THUNDER BAY – It’s been 52 years since Gary Young captured his one-and-only Firefighters’ Ten Mile Road Race title.
At 69, he’s feeling just about every one of those years.
His left knee, which doctors say they will replace, throbs with arthritis every time he puts sneaker to pavement.
His right hip, which doctors won’t replace, hurts worse, he said, donning a post-race, sweat-stained t-shirt that bills him Thunder Bay’s fittest person.
Wiry and a little wrinkled from time, Young has raced in 54 of the past 55 Ten Mile Road Races, missing only the 1984 competition because of a back injury suffered at work. He still road the course that spring on a bicycle, even if it was too painful to compete.
This year’s race was a little different than usual.
There were no crowds lining Simpson Street, cheering racers into the finish line.
The hundreds of volunteers needed to block off city streets were likely at home or at camp, enjoying a second straight May long weekend with family, but not friends, the Ten Mile Road Race cancelled because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Young and 124 others instead were taking part in a virtual 10-mile competition, free to enter as a way to clock a time, stay motivated and keep up the longstanding tradition of a Victoria Day road race in Thunder Bay.
The Victoria Day 10-Mile Challenge was his way of keeping the racing community motivated.
“I also wanted to raise money for my charity,” he said, a link on the free-to-enter race's website directing people to donate to the St. Joseph’s Foundation.
He added he loves the idea of virtual racing and the fact runners can do it at their own time and their own pace, without the need for all the overhead and volunteers.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever go back to a non-virtual race again,” he said.
Rob Shubat was one of about half-a-dozen racers who completed their own course, finishing his 10-mile race at the entrance to Mountain View Cemetery on the outskirts of Thunder Bay.
The 57-year-old said he took part in last year’s virtual run and signed up again in 2021 as a way to keep himself going.
“The running community supports local runs and this weekend is marked on everybody’s calendar as a great time and a great day to run. I wanted to keep the tradition going and get out here and support a few charities,” Shubat said.
The race went well, he added.
“Better than expected. Without any real training with a group, which I’m used to doing, this turned out pretty good.”
The Firefighter’s Ten Mile Road Race’s organizing committee also held a virtual road race this year, after taking 2020 off.
