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Surrey runners finish 1st, 3rd at Vancouver Sun Run

Luc Bruchet and Justin Kent land on podium in popular event’s return
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Surrey runners Luc Bruchet (left) and Justin Kent (right) finished first and third in the Vancouver Sun Run Sunday. (File photos)

A pair of Surrey runners finished on the podium in the 10-km Sun Run on Sunday in Vancouver.

Luc Bruchet – a two-time Canadian Olympian and graduate of Elgin Park Secondary – was the first runner to cross the line in the individual 10-km race, clocking a time of 28 minutes and 29 seconds, while Justin Kent, an alum of Kwantlen Park Secondary, placed third, 21 seconds back of Bruchet.

Vancouver’s Benjamin Preisner finished between the two Surrey runners, finishing in 28:41.

For Bruchet, who has run the 5,000-m in both the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro and last summer’s Tokyo-hosted Olympics, Sunday’s race was his first time lacing up for the Sun Run, which was making its return to city streets for the first time since 2019 after back-t0-back COVID-19-related cancellations.

“Can’t count yourself a Vancouver runner until you’ve done the Sun Run!” Bruchet wrote on Instagram after the race. “Might have to retire to keep a perfect record.”

In a second post from training group Mile 2 Marathon – where both Bruchet and Kent are coaches – Bruchet, who now lives and trains in Vancouver, noted that he had always had the Sun Run on his radar, but in the past, it just never fit properly into his training schedule.

“Having grown up in the Lower Mainland, the Sun Run has always been a race I wanted to do. I can recall both my parents running it as a child,” he continued. “What a year to line up, the first Sun Run in three years, it felt special.”

In addition to his pair of Olympic appearances, Bruchet is also a multiple-time Canadian cross-country champion, and last fall finished second at the Scotiabank Toronto Marathon 10K.

Kent was fourth at the same Toronto 10K, but more recently took top spot at the Rock ‘n’ Roll DC Half Marathon, held in March in Washington, DC.

Unlike Bruchet, Kent was not a newcomer to the Sun Run. In fact, he won the 10K the last time it was held, in 2019.

Hundreds of other Sun Run participants listed their hometown as Surrey. Among them were Isaac Baker, who finished 30th; Simon Wideman, 59th; Drew Nicholson, 93rd, and Taylor Lehwald, who was 118th.

The top White Rock finisher was Ally Ginther, who placed 73rd overall and third in the women’s 25- 29-year-old division.



sports@peacearchnews.com

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