"Pretend you'll win a million dollars Jack or a Lamborghini!"
Jack may be only five-years-old, but his friend hollering from the sidelines must have thought a Lamborghini was worth running for even if you can't drive.
The annual Hawboldt/Lays Labour Day road races were held Monday morning in Westville. For the adults there was a one-mile and five-mile race to compete in, but for youth there were races ranging from 50 metres to 400 metres.
"The kids were having a great time," said Susan Oliver, Westville Recreation Director and organizer for the event. "There were a lot of kids out this year – more than in other years."
Participation was up a little in the on-mile race as well this year, although it dropped some in the five-mile race. 23 people ran the one-mile and 42 the five-mile.
The races were originally created more than three decades ago to honour Jimmy Hawboldt who was considered Nova Scotia's finest five-mile runner. Hawboldt had a running rivalry with legendary marathoner Johnny Miles. They raced six times – each winning three – and were close friends. Hawboldt was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame as well as the Pictou County Sports Heritage Hall of Fame.
The town later decided to also honour Fred Lays Sr. Lays organized the Hawboldt races for many years, and was an accomplished runner himself. He ran in the 100th Boston Marathon in 1996, and placed second in an Iron Man competition in Montreal in 1999.
Lays was 57 when he passed away in 2002 after a long battle with cancer.
His wife Cheryl was on hand to present awards in his honour. Each year she picks a male and female recipient who displays desire, determination and dedication to the sport of running.
This year she chose Wayne Gerrior and Debbie MacDonald.
"This gentleman has been running for a long time," she said of Gerrior. "One time he stopped and I thought he wasn't going to run anymore, but he started again. I watch him run down the Drummond Road just chucking away. He looks like he's pulling 20 pounds of coal sometimes he is so tired looking and I used to think 'That man has a lot of determination.'"
"Now you have to run forever," she said as she passed him the award.
Dave MacLennan once again won both the one mile and five mile races. Darlene Alexander won first in the one mile for females and Kaitlyn Watters won first for the five mile run for women. The top junior was Mike Graham.
Mary Cantrell had first place for women 60 and over.
"It's always nice to be out here with the local folks," she says.
She's been participating for about 15 years off and on now.
"It's a nice race," she said. "I wouldn't miss it."
