The most widely read magazine for Canadian lawyers
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/50824
ruNNiNg Just as that lawyers enjoy testing themselves. In Vancouver, two members of the B.C. Richard Stewart at the BMO Vancouver Marathon on May 1. W attorney general's office ran this year in what many marathoners consider the ulti- mate goal — the Boston Marathon, which in 2011 saw a new course record estab- lished of three hours and two minutes for the gruelling run. "It was unbelievable," says Crown counsel Mark Rankin of the experience. He clocked in at three hours and 44 minutes and was amazed at how the whole city transformed itself pre- and post-race into a celebration of the event. Running with him was colleague Mike Van Klaveren with a time of three hours and 30 minutes. While Rankin has run half-marathons in the past, he ran the Vancouver marathon (his first) in 2010, managing to do well enough to qualify for Boston. The B.C. branch of the Canadian Bar hen Prince George, B.C., lawyer and Heather Sadler Jenkins LLP partner Richard M. Stewart ties on his sneakers these days and heads out the door, it's usually with an aim towards fulfilling a personal goal of running 100 full mara- thons. As of early May, he had reached 68, participating in one of B.C.'s largest — the BMO Vancouver Marathon that draws in thousands of racers for its full and half-marathon courses. "And, I am also a member of the Marathon Maniacs club — it's an inter- national club devoted to running mara- thons and you are ranked by how many you have done in a time period," says Stewart. Out of its 10-star system, he's grabbed six stars. What he's done to achieve such a ranking is not for the faint of spirit. Last year, he ran the Seattle Quadzilla, which consists of four full marathons over four consecutive days. He's also run some of the toughest courses, such as the Marine Corps and Chicago marathons, while New York's marathon is on his "to-do" list. Since Boston has just tightened up its qualify- ing times, Stewart doubts he's ever going to qualify. "I run mainly for fun," he says, and like most runners, his personal-best time is more meaningful than a qualify- ing time. He's also participated in five ultra runs where the distance zooms to 50 kilometres and more from the regular 42-km course. As for half-marathons — "I stopped counting those long ago." The 57-year-old competed in his first full marathon in 1988 and became hooked. Since then, he's taken a lead in organizing a marathon in Prince George known as the Mad Moose Marathon, a trail-running race in September where organizers have had to, on occasion, hop onto a four-wheeler and "shoo away a bear from the start line." Stewart is one of a growing trend of runners within the legal community who pound the pavement from Prince George to Vancouver, either as lunchtime runners or keeners looking to make a marathon. "I don't know why lawyers run," Stewart admits, but he breaks runners into three prime groups: lawyers, teachers, and med- ical professionals. Stress is one reason for running, he agrees, but it could also be Association recently held its Fun Run as part of Law Week, with proceeds going to fund B.C. events, Access Pro Bono, and the Elizabeth Fry Society. McMillan LLP's team of runners won the title of Fastest Large Legal Organization (25 lawyers plus) while Mandell Pinder LLP runners grabbed the title of Fastest Small Legal Organization (under 25 lawyers). Open to lawyers and members of their family, the individual event winners were Shauna Skinner (first), then Kelly Craven and Tina Petrick in the women's category. Sam Gilsig, followed by Tim Howard and Stephen McPhee won the men's event. Howard, of Mandell Pinder, says he started running to compensate for the office lifestyle plus the pure energy derived from running. He often runs from his home to the office and at lunchtime, when he's joined by a group of in-house lawyers who head out as well. He called the CBABC event a "positive experience" as it not only raised funds but drew in a wide range of participants, from those who ran the courses to walkers. —JS www.CANADIAN Lawyermag.com JUNE 2011 15 f a s t a s t H e y c a N JeaN soreNseN