6th Annual Seek The Peak Relay
Hundreds of participants climb 4,100 to fight breast cancer.
July 5, 2009
July 5, 2009, North Vancouver, B.C. – The 6th Annual Grouse Mountain Seek The Peak Relay ushered in a new course record set by Katrina Driver in a time of 1:39:06, in the solo women category today. The win marked the second course record for the 31-year-old Vancouver resident, who improved upon her 2006 performance by less than a minute in the gruelling 16-kilometre race. The fastest male in the solo category was four-time winner and reigning course record holder, Colin Dignum, who clocked a time of 1:26:21.
The quickest relay team was Relay Regretting, and the group finished at a pace of 1:26:38.
The event drew over 500 race participants, with an even number of solo runners and relay teams, to overcome the 4,100 feet elevation gain in order to raise funds for Rethink Breast Cancer. Fundraising from today's event is expected to bring Seek the Peak's cumulative total to over $200,000 benefitting Rethink Breast Cancer. This makes Seek the Peak the largest West Coast event for the progressive cancer- battling agency.
Seek the Peak is not strictly a race for elite athletes, and the popular event attracts persons of all ages, with participants primarily motivated by the symbolic overcoming of a significant obstacle, reflecting the ongoing fight against breast cancer. The challenging 16-kilometre course starts at Ambleside Park in West Vancouver, winds its way through North Vancouver, then heads up the legendary Grouse Grind to the Peak of Vancouver.
"I decided to participate in Seek the Peak because I thought if I can beat breast cancer, I can certainly climb a little mountain," says Kim Tempest, breast cancer survivor and a founding member of the creative and development team for www.breastcancernowwhat.com , an interactive website designed by young survivors for young survivors, and funded by Rethink Breast Cancer. “Seek the Peak motivates me to focus on my own health and wellness but also enables me to help other young women with breast cancer. Thanks to Rethink, I know that every step I take can make a difference in the life of another young breast cancer survivor.”
Rethink Breast Cancer helps young people concerned about and affected by breast cancer through innovative education, research and support programs. Funds raised through Seek the Peak support Rethink’s innovative research program.
“We are so excited to be involved with the Seek the Peak relay again this year," said MJ DeCoteau, Executive Director for Rethink Breast Cancer whose mother passed away from the disease when DeCoteau was only 22. "We are so thankful to Grouse Mountain and the B.C. community and want participants to know that by collecting pledges on behalf of Rethink Breast Cancer, you are supporting groundbreaking breast cancer research in B.C. and support programs for young breast cancer patients."
