The teen who runs long distances

The teen who runs long distances
A profile of Gavin Tansley
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby NOW assistant editor
Published Nov. 13, 2002

The ultra-marathon is not the kind of sport that attracts a lot of young people - but then again, 15-year-old Gavin Tansley does not come from the average family.
Tansley, a Grade 10 student at Alpha secondary, is one of very few runners under the age of 20 who participates in the gruelling sport of ultra marathon - something that could be described as extra long distance running.
And the ultra-marathon attracts a unique kind of athlete - those who are willing to undergo the pain and misery that can only be experienced by being on your feet and running for up to five hours at a time.
Last month, Tansley surprised many in B.C.'s running community when he ran and finished the 50-kilometre Hope Silvertip Classic - a four-and-a-half hour run that includes over 7,000 feet of elevation gain.
"It's weird," Tansley says of his attraction to the sport. "You really grow to enjoy the endorphin high. As they say: 'It's not fun until it's done.'
"It's one thing to be out on the road for five kilometres, but to deal with your mind for four-and-a-half hours of constant movement, that is really physically demanding.
"It's kind of tranquil, too. You're out there running in the middle of nowhere. It's a lot more relaxing than the urban style of running."
Tansley comes from a running family. His mother, Rainy Kent, is a recreation programmer at Eastburn community centre and the Burnaby and Port Moody co-ordinator for the Vancouver Sun Run training clinics.
Last year, Gavin helped out his mother by volunteering with the Sun Run youth clinics held at Eileen Dailly Leisure Centre.
Tansley also keeps himself active as a member of the On The Edge rock climbing team. "The two sports are great and they are totally different," he says. "Running is all lower body, and climbing is upper body. They are completely different movements that contrast each other."
And his high level of fitness has paid off. At the recent Royal Victoria Marathon, a 42.2-kilometre run along the waterfront, Tansley finished third in the under-20 division.
Young people are so rare in the sport that during the Silvertip run in Hope, Tansley had to compete in the under-40 age group.
His mother is understandably proud.
"I've been involved in the running community for years and the mindset that goes with distance running isn't something you typically see in youth," Kent said. "Gavin is very unique in what he has done and what he has accomplished."