Tely 10: For the record, Johnston’s year just got better – The Telegram

Back in April, Anne Johnston probably figured her road racing season couldn’t possibly get any better after a remarkable showing in the world’s most famous marathon.

Johnston, from Torbay, was the 37th female across the finish line, and the top Canadian, in a time of two hours, 43 minutes and .02 seconds in the 123rd running of the Boston Marathon.

Incredibly, she was the 515th-overall finisher in the world’s most famous marathon, held annually since 1897 which routinely draws 30,000-plus runners each year.

Well, on Sunday morning in St. John’s, her year got just a little better.

Not only did Johnston win the 92nd Tely 10 — the fourth Tely crown in her underrated athletics career — she did so in record fashion, smashing the course standard for females in a time of 54:24.

That beats Kate Bazeley’s record run of 55:34, set in 2016.

That is a minute and 10 seconds quicker than Bazeley, or in terms of distance, just about 40 yards or a third of a soccer field.

Johnston’s time, by the way, would have won every Tely race in the 1950s and 60s.

“It’s really an honour,” said Johnston, winner of the Tely 10 in 2015, 2004 and 2002.

“Nicola Will had it for so many years, and then Kate broke it. It’s such a phenomenal record, and just to be in there with those runners, with this time, is a thrill for me.

“To have this record is a dream. I think all runners kind of look at those records and think, ‘Maybe one of these days…’

“I didn’t think it was something I’d ever achieve, so I’m really delighted with this.”

Sunday, the course record was actually broken twice. And it was Jennifer Murrin, the reigning two-time champion, who was the hard-luck finisher, placing second to Johnston but coming in with the second-fastest time ever recorded.

Murrin was also faster that Bazeley’s 2016 time, finishing in 54:53.

“Of course, it’s a little disappointing (to not only lose out breaking the record, but lose the race),” Murrin said. “There’s always going to be that, ‘What if…’

“But it was Anne’s day. But I still got the PB (personal best).”

There was much anticipation in the days and weeks leading up to the women’s race, with Johnston, Murrin and Bazeley all healthy and set to go head to head.

And the ladies didn’t disappoint. For it was the women who dominated this Tely 10 storyline.

“To have this record is a dream. I think all runners kind of look at those records and think, ‘Maybe one of these days…’ I didn’t think it was something I’d ever achieve, so I’m really delighted with this.”

Anne Johnston

So good were they that Johnston placed sixth overall in a field of 4,003 starters and 3,691 finishers, with Murrin eighth. Bazeley, the third female in a time of 56:05, was 11th overall and Julia Howard cracked the top 20 (finishing 20th overall) with a time of 58:30. Jade Roberts rounded out the top three in 1:00.03.

For much of the race, it was Johnston and Murrin side-by-side until Johnston, the 38-year-old from St. John’s, made a break for it on a small hill at the Mile 8 mark near Road de Luxe, where Topsail Rd. merges into Cornwall Ave.

“In years past,” she said, “I kind of faded at that point in the race, but I felt strong there today. I said to myself, ‘I’m going to work this hill’ and I took it segment by segment for the last little bit, and then held on and pushed through to the end.

“I felt strong through the first half to keep with the girls (Murrin and Bazeley), but I made sure I had enough at the end to finish strong.”

Much of that mindset can be attributed to her new coach, John Brown of Victoria, B.C.

“I’ve had races where I’ve gone out way too hard and paid for it at the end, or just managed to hold on,” she said. “We’ve been working on building into the race as opposed to going out too hard.

“I have consistency in my training, thanks to coaching. For the last while, since I’ve been in university, I’ve just been doing my own thing, running whatever. But having the guidance of a coach to give me specific workouts has really helped.

“We upped my mileage, and I did a real hard winter of training for Boston. I think I’m just using the strength and training I had for the marathon here. I’ve just consistently kept it going,” Johnston said.

Johnston is a former cross-country star with Memorial University, and competed in track and field in the Canada Games and ran internationally for Canada.

So she’s had some memorable experiences in sport. But, she’s quick to note, 2019 takes the cake.

“This is probably my best season,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of great years, and a lot of great experiences, but to go into Boston and do so well there, and then to come in here and run this race and come away with a record … yes, this has definitely been the best year.”

robin.short@thetelegram.com

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