Sure, Jim Van Bakel ran Boston this year.
And the Prince George runner posted a respectable time of two hours, 50.35 minutes in the historic, famed marathon in April.
But the race he had circled on his calendar and anticipated the most? Sunday's Labour Day Classic.
He wound up winning the 17-mile race in 41st annual Classic, clocking one hour 43.09 minutes as Dick Voneugen blew the horn at the finish line as he always does cheering on the competitors.
"This is the one I really wanted to do," said the 40-year-old Van Bakel moments after crossing the finish line at the Civic Centre. "This is such a great event that means so much to the community. It was nice to have Dick there, he is such an inspiration to us all."
Voneugen, 82, is a founding member of the Labour Day Classic and the Prince George Road Runners.
Sunday featured perfect racing conditions of blue skies and cool conditions for the 113 runners and walkers who laced up their sneakers in 5km, 8.5-mile and 17 mile-distances.
"I felt really good this morning and I was shooting for a sub-55-[minute] in the first lap," said Van Bakel. "That was a realistic expectation, but my watch quit in the last kilometre [of the race]. I wanted to break 1:43 after the first lap."
It was also a personal best in the distance for him who clocked 1:58 two years ago.
On Sunday, Van Bakel crushed his expectations in the first 8.5-mile lap, passing through the checkpoint at the Civic Centre in 52 minutes.
"In the second lap I thought I might be a little stronger and I wound up running with some of the 8.5-milers so it was nice to have somebody to run with."
Van Bakel's time was almost 17 minutes faster than 40-year-old Paige Howat and 57-year-old Barry Nakahara who both crossed the line at the same time in 2:10:39.
Jordan Gunderson, 30, was the next fastest male who finished fourth overall in 2:17:50. Megan Vassallo, 21, was the second-fastest female, clocking 2:25:46, followed by Suzanne LeBlanc, 50, posting 2:51:52.
In the 5km race, Alexander Nemethy, 17, was the fastest with a time of 16:53, followed by Zachary Matyas, 18 right behind him in 16:54. Simon Nemethy, 13, was the third fastest male in at 18:59.
Shar Bologh, 31, finished third overall and clocked the fastest time for the women with a time of 18:20. Larissa Bartell, 39, was second in the women's division in at 23:58, followed by Megan Reid, 39, in at 24:45.
In the 8.5-mile distance, 28-year-old Nicholas Bartell won the division with a time of 50:37. Brian Nemethy, 53, was next at 51:50, followed by Nick Chng, 34, at 52:42.
In the female 8.5-mile division, Jacquie Petterson, 43, was the fastest, clocking 59:47. Jacqui Benson, 31, was second, posting 1:00:06, while Margaret Jones-Bricker, 52, followed in third place at 1:01:31.
Avril Harris, 23, was the lone competitor in the 8.5-mile wheelchair event, wheeling to a time of 1:05:17.
In the 8.5-mile walk, Tony Prazma, 74, was the fastest, clocking 1:38:20, followed by David Rollier, 13, in at 2:08:58 for second place and Diana Borklund, 36, in third place at 2:08:58.
