Competing for the first time in more than a year due to a break for a surgical procedure, Port McNeill distance runner Ken Richardson was up to his usual standard last week, claiming two gold medals and one silver in the B.C. Seniors Games in Burnaby.
Richardson, 68, won gold in the 65-69 men's age division in the 10-kilometre road race and the 5,000-metre run on the track at Swangard Stadium. He added silver in the 1,500-metre run.
"It felt great to be back into competitve running again and experience the race day magic," said Richardson, who has completed the circuit of the five world marathon majors — Boston, New York, London, Berlin and Chicago.
Closer to home, Richardson is also a past winner of the now-defunt Coast-to-Coast Foot Roast from Holbert to Port Hardy. He last raced in the marathon at the World Masters Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif., in July 2011, placing sixth, before taking time off for surgery.
His efforts helped the Zone 2 team (Vancouver Island North) to a third-place zone ranking at the annual games, which were held from Aug. 22-25. The North Island Zone team was made up of approximately 310 athletes, but, other than a badminton player from Sayward, Richardson was the only athlete from north of Campbell River.
"I'm hoping we can improve on this number for next year's BC Seniors Games, to be held in Kamloops," said Richardson. "The games have a great spirit of friendship and fun, with more emphasis on the doing than the winning."