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Racers bust records at Lungbuster

Runners and bikers climbed 2,100 feet in 6.9 km to earn their rewarding waffle brunch.
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Julie Kelly and Angie Kransnay took first and second in the Women's Bike category at the Lungbuster Race.


Racers busted records at the 6th Annual Lungbuster last weekend as runners and mountain bikers faced the ultimate hard-core hill climb gaining 2100 vertical feet in 6.9 km.

The race began at the base of Fernie Alpine Resort, winding up the gravelly summer road and Timber trail, finishing at Lost Boys Café at the top of the Timber Express Chair.

Forest Latimer set a new record running the course in 36 minutes and 49 seconds. Latimer biked the race in 2009.

“It was gravelly this year,” said Latimer. “I was looking for a different challenge and I wanted to find out if biking or running was faster.”

Latimer’s record time running on Saturday beat his 2009 bike time by 1 minute and 25 seconds.

“I did the Fernie Ultra Race (80 km) two weeks ago so I wasn’t sure if I could even run, but my quads cooperated, said runner Heather Mong.”

“It’s a great event that I’ve done four or five times,” said Geoff Clarke who was first in the men’s mountain biking. “It’s a hard race but the waffles (at the brunch) are the reward.”

Lungbuster’s youngest competitor ever, almost 12-year-old Tom Stephen took second place in the men’s run.

“I thought of riding as my goal is to ride 1,000 km this summer but I pre-rode it last weekend; it was too gravelly and steep, so I decided to run,” said Stephen. “I’m trying to get into racing a little more. I like pushing myself so running is fun.”

For training, Stephen ran a gruelling 10 km race at Nipika three weeks ago; he races for Foothills Nordic in Calgary.

Competitors refueled on a waffle brunch at the Lost Boys Café before the trophies and prizes were awarded.