Joyce Law of Happy Valley-Goose Bay was the first woman to cross the finish line in this year’s Woodward’s Trapline Marathon on Oct. 7.
Law placed third among the 12 runners who ran the full marathon (32 kilometres). Her time was 3:32.20.
The Trapline is touted as a unique, heritage-oriented event that honours the many trappers who left North West River in the fall and trekked inland to tend their traplines.
The full marathon starts in North West River and ends in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
In addition to the full marathon, there is also a half-marathon race, 10 kilometres, five kilometres, races for children and youth and a one kilometre event for Special Olympics athletes.
Rich Lewis of Cartwright won the full marathon in a time of 2:55.54.
Lewis and Law, as well as Nikolay Ryabkov (who came in second and also ran under three hours), Janice Rossiter and Natasha Kennedy qualified for the world’s oldest and best known marathon – the Boston Marathon.
Law also qualified for the Boston Marathon at last year’s Trapline.
“I’d already registered to run this coming April. So, I will run it just for the experience of it,” she said.
Law noted although she is bothered by a sore foot, she was pleased with this year’s race.
“My legs felt good. It was windy out but beautiful otherwise,” she said. “The leaves were gorgeous.”
The last 10 kilometres of the race is the most difficult, Law said.
She was behind Janice Rossiter of Torbay for much of the race.
However, running in familiar territory, particularly near the end of the race, was helpful, Law said.
“I passed (Rossiter) in the last two kilometres. I’d run that final stretch so many times. So I told myself I can run as hard as I can for the last couple of kilometres,” she said.
Rossiter came in fourth with a time of 3:33:20.
Law normally runs five days during the week. Over the summer, she said, she also ran on the weekends.
The mother of three young children (aged six, five and almost four), she said, for her, running is a great way to clear her head.
“I’m more patient with my kids. I enjoy them more and they probably enjoy me more if I have my regular exercise,” she said.
