The Yukon Branch of the Canadian Bar Association held their 22nd annual Law Day Charity Fun Run and Walk on Friday afternoon.

Participants gathered at Hanson Street at noon to walk or run just over six kilometres around the Millennium Trail.

Dan Shier posted the fastest time of the day on the men's side, completing his run

in 21:52.

Tom Ullyett and Chris Locke crossed the finish line less than a minute later.

With three of the top five competitors being 50 plus, Shier said it was a highlight to see the veteran racers at the top of the field.

Shier, who helped organize the initial races alongside Ullyett, said it was nice to be racing alongside each other.

"I've been involved with Tom since the start so it was fun with him and I running together,” he said.

"It's the start of the running season for everybody,” he said. "It's the first organized run so the season starts now.”

Shier said the weather was also a highlight this year but for the wrong reasons.

"It was brutal,” he said.

High winds and chilly temperatures greeted the competitors as they made their way down the trail.

On the women's side Debra Jonasson set the pace with a time of 24:34, Helen Stappers and Sheri Hogeboom closely followed and arrived within seconds of each other for second and third place.

Leading the walkers was Bonnie Love with a time of 38:02. Tanya Astika and Arlene Ogden rounded out the top three.

Love is no stranger to competitive walking having captured gold at the 2009 World Master Games (WMG) in Sydney, Australia for race walking.

Nesta Leduc, 79, a retired Whitehorse doctor and national orienteering sensation was another notable participant in the race.

Leduc also participated in the WMG in Australia, winning gold for Canada in the women's age 75 orienteering category.

Leduc plans to attend the 2013 Worlds in Italy in August of next year.

Since the walk and run became a charity event 12 years ago, the legal community has raised thousands for local causes.

"No other professional group in Whitehorse can match this feat,” Ullyet said of the cause in an email to the Star.

This year's choice was the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition.

In last year's event the proceeds were donated to the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Society Yukon (FASSY).

The annual event marks the beginning of a busy summer season of local runs and walks.

Several of the participants in the race will be competing on the Outside including

Ben Yu Schott who will run in the Vancouver Marathon in May while Ullyett and Astika will compete in the Goodlife Toronto Marathon.

Local MP Ryan Leef will race in the Ottawa Marathon on May 27.

Law Day is an annual celebration that began in 1983, the year after the Charter of Rights and Freedoms was signed.