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Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2007 29 Reason to run Liza Crawford has plenty of inspiration for this weekend's Oakville Half Marathon By Herb Garbutt L RON KUZYK / OAKVILLE BEAVER Liza Crawford, pictured with infant son Crawford, holds a photo of she and her late father, Jack, from her wedding day. Liza will run in this weekend's Labour Day Oakville Half Marathon in memory of her father. Half Marathon course that contains some of her dad's ashes. "I wear the locket to give me strength. I need that extra encouriza Crawford's father won't be agement to get me through the there to cheer her on along the run." route, and he won't be there to Crawford hopes to follow up the meet her at the finish line as he was Oakville run with the 10K Terry Fox when she ran her first marathon. Run --another inspiration for her But when the 31-year-old -- followed by the Chilly Half Crawford completes the 10-kilome- Marathon in Burlington and the tre race as part of this weekend's Around the Bay in Hamilton next inaugural Labour Day Oakville Half year, leading up to the New York Marathon, she knows her father will City Marathon. have helped her reach the finish "I know that I can do it and it line. gives me even more determination "My dad always said and inspiration, knowto follow my dreams," "It's like he's there ing that my dad will be when I'm running. I Crawford said. with me in spirit and Those dreams wear the locket that my running is include running the (with her deceased helping me through New York City father Jack's ashes losing him," Crawford Marathon, and Crawford said. will use this weekend's in it) to give me Crawford is one of event to start her on the strength." more than 1,100 runpath toward that goal. ners to already have Crawford ran her first Liza Crawford registered for the race. marathon last year in Runners can register Ottawa, finishing in four hours and online tomorrow until 5 p.m. or in 28 minutes. person Sunday at the runners' expo "He told me he knew I could do in Coronation Park from 10 a.m. to it," Crawford said. "(Finishing) was 8 p.m., where they will receive a one of the happiest moments of my race kit that includes their racing life. My dad, my mom and my hus- bib and a microchip to record their band were waiting for me and my time. Of those already registered, dad was saying, `I'm so proud of nearly half are from Oakville. you.'" "We knew Oakville has a lot of Sadly, Jack Crawford won't be at active citizens who would embrace the finish line on Monday to greet it," said Meredith Galbraith of his daughter after suffering a mas- Landmark Sport Group, the race sive heart attack two months ago organizers who also run the sucand dying at the age of 54. cessful Misssissauga Marathon. The race has also received entries First race in nine months from Bermuda, Australia, Texas, Monday's race will be Crawford's Illinois, New York and Florida. And first in nine months -- the longest while there are some high-level runbreak she's taken since she began ners -- Mississauga Marathon running seven years ago. She took champion Predrag Mladenovic of the time off to have her first child, Toronto is among the entrants -- Crawford Carson. She knew running Galbraith said recreational runners would be a good way to get back in still form the base for the event. shape, but training with a newborn "Being the first race, we would be baby would be difficult. However, it thrilled with 1,500, but we will gladwas her father's memory that ly register more," Galbraith said. inspired her to get ready in time for "The weather is supposed to be very the Labour Day race. good so we're planning for a good "It's like he's there when I'm run- amount of walk-up entries." See Spectator page 30 ning," said Liza, who wears a locket OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF www.icesports.com 905-845-6989