Just shy of his 84th birthday, marathoner Carlos Velazquez was one of just over 12,000 runners, from elite record holders to weekend warriors, who left the Inner Harbour on Sunday morning as part of the Royal Victoria Marathon.
He started running at the age of 63, after he retired as an engineer. Velazquez — who doesn’t smoke or drink — has been run-walking marathons and half marathons ever since.
He ran Sunday’s marathon in six hours, 11 minutes, which was a 19-minute improvement over his last marathon, in Salt Lake City.
On Sunday, he ran his 44th marathon — at the 44th Royal Victoria Marathon.
“I have found the fountain of the youth,” said Velazquez, who turns 84 in early November, “running is a total mental, physical, spiritual experience, it is everything.”
In 2013, when he qualified for the Boston Marathon, his wife was diagnosed with cancer so he had to cancel. It was the year two brothers set off pressure cooker bombs in a terrorist attack that killed three and injured hundreds of others. His wife died and he’s now remarried.
When he gets a marathon medal he asks for one for his new wife for the support she gives him.
Runners in the eight-kilometre race, 21.1-km half marathon and 42.2-km full marathon distances crossed the start line under an inflatable arch in all manner of approaches, from explosive leaps to paced jogs to walking starts. The more exuberant danced across the start line and at least one tripped.
Velazquez, who said he rejects the labels and limitations of age, was right at the front of the first wave of the marathoners.
Crowds lining Menzies Street beside the B.C. legislature waved and applauded, held up encouraging signs and cheered on the participants — the third largest registration in the event’s 44 years — as the announcer counted the seconds for each new wave of runners.
Royal Victoria Marathon general manager and race director Cathy Noel called it a truly amazing weekend.
“From package pickup and the expo, to the five races taking place, the buzz around the city was palpable,” she said.
“It truly was a 42.2-kilometre cheering station as people lined the course and showed our community spirit, helping the thousands of racers get to the finish line.”
The 8K race started at 7:15 a.m. while the half and full marathon departed in timed intervals starting at 8:15 a.m.
The event’s oldest participant was Elsie Garrison, 88, a resident at Ross Place Seniors Community in Victoria. She had her own pace bunnies for the 8K race in the form of her daughter Andrea Chalifoux and daughter-in-law Annah Simard.
The retired registered nurse, who started participating in walk-run events at about age 70 as part of a fundraiser for Mount St. Mary Hospital, finished in about two hours, delighted by the experience and ready for a well-deserved coffee and the start of Thanksgiving celebrations.
“I feel pretty good,” Garrison said. “I thought the crowd was huge — all the people I saw coming back on the 8K, I couldn’t believe how many people there were.”
Like Velazquez, she believes the secret to one’s senior years is to keep moving.
Chalifoux said the enthusiastic encouragement from the volunteers and crowd was fantastic.
Garrison said it seemed the crowd was equally supportive of the elite runners and “the stragglers” like herself.
The many hours that the volunteers put in over the weekend to ensure the events went smoothly is what makes this event so special, said Noel. “We are so thankful to them all.”
As runners made their starts, many set their watches, others fiddled with the music on their phones, some took selfies and at least one man blessed himself. If there were more prayers being said it was likely in the final quarter of the races, when well-meaning onlookers shout “you’re almost there” and runners aren’t always so sure.
Friends and family running together seemed to share their joy at starting the epic challenge together. Some racers peered straight ahead as if contemplating the hours before them, while still others searched — some successfully, others not — for a special supporter on the sidelines.
Runners on this sunny Sunday morning were in all types of clothing, from shirtless-with-shorts to bundled in layers with down jackets. Most wore moisture-wicking tops and had some sort of vest or waist belt for their personal belongings, energy gels and liquids. One man wore a stuffed turkey headdress, an apparent nod to the Thanksgiving weekend.
Fences keeping the runners corralled on Menzies Street were covered with hoodies, extra layers of fleece, and puffer jackets left to be donated to charity. Each year race organizers distribute the clothing to charities throughout the capital region.
As the runners made their way through the various courses they were entertained with music from ukuleles to drum and percussion to rhythm and blues and rock bands.
Police and volunteers maintained the road closures throughout Victoria and Oak Bay.
At the finish line on Belleville Street, runners were announced by Steve King before being photographed and receiving their medals and passing through a line of post-race drinks and snacks.
The event raised just over $115,000 for charity adding to the $2.5 million since the charity donation program started in 2005.
This week, Velazquez will pick up his award for being first in his 80-plus division and then he’ll be on his way to Tofino to compete in the Edge to Edge half marathon on Oct. 20.
Race results can be found at runvictoriamarathon.com/results.
