By Paul Gains
One of Canada’s most successful distance running coaches Hugh Cameron passed away October 20th at the Amica Little Lake Retirement Home in Barrie, Ontario. He was 80.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years Nancy, three sons Mark, Rob and Paul and five grandchildren.
As the founder of both the Etobicoke Huskies and Newmarket Huskies track clubs, he was responsible for the development of literally hundreds of Canada’s most celebrated club runners, several of whom went on to represent this country at major international games.
David Edge earned the silver medal for Canada at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh running a personal best of 2:11:08. He struggles to find adequate words to describe the relationship he had with Cameron.
“I came from England and when you were in a race you were in a race not to hold hands but to win,” says Edge who also finished 6th at the 1983 Boston Marathon. “That didn’t go over too well in Toronto. I wasn’t the most liked athlete but Hugh dealt with it. He guided me. In simpler terms, I owe so much to Hugh Cameron.”
Edge also represented Canada at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles along with another of Cameron’s charges, Sylvia Ruegger, who finished 8th in the inaugural women’s Olympic marathon. That is still the best performance by a Canadian woman in the Olympic marathon.
Prior to their departure for Los Angeles, Cameron, who was also the Olympic marathon coach for those Games, hand-delivered fliers to all the residents along the club’s favourite training circuit in Etobicoke inviting them to view their final training session. Onlookers turned out to wish the pair well.
It was a typical gesture by Cameron who never took a penny for coaching. And he never appeared to favour one athlete’s performance over another. Ruegger went on to set a national marathon record of 2:28:36 which stood for 28 years.
Although Ruegger and Edge were internationally associated with Cameron, his first successful marathoner was Mike Dyon who, in his debut at the 1977 National Capital Marathon in Ottawa, emerged victorious with a time of 2:18:05.
“I was really the guinea pig because we did a 28 mile run three weeks before Ottawa on hills along Weston road,” Dyon remembers. “We didn’t know any better. He said ‘let’s just practice.’ I think we ran 2:34 or so for the marathon and he said ‘you are ready’.
Dyon eventually won Ottawa three times, lowered his personal best to 2:14:28 and would finish 9th in the 1982 Commonwealth Games for Canada. As Cameron’s health deteriorated Dyon’s commitment to his friend and mentor never wavered. He would bring books for Cameron’s wife Nancy to read to her husband.
Born in Lethbridge, Alberta, Cameron worked for Kodak for 32 years mostly as Director of Human Resources. He helped Dyon obtain a summer job there. Moreover, the athletes were recipients of his extraordinary interpersonal skills.
Alison Wiley, who in 1983 earned the silver medal at the World Cross Country Championships and followed that up with an NCAA 3,000m title for Stanford University, sought Cameron upon her return to Toronto following graduation. She turned out to every club practice while working as a brand manager for Cadbury’s. Cameron’s support during this transitional period was strong.
‘I think he also probably sensed I was doing well in my career and moving up and he really fostered that,” Wiley reveals. “He knew me. He was helping me to be the best person I could be recognizing you were not always going to run at this intense level.
“It was an interesting phase of my life and he was right there helping to shape it. I had an amazing father – and my mum and dad were great – they provided a loving home, a supportive home but I never had those conversations with my dad. They were with Hugh Cameron. Because he could relate the athlete to the business woman outside the track.”
Wiley became emotional remembering Cameron’s kindness to her and her family when her brother, also named Hugh, suffered an accident which left him paraplegic.
“Hugh knew my brother but he never coached him,” she recalls, “ he would send him emails or call him. He would include him. Who does that? Once again such a deep thoughtful caring individual . My brother’s pain was his pain, was my pain. He reached out to people and that is really a beautiful trait.”
Among the athletes closest to Cameron was Dave Reid who remembers taking public transit to an Etobicoke Huskies workout one September night in 1975. Being a shy 12 year old, he watched the group from a distance then got on the bus and went home. After his father asked if he was going back for the next session he reluctantly agreed. From there the pair would forge an incredible relationship strengthened further when the Cameron family moved into the same neighbourhood.
Reid would go on to set a Canadian interscholastic 1,500m record of 3:45.78 when he was in high school. Under Cameron’s tutelage he continued to improve representing Canada at three world cross country championships as well as the 1983 world athletics championships in Helsinki. In 1987, Reid set a Canadian senior 1,500m record of 3:37.84.
“He was coach of the Canadian team for the 1982 world cross country championships in Rome when I was a junior,” Reid recounts. “He had gone to every single athlete’s family and asked them to write letters to the athletes so they could open them up every day when they were in Rome. It was so they would feel comfortable and relaxed. Who does that?”
Reid would spend lots of time with Cameron’s family because of their close proximity. And when Reid hung up his racing shoes he got his start in coaching alongside Cameron.
Coaching came naturally to Hugh Cameron according to his wife, Nancy, who said that besides coaching at Lakehead University in his 20’s, the seeds for a coaching career were sown much earlier. There was an oval in front of his house and he would organize races for kids.
“Hugh didn’t talk about his job at home,” she explains. “Sometimes I wish he had so I could share more in that. But I think he felt he wanted to maintain space between his job, his coaching and family.”
With a laugh she adds, ”I used to tease him that if I wasn’t also a runner he would be divorced.”
Nancy is organizing a celebration of life at Northwest Barrie United Church November 18th. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Society or organization close to your heart in Hugh’s honour.
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by Paul Gains
Among the 6,500 runners expected for the 2023 Under Armour Toronto 10K (June 17th) – the third stop on the 2023 Canada Running Series – Tristan Woodfine is the favourite. It’s a situation with which he appears entirely comfortable.
Considering the ups and downs he has faced the past two years, clearly he is back in the form which saw him beat the 2020 Tokyo Olympic qualifying standard in the 2021 London Marathon (2:10:51) only to be bumped from a potential Canadian team spot at the eleventh hour when Cam Levins ran 37 seconds faster.
Last fall the 29-year old – he turns 30 the day after the Toronto race – set a personal best at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon with his 62:42 clocking and more recently a personal best in the Valencia 10km (29:06). In the latter race he felt prepared to go much faster.
“There was a huge pileup and a bunch of people went down,” he recalls. “Luckily, I didn’t go down but I got caught up with people having gone down. The first few hundred meters was a complete crap show.
“There was a big group of guys running under 29-minute pace. I was about 10 seconds back at the first kilometre and missed running with the group. It would have been perfect to be in that group. Nevertheless, it was still a PB and you can never be upset about that.”
Now he looks forward to a fast time in Toronto. Although he denies lingering emotional effects from the Olympic campaign – an appeal was denied by Athletics Canada – it must have been a catastrophic moment in his running career.
“It was very disappointing at the time,” says Woodfine. “It’s tough when it’s not as simple as in the US where the top three (from the trials) go. The subjective criteria make it tougher to handle because it’s not cut and dried. I got over it and used it as motivation to train hard. The last couple of years I have just been plagued by little problems physically. Emotionally things have been great.”
After completing his paramedic studies at the Ontario Health and Technology College he put his selected vocation on hold recognizing that the energy level required for long shifts as a paramedic was not conducive to his running career. Now he is earning money with an online coaching program. At present he has about a dozen clients.
“That has taken off the past couple of years. It’s nice,” he reveals. “You are helping people achieve their goals in running. It’s a nice complement to the training you need to do for a marathon.”
Woodfine credits two-time Canadian Olympic marathoner, Reid Coolsaet, with his improvements the past year. The pair had occasionally trained together in Guelph when Coolsaet was with Speed River Track Club.
“Yes we have been working together almost a year now. It has been great. He has so much knowledge and experience in the sport which is really helpful when you are trying to navigate qualifying for the Olympics,” Woodfine explains. “He’s been there and done that. I have had a half marathon PB and a 10k PB since working with him.”
As it happens Coolsaet will also be running the Under Armour Toronto 10K along with ten of his running clients including Woodfine.
Although he is focused on trail running and not the roads where he had so much success the now 43-year-old Hamilton resident has a booming coaching business which he calls ‘Coolsaet Go’ a play on the ‘ready, set, go’ mantra. Asked his expectations this Saturday he laughs.
“Probably the least expectation I have had of a race for years just because I haven’t done any workouts on the roads,” he replies laughing.
“All my efforts have been on the trails. And, I am just coming back from an injury and getting ready for upcoming trail races. I don’t really have a clue. I have been feeling pretty good the last few weeks – I would like to break 33 minutes.”
Coolsaet’s uncertainty sets up a potential challenge with 2015 Pan Am Games marathon bronze medalist, Rachel Hannah, who is keen to put behind her the disappointment of the recent national 10k championships in Ottawa. There she was clipped from behind and fell heavily to the pavement. That cost her almost a full week’s training.
“Potentially, I think a really good day would be 33 something,” Hannah says of her target. “That would be my ‘A’ goal. It would be awesome to run under 34.
“I am focusing more on the 10k distance because it does help my fall marathon. I will start another marathon build in July.”
Hannah, who set a new Glass City Marathon (Toledo) course record in April laughs at Coolsaet’s assertion he hopes to break 33 minutes. “Maybe Reid is underselling himself. I imagine he will run faster than that,” she says laughing.
In addition to her work as a dietician at the University of Guelph’s Health and Performance Centre – she commutes from her home in Port Elgin, Ontario once or twice a week preferring to work remotely – Hannah has been working at the McMaster University’s David Bradley Centre also.
Along with 5 Canadian titles to her credit at distances from 5k to the marathon Hannah, who recently became engaged, can point to a personal best 10k of 33:08 and 32:36.17 on the track.
This is the first year of Under Armour’s title partnership, following title partnerships of the Eastside 10K in Vancouver (2017 – present) and the Spring Run-Off in Toronto (2020 – 2022). The fast course along Toronto’s scenic waterfront is sure to provide the field with a fine opportunity for quick times.
For the complete start list, click here.
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About Canada Running Series
Canada Running Series is the nation’s premier running circuit with seven events: four in Toronto, two in Vancouver and one in Montreal. It annually attracts over 70,000 participants and raises more than $6 million for some 320 mostly local charities. The Series includes the World Athletics Elite Label TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon and the Athletics Canada National Marathon Championships. Since 1999, CRS has gained international recognition for innovation and organization.
We are passionately committed to staging great experiences for runners of all levels, from Canadian Olympians and international stars to healthy lifestyle people and charity runners, and to making sport part of sustainable communities and the city-building process. Our mission is “building community through the sport of running.” More info: https://canadarunningseries.com/
For media access on race day, please contact Bonnie Taylor at media@canadarunningseries.com or call 647-401-0974.

Canada Running Series is excited to announce the addition of new Open Prize categories at this year’s remaining events, beginning with the Under Armour Toronto 10K on June 17th, 2023. The events will be expanding cash prize eligibility to the Top 3 Men, Women and Non-Binary finishers. This prize money will be separate from the existing Canadian Men’s & Women’s prizing designated for elite athletes competing in the Athletics Canada Label races.
This is just the next step in an ongoing effort to make CRS events more inclusive experiences. In 2018, CRS began receiving feedback from participants looking for more inclusive gender options on registration forms. In collaboration with Race Roster, MaxVO2, and The 519, we introduced two additional gender options for all CRS events – Non-binary and Prefer not to disclose – that were much more inclusive than the traditional Male & Female options.
Since then, participants have been encouraged to participate as they identify when signing up for Canada Running Series events. Hundreds of events across the country and beyond have since enabled this same option on their Race Roster registration forms.
In addition to being able to select more inclusive gender options, CRS also began providing Age Category prizing at all of our Canada Running Series events back in 2018 for the 3 gender categories awarding top 3 men, women and non-binary athletes in each 5-year age group.
Additional awards and prizing details for Canada Running Series events can be found here.
21K de Montréal – Liste des Départs Élites
Femmes/Women’s Start List
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Celebrating its 46th edition, the Spring Run-Off has raised $28,500 for Parkdale Community Foodbank
TORONTO, April 1, 2023 — A sold-out crowd of 3,500 celebrated Opening Day for running in Toronto at the 46th annual Spring Run Off this morning in High Park, the first event of Canada Running Series 2023. Participants were drawn from every Canadian province and 14 American states. Sunny skies and 12c degree temperatures created ideal conditions for challenging the famous hills of the city’s most scenic park.
Defending men’s champion, Jeremy Coughler of London, ON, put in a surge after the first climb up Centre Road at 3km, then cruised to victory ahead of Rob Kanko (24:19) of Dundas and Halifax, Nova Scotia’s Alex Neuffer (24:31). Coughler’s time was a scant four seconds slower than his 2022 victory lap. Sasha Gollish (26:58) showed her strength in the women’s race with a convincing triumph, 22 seconds ahead of Team Canada teammate Erin Teschuk (27:20), showing us why she will be representing Canada at the World Mountain & Trail Championships in Innsbruck-Stubia in June. Laura Desjardins was a distant third (28:10).
But there were so many more winners on a memorable morning. To continue the tradition since its inception in 1978, Piper Dave MacGonigal led racers to the start lines of the 8K, 5K and Kids Run. Ubuntu Community served up a delicious pancake breakfast with proceeds going to both them and the High Park Nature Centre. Madawaska Maple Products and Marquest Sunglasses handed out further prizes and the primary charity of the day – the Parkdale Community Foodbank — took home $28,500 to help them feed 6,000 needy families in the Downtown and West End every month. Fundraising is still open until April 30th, with the final total expected to go well beyond $30,000. Additionally, this year’s race supported Trans Canada Trail ($440), Trees for Life ($970) and Canada Running Series Foundation ($2870), bringing the 2023 fundraising grand total to $33,870 already.
Back for a 7th year, the popular Kill The Hill challenge up the infamous 600m incline on Spring Road to the Finish Line had a new twist with winners being crowned “Heroes of The Hill” in the men’s, women’s and non-binary categories. After racing up the gut-busting, timed, final 365m, Jessey The Elf claimed first in the men’s 8K conquering the hill in 1 minute 12 seconds, with Katie Anderson crowned Women’s Superhero in 1:32. Tanya Hauck placed first in the non-binary race with a time of 2:12. In the 5K, Toronto’s Brittany Moran was first woman in 1:33, with Brett McGonigal finishing first for the men in 1:13, and Noah Simpson-Freeman taking the non-binary category with a time of 2:00.
Collectively, the running community gathered together to line the hills of High Park and cheer on the participants. The boundless energy of Kardia Athletica, High Park Rogue Runners, Frontrunners, Pride Run, Parkdale Roadrunners, Parkdale Food Bank and RunTOBeer pushed participants through to the finish line all morning to celebrate a resounding success.
Top Women:
- Sasha Gollish – 26:58
- Erin Teschuk – 27:20
- Laura Desjardins – 28:10
- Courtney Brohart – 28:59
- Becca Brennan – 29:18
Top Men:
- Jeremy Coughler – 23:51
- Rob Kanko – 24:19
- Alex Neuffer – 24:31
- Ian Guiden – 24:38
- Kyle Grieve – 24:46
For listing of all Overall and Age Category winners in both 8K & 5K click here. For complete, individual, searchable results click here.