Burnaby’s Justin Kent made like Clark Kent en route to crossing the finish line Sunday.
The former national team cross country runner became the first local since 1992 to capture the Vancouver Sun Run on Sunday, completing the 10-kilometre road course in 29 minutes and 30 seconds, a split second ahead of another Burnaby product, Trevor Hofbauer.
Kent, 26, made the most of a cool, cloudy forecast and fronted a charging pack over the final two kilometres, edging ahead of two-time winner Paul Kimugul of Kenya and three others over the final kilometre.
The former University of B.C. runner put up a time that was also a personal best, clipping nearly 25 seconds off his previous fastest time set just two months ago in Encinitas, Calif.
Kent, who represented Canada at the 2018 Pan American cross country championships, had registered a new PB in the 5km race last month, with a finish time of 14:13. The Burnaby resident, who grew up in Surrey, pocketed $5,500 for being the fastest runner and fastest Canadian at the Sun Run.
Hofbauer, a former Canadian marathon champion who now runs out of Calgary, completed the race in 29:30, just six seconds shy of his personal top time, established nearly a year ago.
Placing 51st among male runners and first for those in the 45-49 age group was Burnaby’s Oliver Utting, with a time of 33:44.
On the women’s side, Lindsay Carson posted the top local time, finishing seventh with a time of 34:24, just under two minutes behind North Vancouver’s Natasha Wodak.
Carson, who like Kent was among the senior Canadian roster at the 2018 Pan American cross country team, was just 44 seconds off her best time, set at the 2014 Sun Run. A month ago she recorded a PB in the 5-km event in Vancouver.
Carson and Kent were half of the Canadian national mixed relay team that finished sixth earlier this month at the IAAF world cross country championships in Denmark.
In 50th place was Burnaby’s Anna Dulko, who like Carson competed in the female 25-29 age group.
The race drew more than 41,000 participants.
