A running battle
Police half-marathon raises money for research into brain cancer
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 30/04/2016 (2889 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
For one Winnipeg family, crossing the finish line together has become an annual tradition at the Winnipeg Police Service half-marathon.
There they were Sunday morning, Courtney St. Croix and Drew Dear, running side by side, each holding a child — four-year-old Paityn and two-year-old Jordyn — exhausted and hurting but thrilled to know they’d finished and helped out a good cause.
“We only miss it if I’m pregnant,” St. Croix said with a smile. “We’re going to do it every year we can. Eventually, (the children) will run with us. That’s the plan.”
“Hopefully, some day they will carry us across,” Dear said. “We want them to see how they can stay healthy.”
The 12th annual event raised money for research into brain cancer.
A sense of thrill and agony meets nearly every runner as they cross the finish line at Assiniboine Park.
Also completing the race was Joanne Schiewe, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 glioblastoma brain cancer in February 2015. At that time, she was given 12 to 18 months to live.
“I just finished my 11th round of chemo last Sunday. At the beginning of January, I could barely run four miles,” she said. “I didn’t know if I could even do 13 miles of running, but it just came together.
“This is the longest I’ve run since I got sick. So for me this was a huge day.”
Along with completing her longest run to date, Schiewe raised the most money Sunday — more than $12,000 for the Manitoba chapter of the Canadian Cancer Society, which pledged last year to fund research and programs for people with brain cancer in the next five years.
Nick Paulet, who drummed up the idea more than a decade ago, said it’s the people who make it worthwhile.
“Seeing all these people, and especially those in yellow shirts who are living with cancer or who have come through their battle, it’s a reminder why we do it,” he said.
Every dollar raised is matched by Brain Canada through the Canada Brain Research Fund, a public-private partnership established by the federal government. Every cent raised stays in Manitoba.
“We want this to bring awareness to the issue of brain cancer, specifically. That’s the most important part of today,” director Elmer Gomes said. “What it does is that it allows us to fund research to find a cure and provide treatment to give people hope in terms of fighting if they get this diagnosis.”
Some 2,900 runners registered for the half-marathon, team relay and 5K events, including members of the Royal Canadian Air Force 17th Wing in Winnipeg.
Members are training for the International Four Days Marches Nijmegen in the Netherlands, in which they will walk 40 kilometres a day for four days while in uniform and carrying 10-kilogram backpacks.
“(This) is part of our training regiment,” Lt. James Crittenden said. “When we go over, we will have 850 kilometres under our belts. This year marks the 100th edition of the Nijmegen event. They paused it during the world wars.”
As members of 17 Wing crossed the finish line, supporters sang O Canada.
Darolyn Walker, who placed first among women at the half-marathon at last year’s Manitoba Marathon, claimed the top spot Sunday with a personal best of 1:19:59.
“It’s a great event and a perfect day,” she said. “It’s really well put on, so I was happy to be a part of it.”
University of Manitoba Bisons track athlete Nickolas Kosmenko recorded a personal best time of 1:12:38 on his way to the summit on the men’s side.
“It’s set up well so that when you’re coming back you get to see everyone else going out and they’re cheering you on,” he said. “That really helps you out a lot.”
scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca
History
Updated on Sunday, May 1, 2016 6:15 PM CDT: Updates with writethru