‘Spectacular’ run for Atchison in Mayor’s Marathon

Although he started very early, the Mayor kicked off the rest of the racers in the marathon from Victoria Park this morning around 8 a.m. Atchison continued running until joining the National Aboriginal Day festivities at the University of Saskatchewan.

From there, Atchison ran towards the finish line and crossed around 3 p.m.

“It was spectacular! The weather, you couldn’t ask for anything better, cool, no wind at all. On top of that we saw wildlife like rabbits and some deer, we met a few barking dogs along the way,” Atchison said.

“People were honking their horns… encouraging us. It was great.”

For the Mayor, the run is an accomplishment he had been working towards since 2013 when he decided to make some drastic lifestyle changes.

“We started in a very slow pace… It’s really about health and wellness and that’s what we’ve been doing,” he said, adding that even a year ago, this accomplishment was hard to fathom.

“I think maybe if I had thought that they would have got a straight jacket for me,” he chuckled. “Not in my wildest dreams did I think that (this) could happen.”

The mayor’s ultra marathon route was also a way to take in pledges for various charities including the Meewasin trail.

“What this is all about is the MVA trail. We want to get it finished from Saskatoon, it’s going to be completed now to Whitecap Park and we’d like to get to Cranberry Flats… and then out to the reserve,” Atchison said.

“With the 150th anniversary of Canada coming… it would be nice if we could have it all finished for that celebration.”

kmalone@rawlco.com

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by Kelly Malone

‘Spectacular’ run for Atchison in Mayor’s Marathon

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