By Art Meaney
Special to The Telegram
Colin Fewer has a record ten Tely 10 victories to his credit. I anticipate he will make it 11 on Sunday.
His winning time of 49:41 last year at age 40 established him as the best masters runner in Canada. In fact, it is a world class time for a runner his age.
In April, Fewer captured the over-40 title at the Vancouver Sun Run and did the same at the Ottawa 10K race in May. He has had a few minor running aches and pains lately, but they are under control.
When I spoke with him recently, he was confident he was on track for another successful Tely.
The runner who may challenge Fewer's domination of the Tely is Ryan Brockerville.
Marystown born and a nephew of legendary Newfoundland marathoner Gordon Brockerville, he is a national caliber steeplechaser who lives in British Columbia.
Two weeks ago, he lay the gauntlet down with a decisive victory at the Mews 8K Race. His winning time of 24:22 indicates a potential 50-minute Tely. That is fast enough to give Colin Fewer a stiff challenge and make it an exciting race.
A trio of Memorial University cross-country runners will be in the chase this Sunday. Chris Galley, Nick Snow and Tyler Cole put in miles of hard training this past winter, and it has paid off.
Galley has two road race victories to his credit this year, and Snow and Cole one each. I am going with Galley for third and Snow for fourth.
Montreal-based Graydon Snider is back for his annual Tely appearance. He has usually been a top five guy at the Tely. His 32:30 at the Ottawa 10K race in May is an indication he can run a 10-mile time that will place him fifth this year.
Ontarian Dan MacDonald is my pick for sixth. He has been living here for several years, but keeps a low profile in the local running community. He likes to train solo and race sparingly, but he always comes ready to race hard. He will do that again on Sunday.
Watch for five-kilometer specialist Adam Snow to challenge for a top five spot this year. He has run well this season with some high placings. Snow has a smooth running style that is an advantage on the Tely course.
I will choose him for seventh behind MacDonald, but the latter will have to use all his endurance and strength to beat Snow to the finish line.
Tyler Cole is captain of the Memorial cross-country team. He is a Canadian Forces officer studying medicine. A training partner of Chris Galley and Nick Snow, he had a confidence building big win at the recent hilly Carved by the Sea 10K race in Bay Roberts.
Cole should be good for eighth.
Peter Power continues to mock the gods of aging. At 55, he also is world-class for his age. In late June, he won the Run for Freedom at St. Mary's in a rain storm. He was sixth in a deep field at the Mews race, besting runners half his age.
I see him running under 55 minutes this weekend, and demolishing my age group record for the 55-59 category I set in 1999. Records are made to be broken, and Power is the man to do it. He will finish ninth, but do not rule out his picking off some of the runners I have predicted to finish ahead of him.
Jonathan Goodridge was a major surprise at last year's race. The young cross-country runner attends Guelph University and trains with their very successful team. He will have a shot at 55 minutes or better on Sunday, and will round out the top 10.
This year, there will be a platoon of fast runners who have the intention of displacing the favorites. They are led by Ian Royle, Peter Bazeley, Jason Guy, Adam Chambers, Charlie Kourvelas, Mike Scott, Kyle MacLeod, Jamie West, Sheldon Marsh, Zach Putt, Andrew Bruce, Jason White, Dan Conway and Alex Smallwood.
Art’s Top 10
- Colin Fewer
- Ryan Brockerville
- Chris Galley
- Nick Snow
- Graydon Snider
- Dan MacDonald
- Adam Snow
- Tyler Cole
- Peter Power
- Jonathan Goodridge
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The women's race at this year's Tely 10 could be one of the most exciting ever.
Kate Bazeley and Anne Johnston are the province's two best female runners. Both are former Tely champions, cross-country champions, multiple road race winners and have competed successfully on the Canadian mainland.
This season, Bazeley, the Tely record holder, has competed less frequently than usual but impressively both on the local scene and on the mainland. Johnston is racing at the highest level she has in years. She ran a debut marathon in Toronto in under three hours that gave her second place at the event, and her recent win at the local Mews race indicates she is ready to run a fast Tely.
Watch for an intense battle between Bazeley and Johnston Sunday. I think Bazeley will win because of her superior speed with Johnston second, but do not rule out an upset.
Last year’s Tely champion, Jennifer Murrin, has battled a hip injury this year. It kept her off the road race circuit until last week's Mews 8K race, when she returned with a vengeance.
Murrin was runner up to Johnston in that event, and her time of 27:18 translates into another sub-60 minute Tely and should be good enough for third place.
Lisa Collins-Sheppard was second in 2017 behind Murrin in 59:45. Sheppard will run another strong Tely this year. She has two second-place finishes this season and a big win at the Garnish 10K in June.
Her strength and speed will take her to a fourth-place finish, and again she will run under an hour on the course.
Jennifer Barron will be fifth. She has become one of the most reliably successful runners on the local scene. Barron is very strong over the longer distances, and has several victories at the half marathon distance.
Her Tely personal best is 61:05. This could be the year she joins that special group of women who have run under the hour mark.
Susan Hayward is entered in this year's race. Another infrequent racer, but always formidable when she appears, Hayward's training has gone well this year. I am choosing the former Memorial cross-country standout for sixth place.
Karen Stacey is a late entry in this year’s race. Like her sister, Susan Hayward, she is a former cross-country runner and veteran road racer well known for her strength and take-no-prisoners style of running.
Stacey should place seventh.
Alison Walsh used to be a prolific racer. In recent years, she has raced much more selectively. She is a half marathon specialist who now makes the Tely her race of choice. I believe her vast experience will give her a top 10 slot in eighth place.
Janelle Simmons has always been one of my favourite runners. Another veteran of the university cross-country wars years ago, she has become a talented road racer. She attacks races with energy, enthusiasm and a fire in her eyes that is a joy to watch. I pick her for ninth.
Picking the woman who will round out the top 10 is a difficult chore as there is a platoon of top notch women running on the local scene. I am going with Twillingate's Jade Roberts for 10th.
Roberts has had a breakthrough year in 2018. A sub-20 minute 5K performance this spring and last week's eye-opening 39:19 victory at the Carved by the Sea 10K should give her the confidence to run her best Tely ever.
As is the case on the men's side, there is a large group of women who intend to try and shake up my picks. Shantel Buttress, Krissy Dooling, Stephanie Nevin, Thelma Greene, Stephanie Seaward, Karen Penwell, Laura Lawes, Hannah Cooke, Nicole Hollohan, Holly Foley and Katrina Lynn Picco are names to watch.
Late entries by former Tely champ Caroline Mcilroy and the very fast Julia Howard are sure to affect the standings. Additional late entries from the Canadian mainland could affect the results on both the male and female side.
I will finish with a final prediction and a thank-you. The amazing and astounding Florence Barron, at 80 years of age, will set a new age group record on Sunday.
And the thanks goes to Will Small and Mark Hayward, both keen observers of the local running world … thanks guys for your advice and suggestions.
Art’s Top 10
- Kate Bazeley
- Anne Johnston
- Jennifer Murrin
- Lisa Collins-Sheppard
- Jennifer Barron
- Susan Hayward
- Karen Stacey
- Alison Walsh
- Janelle Simmons
- Jade Roberts
Art Meaney was the 1979 Tely 10 champion, and is an active running coach, including head coach of the Memorial Sea-Hawks’ cross-country running team.
