Point Grey TFC runners Sam Pawluk, Ben Thistlewood, Nigel Hole, Ryan Huff, Kerry Kazuta, and friends, running under the name of Team Honey Bucket, won their stages and the overall Open Men's title at the first-ever Whistler 50 Relay in the ski-resort town of Whistler, BC, last Saturday.

Full results are available here.

The race started off with the temperature around zero degrees Celsius, and some icy sections on the course. The format was a 12 km leg followed by an 8 km leg, repeated four times, on a looped course of paved and graveled sections through Whistler.

From the gun, Pawluk established a lead, which would not be relinquished throughout the race, on the first 12 km leg, and was lucky enough to get through a railroad crossing around 7 km into the leg as a train approached. His pursuers had to wait for the train to pass. Pawluk handed off to Nic Jirot with a 1:14 advantage over the nearest competitor.

Jirot ran a solid 8 km, passing off to Ben Thistlewood, who got stopped by the train at another crossing, about 2 km into his 12 km leg. After about 10 minutes of waiting, the train finally moved along, but not before the nearest Open Men's team, Team Beaver Buzz, had caught up. Thistlewood reestablished the lead, however, and passed off to Nigel Hole.

Hole increased Honey Bucket's lead on his 8 km leg, and passed off to Huff, who added more time to the lead on his 12 km leg and undoubtedly loved the icy cold conditions, having recently migrated out west from London, Ontario, where he grew up.

Huff passed off to the pride of Newfoundland, Ryan Brockerville, who ran a solid 8 km before passing off to Dylan Gant, who would run the final 12 km leg of the day.

Gant ran an incredible leg - must be all his marathon training paying off - and passed off to Burnaby's favourite son, Kerry Kazuta, who ran a sizzling 8 km leg to bring home the title for Team Honey Bucket.

But the day wasn't over yet... there was volunteer marshalling to be done, and an after-party to attend, both of which the team pulled off in style.

The total time was 4:31:49