There’s not many people who use a marathon as a training race.

But that’s exactly what Jack Cook does.

The 42-year-old from Edmonton used the 12th annual Red Deer Woody’s RV World Marathon and Half Marathon to prepare for a 100-kilometre race in Blackfoot on Saturday.

And just to add to it Cook was an easy winner of Sunday’s marathon, finishing in two hours, 52 minutes, 53 seconds. It was his third title in the last five years and second in a row.

Meanwhile, Lindsay Thurber High School grad Dana Hansen of Calgary won the women’s division, finishing 18th overall in 3:18:06.

Cook had to laugh when asked about using a marathon to train.

“It seems a little ridiculous, but it’s the only way to get this kind of quality and this kind of support in a training run,” he said.

Cook is preparing to make his seventh appearance at the world 100km championship, set for Nov. 6 in Girbraltar.

He’s hoping to finish a little better than he has in the past.

“I’ve burned and crashed in every single one of them,” he said. “But 100k is a long way with a lot of opportunity for things to go wrong. There’s time enough in a marathon for things to happen never mind a race twice as long.”

Except for the wind and cold there were few things wrong Sunday. In fact Cook wasn’t upset with the weather.

“It was a little windy, but once you got started it was pretty good,” he said.

Cook’s time was a bit slower than last year, but that was fine as well.

“Red Deer is never the fastest race, but it’s certainly the most fun,” he said. “The loops around the island and the loops around the golf course are a blast. I also enjoyed the new course more than last year.”

Race organizers changed the course this year, running the loop toward Three Mile Bend and River Bend Golf Course on the front with the loop around Heritage Ranch the second half.

With three titles under his belt Cook has the second most victories back of Phil Meagher’s seven.

“I have a ways to go to catch Phil, but I love coming to this race so you never know.”

Paul Bourgeault of Calgary was second in 2:55:18 with John Clubb of Cochrane at 2:55:48.

Hansen, who graduated from LTCHS in 1995, was making her first appearance in the Red Deer race.

She competed for the Red Deer Titans Track Club as a youngster, but gave up track and field when she attended the University of Alberta. Following graduation she moved to Denmark, where she spent 10 years before moving to Calgary in 2008.

It was during her time in Europe that she became involved in running marathons.

“I ran my first one in Copenhagen about four years ago, just to say I ran one and I became hooked,” she said.

Once she returned home, she competed in Victoria, but wanted to run a marathon in Alberta and what better place than in Red Deer.

“It was kind of cool to come back to where I grew up and competed for the track club and it was great to run front of my mom and dad and sister and my friends,” said the 33-year-old.

Hansen didn’t even mind the poor weather conditions.

“It was kind of crappy when I first got up, but once I was out there I didn’t notice it,” she said. “It fact it was awesome. I felt really good. I hoped to go a little faster, but a personal best is a personal best.”

Hansen bettered her personal best by 52 seconds, not bad considering her previous best time came over a flat course in Berlin.

Heather Kuzyk of Edmonton was second and 21st overall at 3:20:06 with Natasha Dorsey of Stettler third, and 26th overall, at 3:23:49.

Meanwhile Russ McLellan of Calgary won the half marathon in 1:14:07 with three-time champion Dallas Raudebaugh, formerly of Blackfalds and now of Edmonton, at 1:15:20. Robert Renman of Camrose came in at 1:15:34 with Dylan Hackenbrook of Red Deer at 1:16:44.

Red Deer College star Jodi Sanquin of Red Deer won the women’s half marathon in 1:27:32, which placed her 18th overall. Neasa Coll of Calgary, who won last year’s marathon, was second and 22nd overall at 1:28:38 and Erin Van Wiltenburg of Victoria third and 29th overall at 1:31:29.

drode@reddeeradvocate.com