Speedy Forbes races to bronze again

Zoe Forbes ran her way to a bronze medal again at the high school provincial cross-country championships in St. Malo on Wednesday.

For the second year in a row, the Grade 10 Neelin student was the only Westman athlete to find her way to the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association podium after also earning bronze in the junior varsity division a year ago.

“I’m so happy,” the 14-year-old Forbes said. “I’m so proud of how everything turned out.”

St. Malo, which is located in the Steinbach area 275 kilometres southeast of Brandon, drew around 2,000 athletes for the male and female varsity and JV races.

The course started for the first 400 metres on the sand at St. Malo Lake and then turned off into a forest for the rest of the race.

There was no single track at all on the three-kilometre, single-loop course, which meant runners could pass at any time.

Forbes had never actually run the course before, but had seen an online map. On Wednesday, she also had a chance to watch the start and end of other races before hers.

“I feel like it could have been better to know the course and have mental markers of how far to go, but just with the situation, I’m proud of what I did,” she said.

Even so, she capitalized on the bit of knowledge she did have. To start the race, Forbes lined up at the front and tried to take up as much room as possible.

The track was cut in half about 100 metres into the race, which guaranteed at least some congestion, and then the first corner was 300 metres later. As a result, Forbes devised a plan to eliminate those two potential speed traps.

“I needed to be ahead by that point,” Forbes said. “I was for sure top 10 right off the bat.”

Her goal was to stay as close to the top girls as possible, who just happened to be gold medal winner Norah Wiley of Grant Park and silver medallist Talia Pollack of Winnipeg’s Vincent Massey Collegiate.

“There were two girls I knew from track who are very excellent runners,” Forbes said. “My goal was to try to stay behind them for as long as I could.”

About a kilometre into the race, the top 10 narrowed into a fast five, with Forbes running fourth, about 25 metres behind the athlete ahead of her.

She eventually made her move based on what later proved to be some faulty information.

“There was a coach cheering and he said ‘Almost there! It’s just around the bend!’ so I was like ‘OK, this is it, I have to give my all,’” Forbes said. “It turns out there was a kilometre left still but I gave it my all and passed her, and then I tried to keep up as much as I could and give it my all to the end.”

Even so, her nearest competitor was gaining on her, and getting especially close within 200 metres left.

The finish line wasn’t in sight until racers headed around a corner and had about 50 metres to go, and Forbes knew at that point she would medal if she could hang on.

“Right when I went around the last bend, I cranked up the gear and left it all out there,” Forbes said.

Issues with the timing software at the race means no times have been posted yet, and no placings are available beyond the podium finishes. None of the team awards have been announced either.

It is another nice feather in the cap of Forbes, who began competing in cross country in Grade 5 at New Era School, and enjoys running longer distances during track season.

A year ago at Winnipeg’s Harbour View Golf Course, she finished in exactly 14 minutes at the provincial cross-country championships, behind Ashley Song of Linden Christian School (13:00) and Lily Hemlow of Vincent Massey Collegiate (13:31).

Forbes, who is also a gifted speed skater, has competed at national youth championships in both short and long track and is a member of the provincial team.

In addition, she already has her qualifying time for the upcoming Canada Winter Games in Quebec City next February and March.

Forbes trains 11 months each year for speed skating, so she certainly came into the race with excellent fitness. It isn’t all time spent on the ice, with lots of cycling and running thrown in.

“We train a lot of our base, and cross country is another base sport with lots of endurance,” Forbes said. “I kind of mix them together a lot.”

The only other cross-country race she competed in this year was a couple of weeks ago at the city championships, which were held at the Sportsplex. The course included a dash up the North Hill, a loop up top, running back down and finishing with a sprint around the track.

She won that race in 12 minutes 16 seconds.

Now she’s happy she was able to bring a provincial medal back to Brandon.

“It’s a really neat opportunity,” Forbes said.

pbergson@brandonsun.com