Al Singer
Honey Festival
Fun Run Coordinator
The first Honey Festival 5K and 10K Fun Run/Walk took place on June 18 in Falher and was, by all accounts, a success.
The event attracted 50 registered participants, ranging in age from nine to 59.
They managed to raise more than $1,000 for the Fort McMurray Relief Fund.
After nearly three weeks of rail-filled skies, the weather cleared up about two hours before the event and provided perfect conditions.
In addition, the event witnessed solid performances by local and regional competitors.
Top three female and male competitors in the 5K event
Female
1. Sarah Brown of Falher, 23:04.
2. Isabelle Caron of Falher, 27:53.
3. Nadine King of Sexsmith, 29:30.
Male
1. Mathieu Davis of Grande Prairie, 21:15.
2. Patrick Davis of Grande Prairie, 22:23.
3. Charles Marinier of Falher, 22:45.
Top three female and male competitors in the 10K event
Female
1. Robyn Montpellier of Falher, 43:59.
2. Alanna Blanchette of Girouxville, 50:10.
3. Nuoy Gauthier, 50:10.
Male
1. John Davis of Grande Prairie, 40:45.
2. Jordan Coen of Grande Prairie, 41:24.
3. Jim Davis of Grande Prairie, 47:17.
“It was encouraging to see the support from around the region for this event,” says Singer
“(It was) inspiring to hear the stories of the participants that used this event as a chance to start on their path to fitness and to see the impressive performances of some of the younger participants.”
Of particular note, 11-year-old Sarah Brown from Falher completed the 5K in 23:04, and 11-year-old Jordan Coen from Grande Prairie completed the 10K in 41:24.
The organizers have identified areas to improve for next year.
“Probably the biggest challenge this time around was the limited time frame we gave ourselves to put this together,” says Singer.
“Planning for next year’s event starts this week.”