Even in an event such as the annual Steveston Icebreaker, where participants are racing only against the clock, success is a team effort.

Facing unexpected obstacles, namely high winds that reached upwards of 100 kilometres per hour during the recent 2018 race, the planning team led by Jared Hulme remained steadfast. There was no way 378 participants—the most in over 15 years—were going to be denied the opportunity to start, and experience one of the most popular events on the racing calendar.

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“As wild as the wind was, it was the fastest field in years due to it also being the BC Athletics 8k provincial championships, though no records were set because of the same wind,” Hulme said.

Notables included Kajak alumni Ryan Hayden, who in 2002 ran a sub-four-minute mile of 3:58.27 at the NCAA indoor championships.

Keeping with the theme of success through teamwork, Hulme said the Icebreaker simply wouldn’t happen without the support of the community, led by the Steveston Community Centre and the City of Richmond. As well, sponsors like Running Room, New Balance, Boston Pizza, Pure Water, Save On Foods, Lifemark and Subway also stepped up.