Natasha Parsons (left) and Derek Binnersley (right) represented Nanaimo and took out the women's and men's divisions respectively at the North Olympic Discovery Marathon on Sunday, June 2. (submitted photo/Pierre LaBossiere, Peninsula Daily News)

By Alex Rawnsley

go the distance

Local runners eye ‘big six’ after capturing gold at Washington marathon event

Jun 10, 2024 | 4:19 PM

NANAIMO — A pair of mid-Island runners have blitzed the field and taken out impressive wins at a recent large marathon event south of the border.

Derek Binnersley, originally from Qualicum Beach, was the first to cross the finish line at the 2024 North Olympic Discovery Marathon in Port Angeles on Sunday, June 2, while Nanaimo’s Natasha Parsons won the women’s division and finished fifth overall.

Binnersley’s time of two hours, 46 minutes and 33 seconds was just over two minutes faster than his winning effort in last year’s race and four minutes ahead of second place this year.

“First half of the race is a lot less hilly, it’s more gradual, whereas the second half it’s quite a bit more hilly where there’s lots of gullies and really steep climbs. I was just able to keep my pace from the beginning…I didn’t know how close people were but I just went out with what felt appropriate for me.”

The marathon course run by nearly 1,000 people during the first weekend in June, including a pair from Nanaimo who took out top honours. (submitted image)

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Nearly 1,000 runners took part in various disciplines and race lengths during the event, with marathon, half-marathon and race walking events held over two days.

The 26 mile, or just over 42 kilometre course started in the community of Blyn, Washington and snaked along the northwestern coast through Sequim, Carlsborg and wrapping in Port Angeles.

Temperatures were cool and showers persisted through the day, helping keep runners relatively comfortable.

Binnersley got out to a lead early and ran a majority of his race accompanied only by cyclists helping guide him along the route.

“You’ve just got to keep determined, keep moving towards the goal at the end and know that the finish line is in sight and you’re running a marathon…when you finish it’s a big accomplishment.

Binnersley’s performance in his third ever marathon is extra impressive given he was around two months removed from running in the Boston Marathon where he finished roughly 10 minutes slower on a much hotter day.

Despite calling the infamous event “an amazing race”, he was left disappointed in his own outcome and the way he was able to handle warm conditions with temperatures in the low 20’s.

“I knew that I hadn’t quite performed as well as I could have under more optimal conditions. I had a good experience, but I couldn’t quite perform up to where my fitness levels were at the time so I wanted to run another race with my current fitness levels that would show me where I’m actually at.”

Binnersley is taking a break from his four or five day-per-week training regime and doesn’t plan any more long, competitive runs this year.

He said a long term goal would be completing the “big six” marathons by running in New York, Chicago, London, Berlin and Tokyo, along with his recently completed Boston Marathon.

Nearly 1,000 runners hit the start line last weekend. Derek Binnersley (second from the left in the red and black top) won the race. (submitted photo/Michael Dashiell, Peninsula Daily News)

Parsons’ win was a little more unclear as she crossed the finish line in a time of 3:01:05, beating out her closest competitor by around 40 seconds.

However she was convinced at least two people were ahead of her.

The London, England-born Parsons said she spotted a few competitors go out in a lead pack at the start of the race and opted to keep to her own pace and let them go.

“For the first half marathon, I was just running on my own. When you get to the half marathon point, all the half marathon runners have started and there were like 800 of them so you’re mingling in with loads more runners and I just didn’t know where I was in the pack I was just running my own race.”

In the second half as the crowd thinned out, Parsons passed a few of the male runners who broke with the lead pack at the start, but still believed she was in, at best, third.

“I didn’t actually know I’d overtaken them until I got to the end, I crossed the line and I heard on the loudspeaker someone say ‘the first placed women’s finisher is Natasha Parsons’.”

It was her first time at the event, however she’d run four marathons prior, including world-renowned events in Boston and London.

Closer to home, Parsons also competed in the Vancouver and Victoria marathons in 2022.

She said running, especially in competition, “just gets addictive”

“There’s always this Holy Grail of running sub three hours. After running Vancouver, I think I did that in 3:11, I signed up to do the Victoria marathon later in the year and I wanted to go below three hours, and I did and I got just in at 2:59.”

Parsons ran a 2:57:59 in Boston in 2023 then a 3:00:05 in London just a few weeks before her win in Washington.

She took running more seriously during the pandemic, not long after moving to the mid-Island to work at Aspengrove School, and started competing in races up and down Vancouver Island ranging from five kilometres to half marathons.

Her running scope expanded from there, adding in 50+ kilometre ultra-marathons and trail running, in addition to past experience in triathlons.

“I really enjoy just being outside in nature, running in trails. That’s where my biggest passion is for running, out of trail races. But you just want to see if you can do better…and seeing what I can accomplish,” Parsons told NanaimoNewsNOW.

Her next races include a 52 kilometre competition called Broken Goat in the Kootenay’s this July, followed up by the Squamish 50 where she’ll run 50 miles, or just over 80 kilometres.

She’s also focused long term on completing the “big six” and hopes to do one race per year in Chicago, New York, Tokyo and Berlin.

Parsons and Binnersley have had a couple of weeks to reflect on their wins in Washington state, and are now setting goals for future races. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

— with files from Pierre LaBossiere, Peninsula Daily News

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