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Overall winner Kimberley Doerksen (right) with her friend Kristin Smart (left), who won 4th place for women. (Photo Credit: KelownaNow)
Kimberley Doerksen from Gibsons, B.C. was first overall at Saturday's Wine Country Half Marathon in Kelowna.
The Kelowna race is the only one of the series to be held outside the United States, and runners come from both the U.S. and Canada to enjoy the scenic course through apple orchards, farms, and vineyards. The course ends at Waterfront Park, where the Wine and Music Festival is set up to welcome the participants. This is the race's second year in Kelowna.
Doerksen, aged 23, was the overall winner of the race. Last year she won first place for women and set the course record for women of 1:18:04. This year she wanted to beat her own time, and she succeeded, finishing with a time of 1:15:55.
This was Doerksen's first overall win in her career. For women, however, she's won a couple golds, including first at the BMO Vancouver Marathon. Doerksen says she did more shorter races in the spring, and she's been building up the fall. She has five more races left in 2014, including the 10K Oasis ZooRun in Toronto on September 20.
According to Doerksen, the Kelowna course is “absolutely stunning”. She noted also that it was the perfect weather for the race, with the colder September morning at the 7:00 a.m. start providing ideal conditions.
Andrew Maxwell, aged 29, placed second with a time of 1:17:43 to receive first for the men.
Top 6 Finishers
| Bib | Name | Team Name | City | State | 12.5 KM | Chip Elapsed | Pace KM | Division | Age | Gender |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | KIMBERLEY DOERKSEN | GIBSONS | 00:43:28 | 01:15:55 | 03:36 | HALF MARATHON | 23 | F | ||
| 21 | ANDREW MAXWELL | SANTA BARBARA | 00:44:04 | 01:17:43 | 03:42 | HALF MARATHON | 29 | M | ||
| 1366 | RORY SWITZER | FRESH AIR | KELOWNA | 00:45:58 | 01:21:39 | 03:53 | HALF MARATHON | 53 | M | |
| 11 | LISA BROOKING | WHITE ROCK | 00:46:00 | 01:21:45 | 03:53 | HALF MARATHON | 27 | F | ||
| 13 | CHRISTY LOVIG | KELOWNA | 00:46:43 | 01:22:21 | 03:55 | HALF MARATHON | 37 | F | ||
| 1004 | DANNY GROENING | SURRUI | 00:00:00 | 01:22:22 | 03:55 | HALF MARATHON | 46 | M |
For all the results click here.
For photo gallery of over 240 images click here or on the image below.
Top 3 women are all smiles! Because they're done? Or because they can head to the #Wine&MusicFestival for local wine? pic.twitter.com/UH8LCRvza0
— Wine Country Half (@winecountryhalf) September 6, 2014 Heading home from @KLWineHalf - 1st OVERALL; new course record; & free wine! @NewBalanceCan @V_FAC @IF_Difference pic.twitter.com/SrEAmk8kgv
— Kim Doerksen (@kadoerks) September 6, 2014Participants in the 2014 Kelowna Wine Country Half Marathon. (Photo Credit: KelownaNow)
The finish at Waterfront Park. (Photo Credit: KelownaNow)
Runners along Kelowna's scenic course. (Photo Credit: KelownaNow)
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