The Operun, now an annual event to raise money for the Battleford Opera House restoration project, went ahead on a brisk fall Sunday morning.
The temperatures had cooled off and the roads and grass were still wet from a thunderstorm that rolled through the previous evening.
Despite that, the sun was out and conditions were generally good for the runners and walkers taking to the streets of Battleford on Sunday morning.
There was the 21-kilometre half marathon category that started at 9 a.m. That was followed by the five-km and 10-km categories, with participants having the choice to either run or walk those distances.
There was also the two-km "Young at Heart" category for those 60 and over as well as for kids 12 and under.
The start was at Town Hall itself, where the Opera House is located on the top floor.
The route took runners from that location past the court house and through downtown Battleford, past the Fred Light Museum and Fort Battleford, and then on to the Battleford Flats and the river valley.
The event was hosted by Historic Battleford Lions Club and this was the second year in a row they put on the event. Last year, the Operun saw 88 people registered and 59 participants.
All proceeds from the run go towards the Opera House restoration project.
Both councillors David George and Ames Leslie, also candidates for mayor of Battleford, were on hand for the opening ceremonies at the start line and it was Leslie who brought greetings on behalf of the town council.
"This is becoming one of the premier running events in our area," said Leslie, who welcomed the opportunity to promote part of Battleford's history.
Operun Results
Here are 2016 Operun results from Sunday, as posted on the Results Canada website:
In the 21-km half marathon event, Robert St. Amant finished on top of the field of five competitors with a time of 1:34:11. Penni Clarke, the lone female in the race, was second at 1:49:46 and Omar Shokeir third at 1:52:57. The average time was 1:55:01.
In the 10-km event, Rob Stevens finished first with a time of 42:57. Keith Kerr was second at 44:01 and Michael Higgs third at 46:02. The top female was Amber Mann at 48:50. There were 17 women and 14 men in the field for this race and the average time was 58:27.
In the five-km event, Grace Burton was first at 24:48, Carolyn McKinnon second at 25:16 and Madison Higgs third at 25:20. The top male was Wayne Schlapkohl at 25:45. Twenty-nine women and 14 men took part in this event and the average time was 35:41.
And in the two-km event Kade Lehman finished first with a time of 9:54, with the top female being Kayla MacCormack at 12:50. There were six male and two female competitors and the average time was 16:10.
