It was a chilly, dreary, drizzly, dank, overcast Saturday … and Murray and Simone Tuininga could not have been happier.
The Neerlandian couple found the conditions put an extra zip in their stride as they powered to victories in the annual Barrhead community run.
Murray completed the 6.2 kilometre route in 25:56, while his wife put in a sprint at the end to finish with a time of 31:17.
“I was pretty happy with my time,” said Murray, looking remarkably fresh after crossing the line outside the Agrena.
The steady drizzle proved extremely welcome, since he was prepared for a colder day and got a little overheated.
“There was some sprinkling, which was great,” he said. “The conditions were good for running. Not slippery at all.”
“The weather was cool and very nice,” agreed Simone. “It was a lot of fun.”
It was the first time either had entered the event, which tends to attract people for different reasons. Some are competitive, determined to win or beat personal best times, while many do it for a workout, preferring to walk the route; all, of course, want to have a fantastic time.
For Murray the run was a way of limbering up for a triathlon in Edmonton the next day.
It meant he was pacing himself, but still had enough strength to leave his nearest competitors far behind.
Murray will also be competing in the Spirit of Westlock Triathlon on June 8.
Like several other women, Simone is training for Barrhead’s Queen of Hearts triathlon on Saturday, September 21.
“I am hoping to build myself up for longer races,” said Simone. “I’m aiming towards doing 10k to 15k runs.”
As fastest male and female the couple each won a four-month adult pass from Barrhead Kinsmen Aquatic Centre. There were also goodie bags for those who placed second and third.
Master of Ceremonies Fred Thistle had called 15 runners and 34 walkers to the start line outside the Agrena at 10 a.m.
Understandably, the wet weather meant numbers were down on last year, but did nothing to dampen spirits.
When participants returned they found plenty of healthy food to revive them – including slices of pineapple and watermelon, courtesy of the IGA.
The sight of so much fruit summed up the message of healthy living that the Town of Barrhead Recreation, Parks and Tourism Department hopes to convey by hosting the event.
“We would like to thank the IGA,” said Brandy Siegert, from the recreation department.
“Given the weather, I thought we had a good turnout,” she added. “Most importantly people had a lot of fun.”
