Sun Run Team Report: Fraser Street bRUNch Club

Well what a weekend for the Fraser Street Run Club! A group of 20 brave women, men, boy and girl represented the team's debut proudly in the massive crowds and finished the Vancouver's annually cherished event in April known as the Sun Run.

The invitation all started on an ordinary Sunday post-run coffee chat, when a group of friends discussing feveriously over proper nutrition replenishment led to finding an excuse to go for brunch buffet. Hence, a sun run brunch club team was officially born.

But first style cannot be compromised. Logo specialist Alexis recruited some of the brightest minds (and hungry stomachs for that matter) to put together a fantastic logo that is surely to last the test of time. Some early works spoiled miserably despite some clever ideas including changing the logo with science world as a muffin, the ocean as bacon strips and the skyscrapers as milkshakes and juice boxes. Her efforts was surely to be paid off, as her birthday was also on the special brunch day. 

David Paps eventually stepped up to the 'plate' to serve us with this brilliant design.

Now onto to race day with conditions nearly perfect, the brunch team was excited for two things before the start of the race. (1) the sun run team debut and (2) the brunch that was certainly to transpired after the race.

World traveler Mike Prince finished a 100km adventure race prior to taper week before this race. Surely his legs weren't too happy but he got the job done anyways with a sub 40 performance! Judging by my math skills, his legs only hurt a factor of 10 compared to that 100km race.

Kang Wang aka the muffin muncher had a good engine. His wheels weren't making contact with the asphalt but still had a solid performance despite this fact.

David St-Germain aka the waffle destroyer had some secret training in the Quidditch finals prior to doing the sun run. He's also one of the quickest waffle destroyers I know at brunch.

Curtis Jung is nothing short of precision as compared to the arrival of a Swiss train. His 10km time matches his 10km time as scheduled from a recent Eastside race (2,189 seconds to be precise!). 

Despite being injured in the leadup to the run, David Tapia had the special yellow jersey racing effect when he received a boost(boot) with a Greek runner's help, landing him with a 50s PB.


Kathryn Drew was one of the biggest surprises of the day, finishing 8th in her age category as well as 25th overall female, and beating most of the ladies in the front starting pack.


Equally as impressive is super golfer Fiona Jackson. With at least a (-10) score, i.e. time in minutes doing the 10k subtracted by age, she finished 3rd in her age category with more than 1100 runners in her division. Her partner Scott also beat his age!

Alexis dancing during the run with her dad.

Alexis just narrowly missed her PB by less than 10 seconds. Rumours from witnesses claim that she started dancing when the rock bands started playing happy birthday for her along the course - her dad may have to be blamed for such shenanigans.


Katie Fountain puts on a clinic both at the store and on the run course. First off, being injured with shin splints normally doesn't allow you to run a PB. Despite those constraints, she was all kin taped up like a mummy and crushed her PB. Very impressive. 


Katrina has a full calendar, with the sun run, bmo and a wedding in June. Watch out for her as she joins Fraser Street team in the BMO race as well! Her other half Eric Zhao also cruises into the finish line with the team's top time. Erik Allen also getting married weeks before the race was happy to complete the race.   


The run this year had new meaning for Andy, who ran for his dad. He PB'd easily!

Daniel Lee known as the anchorman did exactly as predicted securing the 10th and most coveted spot in sun run team racing.


Kudos to Ben Hanke for his Boston run, but also recruiting his daughter and son to run for us! The future draft pick runners, both finishing with impressive sub 1hour. Mark Schellenberg ran the race and then shortly ran straight to the hospital the next day to deliver his first new born. Congrats to him and Jess!!

Overall, the top ten times had an average of 37:36 and pretty strong depth considering the standard deviation was only 1:33. Top 5 runners finished sub 37 minutes and top 9 finished sub 40. I think it's safe to say that everyone was in a rush for brunch.

Photo Credit: Fiona Jackson

Some honourable mentions for Fraser Street peeps who did well-ish in their own sun run races outside of our team.


Humphrey arrived 11:55pm the night before the race after doing the Boston marathon less than a week ago and was escorted with his race bib just in time for the start.


Lucas ran a killer PB by 50s and claims he's excited and ready to ditch his currently company sponsored contract and join our team for next year.


Jen Jen Jen! She was the only elite women to run in the front pack women's field from the team. Some unfortunate "dumb-dumb" race tactics as she calls it, inspired her to draw this in her post race interview. I think had she joined us for brunch, she might had been a bit more happier about her race...next year we'll recruit her on the team! ;)

Cat tail bushed and claws out!!

The next race BMO marathon also has some competitive teams from Fraser Street to watch out for! Stay tuned! I'm excited to watch and eat brunch from the sidelines. :)

Impossible to get good data in a fast race! - St. Paddy's 5K

This year's St. Paddy's 5K run around Stanley Park marked my third time racing it.


I'm 0/2 when it comes to quality data collection. My heart rate band fell off in 2017 and had to carry it by hand the entire way. Now while my heart rate band stayed on this time in 2018, however I was wrestling with it the entire time.

It's a challenge to keep the heart rate band on in elevation change, hence the poor wardrobe fashion!

Photo Credit: Kudos to Lucas Socio for these pictures.

The course included a slight change for the non-athletics bc members and non-elites. An additional razor sharp hairpin bend to start the 5k counter clockwise loop. So cruel!!

The race starts and finishes at the scenic Stanley Park Pavilion. The course is a slight net uphill course and the big payoff comes in the last 2km. You could taste blood up the pipeline road hill.


The race fell on the actual St. Patrick's day, which made it special. Too bad I only forgot the wear green memo once arriving at the start. :P


The splits in the elite field were fast with the course records broken in both men's and women's. Here's my splits - I think it's safe to say the conditions were nearly perfect, with clear skies and ideal temperatures for 2018 - exactly want you want to PB.

My weak attempt at collecting some advance dynamics data :(

Overall quite satisfy with the 18:22 despite not PB-ing. This one's definitely a working man PB. Channeling the Yuki factor. :) Until next time.