Sporadic weather earlier in the day didn't scare off participants in the season's first Intersport Five-km Fun Run/Walk.

Runners came out in droves, despite snow, rain and even hail all making a brief appearance on Tuesday.

Thankfully for runners, however, the most they had to deal with during the race was a few clouds and a cool breeze.

Most runners came prepared for the worst though, wearing a few layers of clothing, while others were brave enough to sport shorts and T-shirts.

Before the race got underway, a draw was held for a free pair of Intersport running shoes. Christine Paradis was the lucky winner.

In typical fashion, racers gathered by the F.H. Collins Secondary School sign for the start of the race, before taking off for the Five-km course, which uses a portion of the Millennium Trail before looping back to finish were it began.

Runners were provided with some additional warmth after the sun managed to fight its way out of a large cloud that covered it at the start time. The 2.5-km runners were first to make it back, running strong the whole way.

Kate Keough was one of the runners in the 2.5-km distance. Keough, who is coaching a Special Olympics soccer team this season, had plenty of company during the run, running with some of her players and her dog Max.

"He loves it," she said about Max. "I should have given him to one of the faster girls.

He's in great shape. He's only seven months, so he's very active, he could run for hours."

Keough said she was prepared for the worst, wearing a few layers of clothing.

"I came dressed for like 20 below and then I took layers off as I went," she said. "It was a blizzard when I got up this morning and now it's beautiful outside."

Michaud said the team started training after Christmas and has been working on basic soccer skills, adding the Tuesday night runs are a big help.

"Every week it's going to get better and better."

Bonnie Love is also using the Tuesday night runs as a training tool in her preparation to compete at the senior world masters in Australia in October for race walking.

This will be Love's first time competing at world masters and among her goals is to finish the race. Love said in order to do this she needs to work on her technique.

Judges in competitive speed walking events can disqualify athletes for improper technique.

"Finishing I'm not worried about, but if I get penalized for the structure of my pace then I won't be finishing," Love said. "So that's a real challenge to do a longer race and stay in form."

She added the two main restrictions include keeping your leg straight from the time your heal hits the ground until it goes under your hip and having one foot solidly on the ground at all times.

"Your knee has to be completely straight and that is a very hard thing to do."

Love was the only walker in the field on Tuesday, which she said was kind of lonely, but was pleased with her time. Love met her goal of finishing the five-km distance under in 35 minutes.

Tom Ullyett, who was among the five-km running leaders on Tuesday, said he was impressed with this week's field.

Among those he singled out was Rodney Hulstein, who is on Broke University's cross-country team, John Perry, an NCAA division one cross country skier; storied Yukoner runner Bill Perry; marathon-guru Keith Thaxter and Sue Bogle, who Ullyett said is one of the territory's best five-km runners.

"There's some pretty high end runners, so it's pretty humbling for sure, but it's also the first Tuesday night five-km race of the season," he said. "Everybody is sort of getting their running legs again and working on whatever training plan they have for the summer. I think for most people this is part of their speed work for the week, it certainly is for me."

Ullyett said his strategy was to go out fast and try to stay with the two Perrys for the first kilometre, adding he was hoping to finish under 20 minutes, which he did.

John Perry ended up winning the race, finishing ahead of his father Bill.

Thaxter, meanwhile, was racing on Tuesday after competing in three marathons in the past five weeks, including the Boston Marathon.

"I need to loosen up," he said. "You get stiff and if you take too many days off then you are tired, so you need to keep going."

He said the first 2.5-km went alright, but admitted to getting tired near the end.

Thaxter said the weather wasn't going to be an issue for him.

"We're from the Yukon, we run in the snow and the sleet and the hail," he said laughing. "As long as it's not 40-below, I don't enjoy 40-below, but anything up to -20 C is comfortable."

Thaxter said he plans to compete in another marathon in San Diego at the end of the month, which will be number eight in 2009.

He hopes to eventually run a marathon in all 50 states and so far this year has done one each in Florida, Arizona, Massachusetts, California, Nevada, Ohio and Minnesota.

Thaxter said it was nice running in the five-km race on Tuesday.

"It was just fun to get out and finally see everybody out running," he said.