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White Rock: Sponsored Athletes
Darin Bentley
- Discipline: Trail running — 50km, 50mile, 100km, 100mile races
In the past — Ironman and various other triathlons - Favourite road shoe: Adidas Adistar Comp
- Favourite trail shoe: Adidas Supernova Trail
- Favourite race: Haney to Harrison solo — besides the rain every year, the 4am start, and that 11% hill at around 85kms, it's a terrific event that I try to do every year.
- Why I run: It's a cliché but it allows me to indulge in most any food. It's also the best non-paying part-time job.
- Most memorable races: My first win at H2H in '05 — it was the longest run I'd ever done
and to win it was icing on the cake
Ultraman Canada '06 — the camaraderie of the participants and crews was amazing for the 513km over three days
My PR race at the Vancouver Marathon in '07 — I've never run so hard in the last mile of any race to squeak under my goal time. - Favourite training grounds: Chuckanut Mountain, Bellingham, site of my first 50km trail race.
- Favourite recovery drink: Protein smoothie with banana, strawberries, blueberries, peanut butter, yogurt and milk
Click image to enlarge
Kevin O'Connor
- Events: 10K, Half Marathon, Cross Country
- PBs: 1500 3:57.1
5000 14:48
8k road 24:08
10k road 30:06
Half Marathon 66:52
Marathon 2:25:56 - Favourite training sites: several — Bradgate park, 13 miles of country side between Leicester and Loughborough, UK; Bodo, a tiny Island in the most northern place, Norway prior to the north pole, my good friend lives on the island which is about 3x2x1 miles, 24 hour daylight when I was there, the 350 residents thought I was mad running every day; Stanley park trails; and the West coastline of Cornwall, 3 miles of solid sand one way and dunes the other.
- Best memories in sport: My Mum watching me as a 11 year old getting solidly beaten by other kids, but making me feel like I was the winner. My 1st pair of red Gola spikes for Christmas bought by my Father in September for the XC, I went from my usual 90th place to about 40th because of the spikes. When 13 years in a team of 4 we beat the best in the UK in the National relays, we were working class kids from a small town that surprised everyone including ourselves. The 1st time and only time I beat a club colleague who had run 2:11 Marathon, in a 10k, I dislocated a toe in the process, didn't run for a year, but in hindsight it was worth every bit of pain in the last 5k after I had stubbed the toe back in place just to beat him.
- Athletics role model: Many as I grew up in the 1980s era in the UK — Steve Ovett was my hero, alongside Steve Jones; I loved John Ngugi and Eamon Coghlan for the way they won 5k Championship races in completely different fashions. My most important role model however was my Sister, Tracey, born a spina bifida, never walked, but always watched my racing and when the running got tough I thought of her not being able to walk, let alone run. Most of my fellow club mates at all of my clubs, just being out there in the cold, rain and snow shows a level of commitment.
- Athletics dreams: I never dreamt of winning the Olympics, I only ever wanted to keep running personal bests, and beat certain French Running friends!!
- Favourite workout: Hard tempo runs, and the standard 4/5 x 1 miles on the track.
- Favourite music: Anything on the UK indie scene, any Dance music by Global underground and any Drum and Base by LTJ Bukem
- Favourite book: The Peculiar memories of Thomas Penman, by Tom Robinson, not for everyone
- Favourite movie: anything with Ray Winstone in it
Click image to enlarge. Photos © Teresa Nightingale.
Graeme Wilson
- Event: Marathon
- Personal best: 2:28 marathon ('06); 31:36 10k ('08)
- Favourite shoe: Asics Gel Nimbus 9 / Hyper-Speed 2
- Favourite race: Royal Victoria Marathon
- Ritual: Two mugs of coffee prior to every run. Always! Most of my runs start at 5am before work, so the coffee is a must. Oh, and the left shoe always goes on before the right shoe. Don't ask me why, it just does.
- Most memorable race: Flora London Marathon 2007. It was amazing to have access to the elite staging area, and warming up on the same road as the likes of Ryan Hall and Martin Lel.
- Athletics role model: Greg LeMond. Overcoming the obstacles he had to face to win his first World Championships at 22 years old, and then his first Tour victory in '86 is an inspiring story of perseverance.
- Favourite workout: Any workout with my VFAC teammates when we are all going well.
- Hobbies: Chasing my toddler around and making faces at my baby?
Click images to enlarge. Last 2 photos © Teresa Nightingale.