help keep it
                                                                                      safe for all. Kids aged 6-14 will start at   IF YOU GO
                                                                                      11 a.m. and run two laps. Kids five and      WHAT: Free Kids’ Fox Trot
                                                                                      under will start at 11:15 a.m. and run       WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 13 at 11:00am
                                                                                      a single lap, while accompanied by an        (warm up starts at 10:45am)
                                                                                      adult.                                       WHERE: UPEI Alumni Canada Games
                                                                                                                                   Place
                                                                                        We encourages parents to sign up           COST: Free!
                                                                                      their children online in the days lead-
    Congratulations to the PEI Marathon on your 15th Anniversary!

    To all the runners – It is never easy for anyone to step out
    of their comfort zone and take such a challenge which
    requires commitment and perseverance. There is nothing
    more exciting than accomplishing a goal that you set for
    yourself and at the same time inspiring others around you.

                                                                            7695408
PEI Marathon 15th Anniversary Edition - Tuesday, October 9, 2018 - October 12th-14th, 2018 - The Guardian
THEGUARDIAN.PE.CA                                                                                                                                       OCTOBER 2018                 7

                                               Somebunny to follow
                                 Pace Bunnies are there to help you on the course
         BY HEATHER LAURA CLARKE             different goals I’d like to hit -- an A goal,                                                 “These runners spent 12, 16 or 18
                                             a B goal if such-and-such happens, and       “It’s rewarding to help people meet            weeks in a training program and then
   David Boyce needs to run the half a C goal just to finish,” says Boyce. “But         their running goals, and get better than         they’ve tapered off in the last few weeks,
                                             being a Pace Bunny means I don’t have      they were the day before,” says Boyce.           so the challenge is making sure they don’t
marathon in one hour and 55 minutes.
                                             that luxury. I just have to think about one“One year I had an older gentleman
If he can run it faster than that, well, too goal, but I’ve got to hit it.”                                                              burn out too fast,” says Boyce. “Pace Bun-
bad. He’ll need to slow himself down.                                                   come up behind me after the race and             nies are there to set an example of run-
                                                                                        say ‘Thank you very much. I’ve never
                                                 Boyce will be wearing a running wrist- gone that fast before.’ He’d come to P.E.I.      ning nice and steady through the race.”
   Boyce has been running the P.E.I. half     band that will update him with notifi- all the way from Columbia.”
marathon as a Pace Bunny for the last         cations on his speed. He’ll also have a                                                      He says people will often run near him
few years, which means he volunteers to       GPS watch to make sure he’s hitting the     He says it’s nice to give back to the          for most of the race, and there’s always a
finish within a specific amount of time so    proper distances as he moves along the sport of running he loves so much, and
other racers can use him as a guide.                                                                                                     point near the end -- usually about 1km
                                              course as he follows the 10:1 system: run he often volunteers at other running             before the finish line -- when they decide
                                              for 10 minutes, walk for one minute.      events -- working water stops or doing
   “People who have a goal of finishing                                                                                                  to break away.
in just under two hours will use me as a                                                anything else that’s needed. He’s also the
                                                 Pace Bunny volunteers are organized race director of the Freeze Your Gizzard
gauge of how they’re doing,” says Boyce,      by the Running Room, so they’re eas-                                                         “I have to hold the same pace, but once
who lives in Poverty Beach, P.E.I. “It’s my                                             race every February, where participants          we’re far enough along the route you’ll
                                              ily identified in Running Room T-shirts
objective to try to run every kilometer       and a hat with bunny ears. Boyce will race in below-freezing temperatures.                 see them start to take off,” says Boyce.
the same as the one before, so I’ll be be carrying a sign with his predicted fin-                                                        “They know they’re close to the end, and
averaging five minutes and 27 seconds ishing time -- 1 hour, 55 minutes -- and                 Boyce says Pace Bunnies are useful for
                                                                                             getting a good finish time, but they also   they don’t need to pace themselves any-
for each.”                                  holding it high above everyone’s heads
                                                                                             serve as helpful reminders not to use up    more. They want to see how well they
                                            so racers can decide if they’d like to keep
   It might sound stressful to have other him in sight.                                      too much energy at the beginning of the     can finish, so it’s time to leave me in their
racers relying on you to hit a precise fin-                                                  race when you’re raring to go.              dust.”
ishing time, but Boyce says he actually       He had the same time goal last year
finds running as a Pace Bunny comes and finished in one hour, 54 minutes and
with less pressure than if he was running 57 seconds -- just three seconds from the
solo.                                       target. Boyce says many half-marathon-
                                            ers have a goal of breaking two hours,                                                              www.caseleys.com
   “If I was running by myself, I’d be ra- just like people running the full mara-                                                              (902) 836-5189
cing myself and have expectations and thon often try to break four hours.                                                                       1633 Blueshank Rd.
                                                                                                                                                Kensington

                                                                                                 Proud supporter of the PEI Marathon for 15 years
                                                                                                                                                                                   7695809
PEI Marathon 15th Anniversary Edition - Tuesday, October 9, 2018 - October 12th-14th, 2018 - The Guardian
8             OCTOBER 2018                                                                                                                                         THEGUARDIAN.PE.CA

            ‘Living with mental illness is still living’
                                                Racers fundraising for CMHA-P.E.I.
        BY HEATHER LAURA CLARKE            support staff, offering a number of in-
                                           dividual and community programs to
                                                                                                                        MAKE A DIFFERENCE
  As thousands of runners lace up their support islanders with mental health                 Here are four different ways you can support the Canadian Mental Health Associa-
sneakers and tackle the P.E.I. Marathon, issues. Nearly everything is free so                tion (P.E.I.) leading up to the P.E.I. Marathon:
they’ll be doing wonders for their cardio- there’s no barrier to accessing support.
vascular health – as well as giving their                                                    1. Make a donation online when you register for a race
mental health a nice boost.                   “Any money we’re able to raise just
                                           increases our capacity to provide sup-            2. When you register, click the “Round to Raise” option to bump your fee to the
                                                                                                nearest $5 increment – automatically donating the proceeds to CMHA-P.E.I.
  Reid Burke, executive director of the port for people struggling with mental
Canadian Mental Health Association health and addiction, as well as do men-                  3. Sign up to collect donations, and your registration fee will be refunded after you
Prince Edward Island (CMHA P.E.I.), says tal health promotion work,” says Burke.                hit your fundraising goal
physical activity is great for a person’s “A lot of folks can’t afford to pay to par-        4. Donate directly to CMHA-P.E.I. whether you’re participating or not: https://
body, mind and spirit.                     ticipate in programming, so the more
                                           money we can raise, the more free sup-               raceroster.com/events/2018/15575/15th-annual-prince-edward-island-
                                           port we can provide the community.”                  marathon/charity/donate/11402

                                                Burke says it can take a lot of effort to
                                             change the public’s beliefs about what to encourage them to speak up.                         Burke says their partnership with the
                                             mental illness looks like, so CMHA P.E.I.                                                   P.E.I. Marathon is helping CMHA P.E.I.
                                             organized a popular radio campaign              “Pretty much everybody you talk to          reach a wider audience to share the im-
                                             where people told their own stories.         will know somebody,” says Burke. “Men-         portant connection between physical
                                                                                          tal health issues and addiction issues         health and mental health.
                                                “It was really powerful to hear from are the leading cause of disability in
                                             someone who has bipolar disorder but the workplace, so it’s important for                     If you’re not a runner and can’t im-
                                             still coaches his kid’s team and holds a us to teach people strategies on how               agine tackling a marathon, he says even
                                             great job,” says Burke. “It helped to show to achieve and maintain good mental              a gentle walk around your neighbour-
                                             mental illness in a different light, and health.”                                           hood – breathing in the fresh air – can
                                             show people that living with mental ill-                                                    be incredibly helpful.
                                             ness is still living.”                          CMHA P.E.I. has generated ‘Safe Talk’ –
                                                                                          a free three-hour alertness training pro-        “It’s all about giving yourself a break
                                                Burke says an estimated 1 in 5 Can- gram that prepares anyone 16 or older to             in your routine and taking time for
                                             adians are dealing with mental health become a suicide-alert helper. They also              yourself,” says Burke. “When you do
                                             challenges, and at least 60 per cent of work with people across the island to get           something for yourself, you often feel a
REID BURKE                                   people with mental health issues don’t them safe spaces to sleep, and operates              lot better.”
executive director of the CMHA P.E.I.
                                             ask for help so it’s an ongoing challenge nearly 200 units of housing.

   “Lots of runners say they run not just
for their physical health, but for their
mental health,” says Burke. “It gets your
endorphins fired up in your system and
it can be a great boost for your mental
health.”

  This is the second year the P.E.I. Mara-
thon is supporting CMHA P.E.I. Last
year’s marathon raised an impressive
$15,000 for CMHA P.E.I., and Burke is
hopeful they’ll do even better this year.

  “We’ve met with the corporate team
captains and introduced the ability for
teams to fundraise as a team and got
them set up with fundraising kits,” says
Burke. “Everyone’s very excited to see
what they can fundraise.”

  CMHA P.E.I. is a non-profit men-
tal health agency comprised of more
than 100 volunteers and more than 40
PEI Marathon 15th Anniversary Edition - Tuesday, October 9, 2018 - October 12th-14th, 2018 - The Guardian
THEGUARDIAN.PE.CA                                                                                                                                    OCTOBER 2018               9

                                                 ‘I like the challenge’
                    Why Francis Fagan, 68, runs the P.E.I. Marathon every year
        BY HEATHER LAURA CLARKE
                                                                                                                                        “We usually get together there after
   Francis Fagan didn’t start running                                                                                                 the marathon, and have a meal and a few
marathons until he was 42 years old.                                                                                                  soda pops.”
Now he’s 68 and showing no signs of
slowing down.                                                                                                                           As he creeps closer to his 70s, Fagan
                                                                                                                                      says running regularly has been an im-
   “I used to play softball but I got too                                                                                             portant way to maintain good health.
long in the tooth for it,” chuckles Fagan.
“I broke my leg when I was 41 and when                                                                                                  “There have been a few times I’ve been
I was rehabbing, someone mentioned                                                                                                    injured and couldn’t run for 2-3 weeks,
running so I decided to try it.”                                                                                                      and I packed on the pounds pretty quick,”
                                                                                                                                      says Fagan. “If I didn’t run, I’d be heavier
  He liked running well enough, so when                                                                                               and not in the best shape.”
someone suggested he try doing a mara-
thon, he agreed.                                                                                                                        He says he typically runs 30 miles a
                                                                                                                                      week (48km) but bumps it up to 50-60
  “I like the challenge of marathons,”                                                                                                miles (80-96km) leading up to a mara-
says Fagan, who is originally from New-                                                                                               thon before tapering down again. He
foundland but has called Charlottetown                                                                                                averages 5-6 marathons per year, and
home for the last 50 years.                                                                                                           regularly encourages other retirees to
                                                                                                                                      give it a try.
   “No two marathons are the same, even
if you’re doing the same course. Some-                                                                                                  “I’ve read stories about 80-year-olds
times you’re tired at this point and not                                                                                              getting into running, so it’s never too late
that point. It’s always different.”                                                                                                   to start,” says Fagan. “You don’t have to
                                                                                                                                      start with a marathon. Just run around
   He’s run 122 marathons including                                                                                                   the block, and next time try to get to a
ones in Scotland and Dublin -- which                                                                                                  block and a half -- that’s how I started.”
gets close to 20,000 runners -- as well as
the Boston Marathon “quite a few times.”                                                                                                 His advice for first-timer marathoners
He’s run marathons in every province ex- the same weekend, but I’d always rather           in Fort McMurray.)                         is to relax and take everything in because
cept for three, but his favourite remains do this one here at home.”                                                                  it’s a special experience.
the P.E.I. Marathon -- which he’s run con-                                                   He says he likes meeting so many new
sistently for the last 14 years.               He’s gearing up for his 15th P.E.I. Mara-   people at marathons, and has grown           “Don’t get too concerned about your
                                             thon, where his wife will be cheering for     many friendships with fellow runners.      time,” says Fagan. “The idea of your first
   “The P.E.I. Marathon was the first one I him on the sidelines, along with one of        After he finishes, Fagan plans to hit up   marathon is to run and enjoy it. You can
ever did, and I’ve done it every year,” says his daughters. (His other daughter will       the Old Triangle with some of his run-     always work on getting faster in the next
Fagan. “There are other marathons on be sending positive vibes from her home               ning buddies.                              one.”
PEI Marathon 15th Anniversary Edition - Tuesday, October 9, 2018 - October 12th-14th, 2018 - The Guardian
10           OCTOBER 2018                                                                                                                                 THEGUARDIAN.PE.CA

              Marathon boosts tourism across P.E.I.
                                          providing a healthy boost to the prov-       says runners start on the beautiful
        BY HEATHER LAURA CLARKE           ince’s tourism during a time of year         north shore and run by beaches, light-
                                          when business would ordinarily be            houses and wharves. Then they’re off
   Everyone flocks to Prince Edward slow.                                              to the rolling farmlands and onto Con-
Island during the summer months                                                        federation Trail, where the autumn
to play on its beaches and explore its      “They’ve got to travel to the island,      leaves will be in dazzling shades of or-
seaside towns. But when the air turns they’re renting hotel rooms or B&Bs              ange and red.
crisp and the leaves start to change, it on the island -- and most of them
no longer means tourist season is fin- aren’t just coming in the night before          “They get to finish by running down
ished for the year.                       the race,” says Paynter. “They’re eating  University Avenue into the heart of the
                                          in restaurants and checking out retail    city and finish up in front of the Ceno-
   This is the 15th year the P.E.I. Mara- establishments and filling up their ve-   taph with everyone cheering. From a
thon has been drawing thousands to hicles with gas and generally adding to          marathoner’s perspective, they really
the island in the middle of October.      the economy of the island.”               get to see it all,” says Paynter. “We hear
                                                                                    all the time that P.E.I. hospitality is
  “The marathon falls on the weekend          Paynter says the whole island is second to none, and it’s true.”
after Thanksgiving, which used to be       alive with energy during marathon
a very quiet time across the province,     weekend, and everyone can feel the          Wayne Long, events development
so now there’s something nice and big      excitement leading up to the big day.    officer with the City of Charlottetown,
on the calendar,” says Cheryl Paynter,                                              says the P.E.I. Marathon is a great ex-       CHERYL PAYNTER
CEO of Tourism PEI.                           “There’s a lot of checking the weath- ample of “sport tourism” -- and a very        CEO of Tourism P.E.I.
                                           er forecast and folks getting to know prosperous market for the city.
  “Around half of the participants are     the island from a runner’s perspec-                                                    top city in Canada (with a population
from off the island, so organizers have    tive,” says Paynter. “They love that        “It has such a positive impact on          under 50,000) for hosting sporting
done a stellar job of attracting them to   they’re getting to explore so much of the area as we move into our ‘shoul-             events.”
our province during the off-season.”       the province.”                           der season.’ It’s a time of year when we
                                                                                    really need that injection of people,”      Long says P.E.I. may be Canada’s
  Paynter says all of these visitors are      During the full marathon, Paynter says Long.                                    smallest province, but Charlottetown’s
                                                                                                                              status as a capital city and the birth-
                                                                                          He says sport tourism brings $43M place of Confederation has made it a
                                                                                       to Charlottetown’s economy each year booming tourism destination.
                                                                                       and a staggering $6.5B to the Can-
                                                                                       adian economy.                           “The P.E.I. Marathon organizing
                                                                                                                              committee has done a fantastic job
                                                                                          “Charlottetown has won many na- over the last 15 years, making our
                                                                                       tional awards for sport tourism -- marathon one of the top in the region
                                                                                       more than any other city our size in and beyond,” says Long.
                                                                                       the country,” says Long. “Global Sport
                                                                                       Index recently ranked Charlottetown      “It’s become a can’t-miss event that
                                                                                       the 15th city overall in Canada for people around the world are talking
                                                                                       hosting sporting events, and we’re the about.”

     Hit the road this Fall                                                  7695389
THEGUARDIAN.PE.CA                                                                                                                                           OCTOBER 2018            11

On the road to Boston
         BY HEATHER LAURA CLARKE        P.E.I. -- which is road running at its fin-
                                        est, on a nice quiet Sunday morning,”
  Scott Clark is about to run his 70th says Clark. “Then you’re on the Confed-
marathon. It’s a milestone he never im- eration Trail, which is very forgiving for
agined back when he started running sore knees or feet or hips.”
just to lose a few pounds.
                                          He says it sometimes starts to drag
  The Summerside resident of one of     around    the time you exit the trail, and
many runners from around the world luckily that’s exactly when you meet up
who use the P.E.I. Marathon to qualify with runners doing the half.
for the famed Boston Marathon. In fact,
the P.E.I. Marathon is one of Canada’s    “You’re feeling tired and lonely and
Top 5 Boston qualifiers.                then    suddenly you’re meeting these
                                        other runners. It’s really uplifting,” says
  “The Boston Marathon is like the Clark. “Then you’re hitting the city and
Masters in golf,” explains Clark. “If there are all these people cheering you
you’re really into running, you want to on, and you can see the finish. It’s a
get to Boston.”                         great ending.”

   Clark says marathoners love the               When it’s all over, Clark says he’ll be
P.E.I. course because it’s relatively flat -- heading straight for a large Tim Hortons
“other than a few speed bumps near the coffee -- which he’ll sip while cheering
end” -- and the cool fall weather is com- on the rest of the runners.                        He says rookie marathoners often                   “You’ve got to run 42km so you’re not
fortable for a long run, making it easier                                                  make the mistake of starting out too               winning it in the first few kilometres,
to finish with a good qualifying time.           He’s already registered for this spring’s
                                              Boston Marathon, after running the fast, either from excitement or to show                      but you can definitely lose it then -- or
                                                                                           off their speed right out of the gate.             cause trouble for yourself,” says Clark.
   Although the course is relatively com- Johnny Miles race back in June. But if                                                              “Patience is key.”
fortable, race director Myrtle Jenkins- he improves his time running the P.E.I.
Smith says it undergoes rigorous test- Marathon, he can use it to bump up his
ing to ensure it meets Boston Marathon starting position in Boston.
standards. Someone from Boston runs
the course each year, and a team trav-           “They place you in corrals according           To all PEI Marathon Weekend particcipants
elled to P.E.I. two years ago to measure to your qualifying time, and each corral

                                                                                                  Whether
and approve minor changes after some holds about 1,000 runners,” says Clark.
road construction.                            “Last year I was in Coral 2, so there
                                              were already 1,000 people ahead of me.
   Clark has run the Boston Marathon You always want to get as close to the
nine times so far, and says while there’s front as you can, to see the pros and the
“a lot of hype,” it’s certainly exciting to elites.”
be running in a crowd of 25,000 people.
                                                                                                  you walk
                                                 His time was three hours and 10
   He first ran the Boston Marathon seconds, so he’s hoping to finish in less
back in 2003, after qualifying at a race than three hours this time.
                                                                                                  or you run,
in Columbus, Ohio the previous fall. But
he says it was really nice to be able to         “You have until January to improve
qualify for the Boston Marathon by run- your position, so this is a great oppor-                  make sure
ning the P.E.I. Marathon in 2005.

   “You always want to be able to do the
marathon that’s in your own backyard.”
                                              tunity,” says Clark. “I’m feeling really fit
                                              these days, so we’ll see.”

                                                 In the last few weeks leading up to
                                                                                                  to have fun!
                                              any marathon, Clark says his training is
   Clark has participated in the P.E.I. mostly finished and it’s all about careful
Marathon every year, either in the 10K preparation. He watches what he eats,
(once, due to injury), the half mara- stays hydrated, decides what he’s going
thon or the full marathon. He’s run the to wear and tries to prevent injuries.
                                                                                                             Sean Casey
full marathon 12 times consecutively,                                                                         MP Charlotttetown
and says it’s “amazing” because of the           The night before the P.E.I. Marathon,                       Phone: 902-566-77770
unique scenery you get to enjoy.              he’ll eat a nice meal and try to go to                         Email: sean.casey@ @parl.gc.ca
                                              sleep early. When he wakes up, he’ll
   “You’ve got the surf crashing in from eat very little so he doesn’t risk feeling                          www.seancasey.ca  a
the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the sand bloated and overfull.
dunes, and then you head into rural                                                                                                                                              7695407
You’ve worked for this,
  you’ve trained for this,
  and finally it’s time

        o w
HNiaghlts of een                   Haunted
                                  H a ll o w e e n Mansion
                                    N ig h ts o f
                                       F ear!

      Fear!
     Visit the Haunted
  Mansion for Halloween         iW ll yo u s u r v i v e ?
             fun!
  On Saturdays & Sundays                                                Open October 13-30
  we will be open 2-4pm
   with a family friendly
                                  You’ll have to                       (on the following dates & times)
                                                                      Oct 13 & 14 - 2-4pm & 6-9pm

                                 run for your life!
  haunt. Dr. Jack will even                                                  Oct 19 - 6-9pm
 have the rides running for
                                                                       Oct 20 & 21 - 2-4pm & 6-9m
          the kids!
 Nights, from 6-9pm, all of
                                                                           Oct 25 & 26 - 6-9pm
 the ghouls will be here to   Runners wear your marathon medal for    Oct 27 & 28 - 2-4pm & 6-9pm
  grasp onto your darkest                                                  Oct 29 & 30 - 6-9pm
                              opening weekend, October 13th & 14th,               Prices
   fears and terrify you!
                                 and get 40% off your admission                2-4pm - 10.00
                                                                              6-9pm - $17.00
www.hauntedmansionpei.ca                                                 info@hauntedmansionpei.ca
                                                                               902-836-3336
81 Victoria Street West, Kensington, PE Canada                                                            7695405
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