20th Annual TC10K Breaks Records
(Victoria, BC – Sunday, April 26, 2009) The 20th Annual TC10K broke records today; not only did it have the largest number of registrants but it recorded more finishers than any previous race. Twelve thousand, six hundred registered for the ten-kilometre race and the Thrifty Foods 1.5-kilometre Family Fun Run—11,975 for the race and 625 for the fun run; 9,924 crossed the finish line.

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Kenyan Willy Kimosop won the 20th Annual TC10K on Sunday, April 26, 2009.
Under glorious sunny skies, with no wind, thousands of spectators saw Kenyan Willy Kimosop win his second ten-kilometre race in eight days. The Vancouver Sun Run winner ran a blazing race in 29:29. Second was his fellow countryman Kip Kangogo in 30:13 and third—and top Canadian—was Ryan McKenzie from Langford in 30:21. Bazan Bay 5k winner Scott Simpson from Victoria was fourth in 30:38, and Kristopher Swanson, fifth in 31:09.

Kimosop, who lives in Lethbridge, Alberta, and trains with the Lethbridge Kodiaks, said the race conditions were perfect. “It is a great course and I was very confident after Vancouver.” He hopes to make it three in a row as he goes into the BMO Vancouver Half Marathon on May 3.

The much-anticipated women’s race proved to be close, with Kathy Butler winning in 34:01. For Butler, who has dual Canadian and British Citizenship, this was her first TC10K. “It was a hard effort,” she said. ”I have been sick, so I didn’t know what kind of shape I would be in.”  Second was last year’s winner, Calgarian Lisa Harvey, in 34:28, and third was local favourite Lucy Smith in 34:35.

Smith also won the Female Masters division with Nancy Baxendale (Shawnigan Lake) coming in second in 37:17 and Meghan Stothers from Victoria third in 39:52. In the Men’s Masters, the favourite Steve Boyd (Kingston) was first in 32:04, Vancouver’s Norm Tinkham was second in 32.52, and third was Paddy McCluskey from Victoria in 33:14. Boyd also set a record time for the M45-49 age group.

The TC10K’s Official Charity of Choice is the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the donations and pledges from participants came to $47,273.

The official results of the TC10K are online linked from www.tc10k.ca.