He sets off with his sister as if it were a morning sprint down the park.
But there is no sibling rivalry for 11-year-old Adam Masek. Instead, strategy and tactics are as important as speed for him when it comes to The Tely 10 road race, held Sunday morning in St. John’s.
“It’s my first race in the Tely 10 and I kept my speed by being focused on my sister (Elin Maskova, 16), who was slightly ahead of me. I never wanted to fall too far behind her,” said Masek, who was among the youngest participants in the 92nd annual road race.
“I did a couple of school races before but running is something I do for fun,” he added.
While many racers hobbled around like the walking dead after completing the Tely 10, Masek said, “Although I felt tired, there was a great sense of accomplishment after crossing the finish line.”
The siblings finished within 20 seconds of each other.
“It’s my first race in the Tely 10 and I kept my speed by being focused on my sister (Elin Maskova, 16), who was slightly ahead of me. I never wanted to fall too far behind her." — Adam Masek
Vlastimil Masek was among the crowd cheering for his son Adam, daughter Elin, and wife Jindra Maskova, who all competed.
“Adam crossed the finish line at around one hour 23 minutes,” said Vlastimil, who is originally from the Czech Republic.
“I would have liked to participate in the race, but I had a motorbike accident some 25-years ago and it ruined my leg, so I can’t run. I was also arriving with my other daughter, (Zora), who had flown in from Boston, United States, via Halifax at 2 a.m. after five weeks at dance school,” he continued.
“But we were waiting at the finish line with friends, cheering them on. It was a great event, with cool, ideal weather for running, and they all did their best.”
The race kicked off at Topsail Road in Paradise, near Octagon Pond. Runners proceeded on Cornwall Avenue, LeMarchant Road, Harvey and Military roads, before turning left onto Bannerman to finish just past the swimming pool in the heart of St. John’s.
There were 4,003 confirmed registered racers.
Vlastimil said for the past two years, Adam has joined small cross-county events to represent Vanier Elementary, with his school friends. The Tely 10 was just the next step for him.
“In 2017, Adam ran cross-country with his feet in sandals and actually ended up on the podium. Last year, he asked for cleats and did equally well,” he said.
“But Adam is not much of a runner, this is all for fun. He may go out to run around Quidi Vidi Lake with his gymnastics group on fine days, or run in a gym as part of a conditioning class in figure skating, but you won’t otherwise find him practising on a regular basis.”
Because of the multitude of sports and activities, the siblings have mastered the mechanics of sprinting — pumping their arms with power and lengthening their strides with speed.
“They are active kids that like biking, gymnastics, figure skating, so they are naturally good with endurance,” said Vlastimil while acknowledging the importance of a balanced, active and healthy lifestyle.
