The little race that just won’t quit
2024 CANADA DAY DUNTROON TO STAYNER RUN AND WALK
By Douglas Young, race instigator
From 1967 until Covid, the Leyshon family of Stayner have been organizing this race and walk on Canada Day. Officially, since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, the race was no longer organized by the family. A group of runners, however, have decided to keep this event alive and, through Facebook, they have organized the event every year since. This year was the 58th running.
The 2024 running began at the former Duntroon Public School and ended at the Arena, as was done before the pandemic, although the ran originally ended at the gazebo, in downtown Stayner. No School girls entered the event this year, but the winners of the School Boy division were the brothers Blake and Jock Shaw, from Duntroon, who ran together and crossed the finish line together. The Women’s Open division was won by Caitlin Ryan of Creemore and the Men’s Open division winner this year was Thomas Pawlak, from Wasaga Beach. Marie Dunn of Collingwood took the Master’s Women’s Division, while Douglas Young, of New Lowell, who has been running this race since the 1970s, was the winner of the Men’s Master’s division. The runner who came the furthest this year, was Cameron Bell from Woodland Beach.
The original founder of the race was Ken Leyshon, a teacher and coach at Stayner Collegiate. He started the event in 1967, the year of our centennial, since wanted to do something that promoted Canada Day and physical fitness. Although he has now passed on, one of the highlights of the race was the participation of his grandchildren, Owen and Sophie Leyshon. Although Ken is no longer with us, it is agreed that his memory and his good works live on to this day. We remember you Ken!
