Amputee sets half-marathon world record in Ottawa

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A Canadian soldier, who lost his leg one year ago, take part in the annual Army Run on Sunday, September 20, 2009.

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CTV.ca News Staff

Date: Sun. Sep. 20 2009 6:07 PM ET

A new half-marathon world record for one-legged runners has been set in Ottawa. It happened at the Canada Army Run, an annual event that raises money for soldiers and their families.

Single-leg amputee Rick Ball set the record on Sunday, finishing the 21-kilometer course with a time of 1:20:45. Ball, who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident more than two decades ago, beat the previous record by approximately one minute.

About 11,000 military personnel and civilians participated in the two-year-old event, four thousand more than last year. Some walked or ran. Others raced in wheelchairs.

Organizers say it has become the fastest growing long-distance run in the country.

Lieut. Charles Nadeau of Quebec won the men's half-marathon, finishing with a time of 1:11:46. Danielle Riendeau of Ottawa won the women's event in 1:20:23.

Another notable competitor was Master Cpl. Jody Mitic, who ran on two prosthetic blades. Mitic lost his lower legs two-and-a-half years ago, when he stepped on a landmine in Afghanistan. The race was his first half-marathon.

Mark Fuchko, also a double amputee, walked the race last year but was planning to run it this time.

"Seeing where I was last year, and now this year -- it's just like night and day. It's a drastic improvement," he told CTV Ottawa before the race. Fuchko also lost his legs in Afghanistan, when the vehicle he was riding in drove over an IED.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay and army Commander Gen. Andrew Leslie welcomed the runners, and took part in the five kilometer run.

"You can't help but admire their perseverance, their will to move forward no matter what," MacKay said.

Funds raised from the run will go to Canadian military families, including a charity called Soldier On that helps current and former soldiers to stay active.

"There's just no other event like it in Canada," organizer Maj. Chris Horeczy said in a statement released Sunday afternoon. "It has turned out to also be a very tangible and personal way for Canadians to say thank you to the men and women who do so much for them at home and abroad."

With a report from CTV's Rosemary Thompson in Ottawa