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Thanks to Steve Illingworth of Gibsons for lending us his collection of newspaper clippings from 1979 to 1990.
Coast News, April 1979
The Second Annual April Fools Day Run from Gibsons to Sechelt attracted forty-one hardy participants this year of whom thirty-eight finished the run. This compares with twenty starters in the inaugural run and thirteen finishers.
First to cross the finish line at the Cenotaph in Sechelt was Eric Hagedorn of Roberts Creek competing for the first time. The Coast News Cup was awarded Hagedorn by last year's winner, Adrian Belshaw, who finished in second place this year just four minutes behind Hagedorn. The winner's time was one hour and twenty-two minutes.
The first six finishers all finished the fourteen mile run within ten minutes of each other. After Hagedorn and Belshaw, Calvin Lee of Hopkins Landing was third in a time of one hour twenty-eight-and-a-half minutes; Leith Skinner of Sechelt finished fourth in one hour twenty-nine minutes; Rob Patterson of Vancouver finished a half-minute behind Skinner; and Stu Craigan of Sechelt finished the run in one minute over an hour-and-a-half.
Patti Cawsey was the first lady to finish in the splendid time of one hour forty-nine minutes. Patti, like Adrian Belshaw and Leith Skinner, finished the run for the second consecutive year. Also a second-time finisher was Fran Berger, running this year without the moral support of George Matthews who inexplicably left town at short notice this weekend.
The complete list of participants follows:
Fran Berger, Gower Pt., 2:26; Roberta Esau, Sechelt, 2:04½; Dan Cross, Rob.Creek (R.C.), 2:07; Ken Birkin, R.C. 2:17; Darcie Young, Sechelt, 1:51½; Hanna Jonas, Gibsons 2:04; Kirsten Storvold, Wilson Crk. (W.C.); Liz Corben, Sechelt; Lisa Matthaus, Sechelt, 2:40; Dianne Perry, R.C., 2:48; Alison Nicholas, R.C., 2:08; Leith Skinner, Sechelt, 1:29; Brian Brasnett, Sechelt, 1:51:5; Jimmy Nicholas, R.C., 1:51; Lonnie Brock, R.C., 1:46½; David McLeod, R.C., 1:46½; Mark Slack, Sechelt, 1:46; Brandon Whalon, R.C., 2:16; David Willoughby, R.C., 2:16; Sean Whalen, R.C., 2:16; Rob Patterson, Vancouver, 1:29½; Russ Bourk, Sechelt, 1:43; Danny McKay, R.C., 1:45½; Peter Cawsey, R.C., 2:08; Patti Cawsey, R.C., 1:49; Ron Grant, Hopkins, 1:41; Allan Reid, Port Mellon, 2:03; Eric Hagedorn, R.C., 1:22; Adrian Belshaw, W.C., 1:26; Nancy McLeod, W.C., Joan Rigby, R.C., 1:51½; Pam Mislap, Bowen Island, 2:04; Leif Mjanes, R.C.; Stu Craigan, Sechelt, 1:31; Calvin Lee, Hopkins Land., 1:28½; Larry O'Donaghey, Gibsons; Joan Robb, R.C., 2:27; Jack Aaltonen, Gibsons, 1:52; Wayne Robinson, Gibsons, 2:05; Donard McKenzie, 1:49:5; Al Donan 1:51½.
No times recorded: Kirsten Storvold, Wilson Creek; Liz Corben, Sechelt; Nancy McLeod, Wilson Creek; Leif Mjanes, Roberts Creek; Larry O'Donaghey, Gibsons.