Runners and walkers young and old – many of them wearing costumes – took to the streets of White Rock Sunday morning, raising more than $75,000 for Peace Arch Hospital’s emergency ward.
The Great Pumpkin Run/Walk is an annual event of the Peace Arch Hospital and Community Health Foundation, featuring one- and five-kilometre routes, along with prizes for best costume, top finishers and top fundraisers.
In its seventh year, the run/walk drew close to 1,000 participants. A final fundraising tally was not available by Peace Arch News deadline Monday, as donations were continuing to come in.
The top finisher in the men’s 5K race may sound like a familiar name to some. Robert Durrant was first across the line for the second year in a row, with a time of 19 minutes, 13 seconds. The top woman finisher was Cathy Giles, with a time of 23:48.
Two youth tied for first place in the one-kilometre run: Garrett Bioch and Sofia Yarmoshuk.
For one competitor, crossing the finish line had particular meaning. Debbie Dillon trained for the event with the Live Well Exercise Clinic, and told run organizers that as recently as February she couldn’t even walk. Sunday, Dillon finished her five-kilometre route with a sprint across the finish line.