Summerland Sweets 2024 trail race Recap

The finish line

The first day of fall was a beauty as our club hosted the first Interior Association trail race of the year in Summerland. The day started out cool and cloudy, but quickly changed to warm and sunny as soon as the race started.  Close to 200 runners completed the 7.4km and 3.4km course, one of the best turnouts we've ever had!

It was also great to see people of all ages participate in the sport that we love. In addition, numerous run clubs and elite runners came out to compete. Our Pounders club had at least 7 runners racing, and provided countless volunteers, including race director Deb Dunham.
Club Results 7.4km Race

Pounders Group Photo (Richard, Ben, Jordan, Sergio, Hillary)

• Ben Thistlewood: 5th (26:48)
  
• Jordan McIver: 11th (31:06)
• Sergio Pio: 12th (31:37)
  
• Maximillian Goetz: 14th (32:44)
• Richard Millard: 28th (35:44)
• Hillary Ward: 31st (36:04)

Full results can be found here:  www.interiorrunningassociation.com/race/2024/summerland_sweets_7_4k/

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Jordan racing up the sandpit hill.

Jordan's thoughts on doing the Summerland Sweets Race for the first time
I was really excited to participate in this race as I consider Summerland to be my favourite spot for trail running in the Okanagan and it would be a new experience.  I was also hungry to have a great race after not feeling so well the week prior while racing in Canmore. My parents were in town visiting over the weekend so it was nice to have them watch me race, and it added a bit of extra pressure. 

I started out with a conservative pace in the first half as its mostly downhill and I didn't want to bonk out on the more difficult 2nd half. The top 6 runners quickly disappeared and I found myself running with a competitive group of 4 runners.  It felt awesome to stick with them, my leg turnover was smooth and I felt in control.  I had trouble keeping up to them at the turn around the midpoint (the hills were not kind to me), but I managed to keep them in sight, and that allowed me to push hard right to the end for 11th place overall.

During the race, my mind worrying about the sandpit hill close to the finish line, however it was that long uphill incline earlier that really hurt me. I wasn't expecting that hill to be as long and tough as it was! I wasn't sure what place I was in, but it didn't matter as I was proud of the effort nonetheless. I gave it my all and felt smooth for most of the way.

Overall, I found the Summerland Sweets race to be well organized and a family friendly event. I was especially impressed with the Penticton Track & Field Club turnout and how well they performed. They simply dominated the race standings, which is a testament to a good program and hard work by those youngsters. It's always a treat when Pounders founding member Steve King does the finish line announcements too.  He adds that extra bit of excitement and flair to every racer  coming across the finish line. Of course, the Pounders did awesome as well! Congrats to everyone who participated!

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Interview with Pounders Member Richard Millard
Where are you from? And when did you start distance running?
I grew up in Abbotsford, but have lived in Penticton for the last 21 years. It's been about 15 years since my brother first invited me to come watch him do the 10 km Abbotsford Police Challenge Run. A few weeks before the run I decided I might as well do the run with him. Although I was quite sore afterwards, I really enjoyed the experience - including the pizza they had for all the finishers! (Just mention that there is food at the end of a run and I'll be there!) I never stopped running after that. Since then I've done a lot of 5k and 10k runs as well as a few half marathons.

How long have you been running with the Pounders club?
Fall 2023 was when I started running with the Pounders, after meeting some of their members at the Park Run on Saturday morning in Penticton. I needed a group to motivate me to get out running in the dark!

Did you have any goals for the Summerland Sweets race? Thoughts on the race?
I've done the Summerland Sweets race only one time previously and I was hoping to improve on my time from last year. While I was 10 seconds slower this year, I still really enjoyed the race. I remembered the longest hill on the second half of the course from last year, and it seemed even longer this year 😊, but it's a beautiful course and it was perfect weather for running.

Any future running plans/goals/races?
Now that we're into the fall, I'm hoping to be able to participate in one or two of the Interior Running Association's Cross Country Race Series.  I've done the Larry Nicholas run in Kelowna previously so hope to be able to make it out to that one on Nov 3 and see if I can improve on my previous time.  At the very least it's a great excuse to get out for some fresh air and a run with a great group of people!I

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Photo Gallery

Food, Awards & Prizes

One of the great things about this race are the prizes! For the first time this year, wine was given out in the awards. Congrats to all those who earned their placings! Numerous treats and refreshments were provided as well.

Volunteers

Of course, thank you to all the volunteers, we couldn't have done it without you! Our club looks forward to hosting next year's Summerland Sweets in September 2025. See you all next year!

What's next?
The Penticton XC 7.5km Race is coming up quick on Sunday October 6th.
Register here: https://raceroster.com/events/2024/85766/penticton-xc-75k-and-3k-fun-run

Photo Credits
Special thank you to Vlado Zamecnik for capturing the great photos!