Out for a Rip are the new defending Skeena River Relay champions after a terrific relay run saw the mixed male and female team (at least five females) cross the finish line first in Terrace in a total time of 10:31:50.
Don Williams completed the 21.2 km stage three the fastest out of all runners in 1:22:01, Shannon Himmelright finished the 12.1 km stage six as the fastest female and Christopher Hampton completed all 16.7 km of stage seven in 1:12:59 to elevate the team to first-place, led by captain Ted McCreery from Terrace.
The fastest Prince Rupert captain-led squad were the Coast Busters, who finished right behind Out for a Rip in second-place overall with a time of 10:43:08. Ryan Staschuk led that mixed team, which had great opening and closing results from Luke Robin, who claimed stage one as the fastest runner, running 13.8 km in 55:38 and Justin Fontaine, taking stage 10, running 14.2 km in 57:53.
The top open division team was the Skeena River Bastards, finishing in third overall with 11:26:11. Their captain was Kitimat’s JF Richer.
Finishing in fourth overall and placing as the top corporate team (minimum six runners from the same workplace) was the Running Frenchies, led by captain Francois Gobeil from Kitimat. They finished the relay just slightly behind the Skeena River Bastards at 11:26:58.
Following the Frenchies were the top-placing women’s team in fifth overall, Beaver Fever, who completed the relay in 11:35:27 and whose captain was Prince Rupert’s Samantha Kasdorf.
The top masters’ team (over-40) were the Rupert Relics, who crossed the finish line in 13:40:48, led by captain Ray Leonard from Prince Rupert.
Give’er on the River and Tight and Bright took second and third place respectively among open division teams, the Rupert Imports came in third out of all mixed teams, the She Devils and Smithers Sole Sistas claimed second and third in the women’s division respectively and There are Margaritas at the End and Opus Magnum Tame Uncaged Beasts took second and third respectively in the corporate category.
Chris Kennedy, Kieren McIntosh, Cam Bentley, Aaron Dobie, Ivo Luethi and Scott Gardner rounded out the top-finishing men in each stage and Anna Usborne, Brooke Andreesen, Eve Normandy, Bev Lynch, Jen Atkey, Krista Johnstone, Tulani Pearce, Catherine Lund and Sarah Williams each finished as the top females in their stages of the relay.
The next event for the Rupert Runners and any interested cardio enthusiasts is the Cannery Road Race, set for Saturday, Sept. 12.