Runners are apparently a dedicated bunch. Even though it was pouring rain at Rotary Peace Park on Tuesday evening a group of 18 committed runners still laced up their shoes for the penultimate Sports Experts 5km Fun Run/Walk.

The runners departed from the new, and styling, playground at Rotary Park running under the Robert Campbell Bridge before crossing it and passing F.H. Collins. On the return back to the finish line they travelled down the Millennium Trail, past the SS Klondike and ending where they began.

It did not take long for the first runner to return to Rotary Peace Park.

Geoff Dunbrack led the pack, reaching the finish line in 18 minutes and 34 seconds, a time well ahead of the next runners.

Mark Smith was next to arrive in 22 minutes and four seconds with Ben Harper only 44 seconds behind to round out the men’s podium finishers.

Janet Clarke was the first woman to complete the five-kilometre course posting a time of 22 minutes and 47 seconds.

Overall, she was the third fastest runner.

For the second and third-place finishers in the women’s category, it was a photo finish. Deb Higgins, 23 minutes and 16 seconds was able to just edge out Christie Harper by one second.

The back of the pack for the women runners was equally as tight as the top. The final five runners came back clustered within one minute of each other making for exciting finishes as the volunteers and runners already at the finish line cheered them on.

There will be one more five-kilometre run the Tuesday after Labour Day which leads into the Klondike Trail of ‘98 International Road Relay.

The fun runs offer the athletes competing in the Klondike Road Relay a platform to practice in a semi-competitive environment.

The Klondike Road Relay will begin Sept. 6 in Skagway and end in Whitehorse the following day at Rotary Peace Park.

It is 175 km total and is broken into 10 legs of varying distances. Teams are made up of four to 10 runners and are allowed one support vehicle.

There is also an ultra category where one person completes legs 7-10, for total a distance of 70.7 kilometres.

Timekeeper extraordinaire, Marg White, said after the Road Relay the fun runs end because after a busy summer the runners begin to feel slightly burnt out.