Runners Gregory Ramsey (left), Josiah and Benjamin Somerville from Oliver impressed the organizers of the Wine Capital of Canada 10 km run on April 13.
Lyonel Doherty photo
Josiah Somerville liked the thought of beating his brother Benjamin in the Wine Capital of Canada 10 km run last Sunday.
But the race wasn’t over yet.
“He came out of nowhere (to beat me),” said the 16-year-old twin from Oliver. “But you’ve got to have brotherly rivalry,” he chuckled.
The twins were among 171 finishers in the fifth race in the Interior Road Race Series held in the Oliver Community Park on April 13.
Jonathan Menzies from Kelowna was the overall winner in a time of 37:30, followed by Salmon Arm’s Timothy Mundall in a time of 37:55 and Colville’s Eddie Mundall in a time of 38:00.
In the women’s division, Merritt’s Marie-Hosee Bedard was the first female to cross the finish in a time of 42:23, followed by Kelowna’s Cindy Rhodes in a time of 43:24 and Penticton’s Amanda Kontkanen in a time of 45:58.
The Somerville twins are members of the Southern Okanagan Secondary School running club, and this was their first 10 km race.
Benjamin said it was a personal challenge for him to cross the finish line. At one point his injured leg started bothering him, but he pushed through it.
Josiah said he felt great after the race, noting it has inspired him to continue the sport of running.
He admitted that he never dreamed of completing a 10 km run a few months ago.
For 18-year-old Gregory Ramsey from Oliver, this was also his first 10 km race.
He began running after growing tired of being the “worst athlete in school” for a year. “One day I decided to get fit. I haven’t been sick as much and I’m feeling healthier.”
Ramsey said he received a lot of verbal support from the other runners last Sunday. “I wish I could have replied, but I was out of breath,” he pointed out.
The final two kilometres were very tough, but he persevered to cross the finish line within the hour.
Eight-year-old Jacob Lahey from Kelowna was one of the youngest runners in the field.
“It was really tough,” he said in between breaths. His mother Jennifer Lahey was more than proud.
Carol Sheridan, Oliver Parks and Recreation manager, said she was very impressed with all of the talent she observed, particularly the performance of the top finishers in the men’s 16-19 age group where Gregory Ramsey (48:25) and brothers Benjamin and Josiah Somerville (50:51) swept the top three spots.
Other top three finishes by locals included Zack Arnold, Hannah Matias, Darcel Giesbrecht, Melissa McLaughlin and Mary Bourne. A total of 27 runners from Oliver participated in the event this year.
Sheridan was also impressed by the support they received by Oliver volunteers who helped in food preparation, course set-up, aid stations, and at the finish line.
“The team was amazing and we could not have run the event without them.”
She gave special thanks to Jack Wessel, Pat Wessel, Mary Doyle, Paul Doyle, Kyle Fossett and Oliver Osoyoos Search and Rescue, Cathy and Ron Pidduck, Bob Cameron, Irene Covey, Lorraine Dukes and Jill Lawson.
Lyonel Doherty
Oliver Chronicle
