September 19, 2010 (Canmore, AB) – An uphill running time trail last weekend provided another benchmark for Academy athletes as they begin to fine tune their condition for the looming racing season just over two months away. Using the same course as last year for comparison, the men ran the 7.5km course starting along the Bow River in Canmore, while the women ran a shorter 5km route.

The course finished at the top of Spray Lakes Road above the Canmore Nordic Centre, with the majority of the terrain uphill and the final 3km a brutal grind up a continuous steep grade. Despite competing for trail real estate with Canmore Half-Marathon runners, Kevin Sandau posted a new course record of 30 minutes and 50 seconds on the men’s course.

The record was short lived however, as Graham Nishakawa lowered it again the following day with an impressive time of 30 minutes and 5 seconds. In the women’s 5km Sara Hewitt set a blistering pace, nearly beating the course record set last year by Madeleiene Williams and significantly lowering her personal best. The team will run the uphill time trial once more in October during their final week of field and lab testing.

Men 7.5km

Graham Nishikawa 30:05 (CR, PB)
Kevin Sandau 30:50 (PB)
Drew Goldsack 31:45 (Zone 3)
Jess Cockney 32:17
Chris Butler 34:51
Bob Thompson 34.57 (PB)
Zach Holland 35:30 (PB)
Joey Burton 39:10

Women 5km

Sara Hewitt 26:07 (PB)
Rhonda Jewett 27:27 (PB)
Rebecca Reid 27:47 (PB)
Alysson Marshall 28:08 (PB)
Annika Hicks 28:13 (PB)
Eva Szabo 29:22 (PB)
Janelle Greer 30:00 (PB)
Emily Nishikawa 30:31 (PB)
Marlis Kromm 31:41