Bob Mackin
BC Liberal leader Christy Clark dropped out of the race. But not the one her opponents wish she would.
Clark showed-up for the 33rd annual Vancouver Sun Run on April 23, wearing a bright yellow jacket and bib number 757. She was surrounded by various campaign workers, staff from the premier’s office and a plainclothed RCMP officer in start line photographs published on social media.
She did not finish the 10-kilometre course and the reason has not been disclosed.
Not only did Clark drop out, but so did party liaison Pamela Martin, executive assistant Adam McPhee, spokesmen Stephen Smart and Ben Chin and party special assistant and former Trinity Wester University track and field team member Dylan Kelso. They were not among the 39,769 runners, walkers or wheelers who crossed the B.C. Place Stadium finish line, according to the Sun Run’s official database.
CBC reporter Jesse Johnston, who did a running interview with Clark and finished in just under an hour, Tweeted that “some of them ducked away at about the 5 k mark.” A Canadian Press wire service story said Clark was heckled at the start line.
The Sun Run database showed Liberal finishers included Shane Mills, of “Truth Truck” fame, (45 minutes and 49 seconds for 1,307th place), Vancouver Fairview candidate Gabe Garfinkel (58:40 for 8,785th), and Vancouver Hastings candidate Jane Spitz (1:44.29 for 28,094th).
None of them, however, were officially counted on #TeamBC2017 in the team results.
WorkSafeBC won the government team category. BC Hydro and Metro Vancouver rounded out the top three. #TeamBC2017 finished 17th in the category, right behind Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Neither Mills, Smart nor party spokesman Emile Scheffel have responded to theBreaker.
The same database shows that Clark, when she was an opposition MLA, ran the 2000 Golden Spike Days 5 km in Port Moody, in 26:08. Last time Clark ran for re-election, she came 14,533rd overall in the 38,889-person field at the April 21, 2013 Sun Run. She ran 5,257th out of 21,378 females, in 1 hour, 1 minute and 39 seconds.
Were you a 2017 Sun Run observer, volunteer or participant? Did you witness or — better yet — photograph Clark and her co-runners leave the course? If so, please contact theBreaker.
