By Sam Cortes, Communications Coordinator
Chris Glowach broke the tape in the Manitoba Marathon in 1997 and 1998 in about two-and-a-half hours, but his performance in 2004 — which took 30 minutes longer — was something for the ages.
He didn’t win that year, but it wasn’t about winning for the first home-grown champion of the Manitoba Marathon, it was about finishing.
And feeling the rush of competing again for the first time since losing his vision over 2002 to 2003.
“The emotions were totally different. One was the excitement of winning and being the first Manitoba-born runner to win it, but to run it visually-impaired was something I’d never experienced before. It was very emotional,” he says.
“It was much more difficult to do it visually-impaired. I really had to watch out to make sure I didn’t bump into people near the start. The media hype over it was incredible. There were more vehicles and motorcycles following me in 2004 than in the years I won.”
Since blood clots behind his eyes initially blinded him, Glowach has since recovered about 20 per cent of his vision in one eye and peripheral vision in the other.
“I’m still legally blind, but it’s amazing what you can do with 20 per cent vision,” he says.
It’s also amazing how far a little ignorance can take you. Glowach had a pact with his future father-in-law, Clayton Turnbull, to run in the inaugural Manitoba Marathon in 1979. In those days, there were exit stations every couple of miles. While Clayton “exited with dignity” after six miles, Glowach carried on, even though he’d never run more than six miles himself. He finished the more than 26-mile course in three hours and 19 minutes.
A True Role Model
Even though his induction into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame is in the athlete category, Glowach could very easily have been inducted as a builder. As the co-owner of The Running Room, along with his wife, Lynn, he trained and motivated thousands of runners — many of them newbies — to achieve their goals over a wide range of distances, including the half-marathon and full marathon.
“I never thought I was an elite athlete — ever — so I could relate really well to the people in our clinics. Nobody felt intimidated by walking in and having me serve them,” he says.
He also trained runners for Joints In Motion, which raised money for the Arthritis Society of Canada, chaperoning them to marathons all over the world, including at the Great Wall of China, Italy, Belgium and Jamaica, the latter featuring water stations that also offered “ganja” to the runners. Red Stripe beer was handed out during the last mile.
“I’d never experienced that before,” he says.
Glowach has run more than 80 marathons, winning seven of them.
Join Us at the Annual Induction Ceremony
Want to be there for Chris’ induction, along with the rest of the class of 2023? Hear their stories and relive the defining moments that have shaped the sport community over the past five decades. Plus, enjoy cocktails and small bites in an intimate celebration with our honoured guests.
Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Thursday, November 2, 2023
7:30 p.m.
Victoria Inn, Winnipeg MB
