2002 Gutbuster Mountain Run
to Heart Lake in Ladysmith

FINAL RESULTS (pdf)

Could it have been any HOTTER? The second day of summer added intense heat to the already challenging GutBuster Mountain Run, which took racers on a gruelling ascent up a steep and rugged trail to Hart Lake and back.

With temperatures in the 30's, racers tackled the second GutBuster of the series that was staged in the trails behind Ladysmith. 70 participants from as far away as Hazelton, BC, turned up for this 10km mountain run that included over 400m of total elevation gain.

Ruari Carthew, 22, of Victoria, BC, was the overall winner with a time of 48:33. Behind him was Aaron Homgren, 19, of whatarun.com with a time of 50:45, and Joseph Moro, 19, of Ladysmith, placed third with at time of 53:33.

Top female honours went to Rebecca Chisholm, 21, of Victoria with a time of 58:27 and an 8th overall ranking. Second place female went to Tina Haskins, 35, of Hazelton (1:02:54), and third to Carolyn Hubbard, 35, of North Vancouver (1:04:42).

Top Male Masters was Kevin Searle, 41, (53:47) and top Female Masters champ was Kelly Britton-Foster, 43, with a time of 1:10:55.

The race was staged from Ladysmith Secondary School and thus there were a few students entered in the event. Phil Cowley, 16, was the top student male with a time of 58:03 and Shannon Cleary, 17, finished in 1:06:43.

Winners went home with great prize packages from our generous sponsors: Frontrunners-Nanaimo, Flash-5 Energy Foods, and the Howard Johnson Hotels.

Thanks again to our additional sponsors for their continued support: The Zone @ 91.3, 100.3 the Q, Adidas, Bad Dog Grrr-aphics, Old Victoria Water Co., Wild Isle Magazine, Elements Magazine, and Budget Car and Truck Rental. Thanks to the local businesses that donated the many draw prizes too! Coronation Mall Merchants Association, Sunflower Restaurant, Sealegs Kayaking, Island Outdoor Centre, and Paddlefest.

Finally, a big thanks goes out to the 40+ volunteers who helped in making this race an amazing success. Special thanks to the Cowichan Valley Amateur Radio Club, St. John Ambulance Brigade, TimberWest, Ministry of Forests, Ladysmith Secondary School, the Town of Ladysmith, and especially to the local adventure racing team "Where's My Sherpa" (Gord Horth, Shawn O'Toole, Michelle Steel, and Randy Steel) who were instrumental in bringing the GutBuster Mountain Run to Ladysmith and designing the course.

The final GutBuster of the season wraps up in Nanaimo on August 17th. This race will co-organized with the Bastion Running Club and will once again feature a course packed with rugged terrain and plenty of elevation gain. Hope to see you out there!