From nominations across Canada, we bring you iRunNation’s most inspiring athletes. Some of these runners have overcome serious illness and debilitating injuries to run or to run again. Some have run right across Canada for the thrill of the accomplishment and to champion their causes. These runners have turned their friends, colleagues and family into runners through their relentless optimism and love of the sport. They’ve started cross country teams at their schools, held cookie runs in their neighbourhoods and raised more money than they thought possible by putting one foot in front of the other.
Passionate, ambitious, courageous and inspiring.
These are the 2011 iRun Award Winners
iRun because great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.
Since his running debut at Toronto’s High Park 8k in 1990, Duff McLaren has completed over two hundred races, including fifty marathons and more than twenty 50k races.
This running addict has travelled the world to compete in marathons and ultra marathons. 2008 saw McLaren running the 55k Iceland Trail. And 2009 brought him to South Africa for Cape Town’s Two Oceans 56k ultra.
His personal records are inspiring -- did we mention he’s qualified for Boston three times? -- but McLaren’s claim to fame is his coaching. In the past three years, he’s successfully led more than one hundred clinic runners from Toronto’s Beaches Running Room to cross the finish line in their first marathon.
McLaren exemplifies a runner who is both personally successful and dedicated to sharing his love of running far and wide. He’s been a pace bunny in numerous marathons, guiding fellow runners to achieve their personal bests at both 4hr and 4:15hr. And he is the Vice President of Achilles Canada, a run club dedicated to assisting people with different abilities compete in mainstream events.
2011 has seen McLaren rise to a new challenge and take on the position of Marathon Coach for the Team in Training.
The above Excerpt is from iRun online
http://irun.ca/issues/article.php?id=337&intIssueID=25
( 1 Thumbs up )
Ron
replied ...Way to go, Duff! We always knew you were famous.
( 1 Thumbs up )
Bear
replied ...
Ian C
replied ...
Duff McLaren
replied ...