Thousands lace up for Vancouver Marathon

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Thousands of runners from elite to first timers took part in the 42nd annual BMO Vancouver Marathon on Sunday.

The top two runners to cross the finish line are from Kenya but train in Canada. The first man through was Thomas Omwenga from Hamilton. His time was two hours 24 minutes which makes this his fourth win. Just seconds later, Calgary resident Benard Onsare completed the race.

The first woman to cross the finish line was Toronto’s Lucy Njeri, with a time of two hours 40 minutes. Alice Ndirangu Waruguru placed second with a time of two hours and 47 minutes.

News1130 spoke with folks near the finish line at Pender Street and Bute Street about why they laced up for either the half marathon and marathon.

Eugene says he has trouble keeping his weight down and that’s why he runs the half marathon every year. He is recovering from the flu, didn’t feel well throughout the race, but says he didn’t want to quit.

“It’s about my tenth time and my worst time! I’m not feeling great right now, but I finished and that’s all that counts! I was never going to win. I’m not that kind of guy, I’m not tall enough, skinny enough but I had a good time,” he explains with a laugh.

Other veteran racers say they like the challenge and the energy from the cheering crowd. Many out of towners come for the scenery.

A couple from Winnipeg tells News1130 the athletic feat was more like a romantic getaway. “It was our first race together and we held hands crossing the finish line,” says Margarita.

“We thought we wanted to come here and experience the beauty of Vancouver together and it was a sightseeing run as well,” adds Sean her other half. The pair wasn’t ready for the 42.2 kilometer and opted for the half marathon, completing it in less than two hours.

As part of the event, a moment of silence was held at the start of the race for the victims of the Boston Marathon.

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