Al became known as the 'Trans Canada crossing god' for his phenomenal long distance running feats over an athletic career that spanned nearly three decades.

He was born in 1945 near Glasgow, Scotland and immigrated to Canada where he started running as a hobby in 1974. He moved to Victoria in 1978 and a year later the Prince George marathon brought together Al, Rick Hansen and Terry Fox. Al had run from Victoria to Prince George to be in the race.

Al was inspired by the dedication of Fox and began to train for longer runs. He won his age group in his first full-length marathon in 1980 in Edmonton, and then he ran from Edmonton to Victoria to enter the first annual Royal Victoria Marathon.

In 1981, Al set the Canadian and North American record for the annual Self-Transcendence 24 Hour Race in Ottawa. The following year he increased his distance, covering 150 miles and 395 yards in that continuous day and night (no sleeping) race. Al won the annual 24-hour race in Ottawa five years in a row, 1981 -1985. In 1983, he ran from Winnipeg to Ottawa to participate in the 24-hour event.

Health problems in 1985 forced Al to withdraw from all races. He recovered sufficiently by spring of the following year to run 1200 kilometres from Victoria to Fernie, BC. Al was back in form for the 1987 Canadian 24-hour Championship in Ottawa, winning the event for the sixth time.

A set of three races -- 700, 1000 and 1300 miles -- known as the "Ultra Trio" was held in 1987. No runners finished the 1300 Miler in New York in 1987 and 1988, but in 1989, Al was the first person ever to complete the grueling 1300-mile (2100 km) distance, setting the world record at 17 days and 9 hours. He also set a world record for 2000 km in the same race.

In addition, Al set a record in the 72-hour "Across the Years" race in Phoenix AZ, which is the last ultra race of one year and the first of the next. Al ran from December 29, 1989 to January 1, 1990.

Al's longest and most famous run came in 1991 when he ran the length of the Trans Canada Highway from the Mile Zero sign in St. John's, Nfld, to Mile Zero in Victoria, BC. He covered the 7295.5 km in the record time of 72 days, 10 hours and 23 minutes. A brass plaque at Victoria's Mile Zero commemorates the event, and qualified Al for the Guinness Book of Records.

Al has won more than fifty marathons, ultra marathons and multi-day races in over two decades. He broke the record for the longest, continual run, completing 580 km around the University of Victoria's Centennial Stadium in 104.5 hours. That was four non-stop days and nights to promote the Commonwealth Games. Al now lives in Duncan, B C where the City awarded him the Perpetual Trophy for Excellence and Sportsmanship in December 2007.

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On August 24, 1960 in Sudbury, Ontario the world welcomed the arrival of Ilario Enrico Pasquale, better known as Eli in the basketball community. His first introduction to the sport was in Grade 8 at St. Francis School in the predominantly Italian neighborhood of Gatchell. By Grade 10 Eli had grown to 5' 3" and had developed an abiding passion and exceptional skills for the game at which he would come to excel.

By the time Eli arrived at the University of Victoria he was 6'1" and under the tutelage of coach, Ken Shields, he starred as the point guard for five years. The university team won five straight CIAU championships and Eli stood out as the all-time leading scorer. He was named to the CIAU all-star team three times.

Eli was a prominent member of the 1983 World University Games team that won the gold medal. They defeated the US team led by Charles Barkley and Karl Malone in the semi-finals, and then went on to win the final against Yugoslavia led by Drazen Petrovic.

Eli played for the Canadian Junior National team and went to Brazil for the World Junior Championships where the team won the gold medal. He was a member of the Canadian Men's National team at various levels over 15 years. He led them to a fourth place finish at both the 1984 Summer Olympics and 1982 FIBA World Championships. At age 37, after a five-year absence, he returned to the national team to play in the 1997 Tournament of the Americas to help the Canadians qualify for the 1998 FIBA World Championship.

Eli was drafted by the Seattle Supersonics 106th overall in the 5th round of the 1984 NBA draft, but only played in three exhibition games before being released. Later, he played in the Amateur Athletic Union for Seattle and the Los Angeles summer pro league. His professional career included playing for teams in Argentina in 1986, West Germany in 1989 and Switzerland in 1990.

In 1986 Eli set up the Eli Pasquale Group Inc. that was designed to work with all the recreational centres and School Districts in Greater Victoria. He started the Eli Pasquale Champion Academy and organized basketball programs and clinics for grades 6 and up. In the years since, he has helped thousands of youngsters in the sport of basketball.

In recognition of his superlative career, he has been inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame (2003), the B.C. Basketball Hall of Fame (2004), the University of Victoria Sports Hall of Fame (2005) and the Sudbury Ontario Sports Hall of Fame (2008).

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