At seven races down, seven more to go, anything could happen in the overall point races for both men and women.
On the men’s side, defending champion Colin Dignum is at the top of the list but right behind him is newcomer Abukar Mohamed with a slightly higher points-per-race average. Mohamed, a newcomer to Canada, hopes to regain the kind of speed he had in his native Somalia— something he has not been able to attain so far in this year’s races, due to interruptions in training while settling into a new country. Beyond the top two overall spots there is a wide open race for the 3rd and 4th place cash prizes, with Mark Bomba, Norm Tinkham, David Polisi, Craig Odermatt and Richard Lee all possible contenders.
The women’s rankings are currently led by Sheila Mullins, with masters athlete Jackie Holloway holding second place. Sitting in third with only three races but a high points-per-race average is rising star Alison Rendell, who continues to get faster every time she sets foot on a starting line. Below these top three are a number of women with just 2 or 3 races, so at this point it’s anyone’s guess who will end up taking the remaining cash prize—or one of the top three.
Age group early leaders include David Polisi in the 25-29 division, Rick Hickson just ahead of Richard Lee in the 40-44 grouping, Ken Bell edging ahead in the 45-49 section, Iain Fisher at the front of the 50-54 pack, Tony Amstutz heading up the 55-59’s, Herb Phillips squashing the competition among the 60-64 year-olds, and Stephen Odwin dominating his new category 65+.
Women’s leaders include Nicola Everton in the 35-39 group, Nancy Tinari injured but still leading the 40-44 division, Lilian Wong and Carly McFetridge neck and neck by point averages in the 50-54 group, Kathleen McFarland ahead of the 55-59-ers, Mary Ann Carter first among the 60-64 year-olds, and BJ McHugh topping the 65+ list, though Lenore Montgomery and Gwen McFarland could overtake her with more races under their belts.
This weekend’s Shaughnessy 8k takes the Series into the busier summer racing season, with two events per month over the next three months, followed by the final race on the Labour Day weekend.
