The Athletics Yukon board of directors got a complete overhaul last night at the organization's annual general meeting, held in the Sport Yukon boardroom.

The meeting followed the Last Gasp, the final Intersport 5 km Fun Run/Walk of the season, which started and finished at the F.H. Collins Secondary School parking lot.

The Athletics Yukon board saw stalwarts Nicole Hulstein and Sue Bogle step down from their positions, and welcomed four new members.

Terry Boone, Ben Yu Schott and Michael Lemon were named board members, and Micah Quinn was named member-at-large. Bonnie Love, meanwhile, was chosen as the new treasurer after Hulstein stepped down from that position.

Hulstein was reminded at the AGM that she had been on the board in one capacity or another for a decade.

That took her by some surprise.

"I've been thinking for a while that it is time for new blood on the board, new ideas and inspiration, so it was a great time for me to see such an interest exhibited at the meeting last night,” said Hulstein, who was Athletics Yukon president during her tenure.

"My experiences on the board have been all positive – I hope I have contributed to the organization as well as learning significantly about the administration and responsibilities of non-profit organizations and sport governing bodies in particular – it's all good!”

Working with Athletics Yukon, particularly with young athletes, has brought her much joy over the years, she added.

"It's great watching the young kids out at events, like the (Yukon Cross Country Championships) last weekend and fun runs,” she said.

"It reminds me of my kids at that age – and their enthusiasm for running. It's been great being part of an organization that encourages that participation for all abilities.”

Athletics Yukon president Tanya Astika said Hulstein leaves big shoes to fill.

Hulstein was a jack-of-all trades, Astika added.

"Nicole has served as president and treasurer, she's done it all with Athletics Yukon, and held it together a lot of times over the last 10 years,” Astika said.

"That's a big hole. She's still in town, so we can still pick her brain if we need to. But it's a well-deserved retirement from the board.”

Astika said she couldn't remember the last time there was so much interest in board positions, an exciting prospect moving forward.

Now the new board will take the sport governing body in new directions.

"It's very exciting to have all this fresh, new blood with ideas and energy coming onto the board, and they're all coming with their own skill-sets too that will really compliment the board, with communications, funding, finance,” Astika said.

"This new board seems to want to reach out somehow to put the Yukon back in Athletics Yukon with the communities. It's happened in the past. It depends on who lives in the communities, though, to find out what kind of support the community has. We'd like to see it become more active that way, if it's possible, so we may try some more outreach.”

Athletics Yukon, while acting as the sport governing body for athletics and snowshoeing, acts as a running club, Astika said. Both the Boreale Adventure Running Association, which hosts the Yukon River Trail Marathon, and the Fly By Night Running Club out of Mayo are both affiliates of Athletics Yukon.

In addition, Athletics Yukon holds Whitehorse events which include the Tuesday and Thursday night runs, and three championship events per year, a 5-km, 10-km and Yukon Cross Country Championships.

Astika said the draw to a lot of these events is the camaraderie and fun participants get.

"It's obvious by the title ‘fun run' why people come out,” she said. "It's fun. Who doesn't want fun?”

Results from the Last Gasp are as follows:

Male

5 km runners

1. Luke Bakica 23:49

2. Thomas Bakica 25:07

3. Tom Ullyett 25:22

4. Don White 25:28

5. Brian Mottus 25:31

6. Grant Macdonald 27:55

7. Steve Cash 30:45

Female

5 km runners

1. Cynthia Freeman 22:42

2. Nicole Hulstein 27:10

3. Savannah Cash 30:45

5 km walkers

1. Bonnie Love 34:42

2. Arlene Ogden 34:55

2.5 km runners

1. Lisa Freeman