Runners of all ages get started on the 2 km course - one of three courses in the Operun Sunday. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Community run

Operun sees strong showing, raises $4,000

Oct 7, 2019 | 11:35 AM

They came in fleece hoodies. They came in cozy mitts and toques. But most importantly, they came in numbers.

There was a much bigger turnout for this year’s Operun on Sunday, far surpassing the participation last year when, to everyone’s chagrin, it snowed.

One of the organizers of the event from the Historic Battlefords Lions Club, Suzanne Reid couldn’t be happier.

“We’re way up from last year,” she said. “We’re very, very excited about that.”

A total of 185 people registered for the event, raising about $4,000 that will be used to help pave the walking trails in Battleford.

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Reid said she was particularly thrilled with the high showing of children taking part, with over 100 kids registered. She said it is valuable for youth to learn to be active, while adding “running is something that is so easy for everybody to do.”

She said the organizers were grateful to the businesses who sponsored the event and the over 25 volunteers who helped make the day possible.

“It’s so important for our community to have these positive events,” Reid said.

This year’s top winners in the male and female categories respectively are: David Odishaw and Audrey Harder for the 10 km run; Joshua Enns-Wind and Krista Gray for the 5 km run; and Emma Harder and Jaxson Bretzer-Keller for the 2 km trek.

Bretzer-Keller lost his shoe along the route but was the first to cross the finish line nonetheless. Reid quipped about the outcome that his shoe did manage to finish 12th after a friend picked it up on the way.

David Odishaw, who came in first in the 10 km run, front centre, shown with friends Michael Higgs, who came in second, front right, and Greg Gubbe, front left, who was present to show his support, left. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

Odishaw also came in first place two years ago for his category in the Operun.

He mentioned the biggest challenge was getting up the steep hill near the town hall at the end of the race.

Odishaw also trains with friends throughout the year to compete in various triathlons so running and being active is a major part of his life. He said he also enjoys supporting the local races.

During the Operun, Nile Segovia, a consultant with the firm Group 2 Architecture and Interior Design, was on site to offer information and accept feedback on town hall renovations.

“We’re kind of building up momentum to get the community excited about the town hall concept design… and rehabilitation,” Segovia said of the proposed project.

The firm is looking at the top floor that used to be the opera house and also the other two floors of the building to see how they could best be renovated and possibly put to new uses.

Segovia said plans are to hold an open house about the issue at a future date.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow