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Alan Brookes Archives - Canada Running Series

Jun 16 2016
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Kip Kangogo Chasing Fifth Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon Victory

By | Scotiabank Vancouver Half | No Comments
June 16th, 2016 – By Paul Gains.

Kip Kangogo returns to the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Kip KangogoMarathon June 26th in search of his fifth victory in this acclaimed road race.

The Kenyan born resident of Lethbridge, Alberta gained his Canadian citizenship in 2014 and has been a constant in this Canada Running Series race, winning on his debut in 2009 and repeating in 2010 and 2011. After second place to Olympian Reid Coolsaet in 2012 he won for the fourth time in 2013.

Kangogo, a proud Canadian, went on to represent Canada at last summer’s Pan Am Games. When he toes the Vancouver starting line it will be with mixed emotions.

Last month he failed in his bid to meet the Canadian Olympic qualifying standard (2:12:50) at the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon. The warm, muggy conditions also ended any hope of beating his personal best of 2:15:26 which he ran at the 2015 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. That PB came just three months after the Pan Am Games marathon. But the thought of another victory in Vancouver slightly tempers that.

“I think I will be just trying to go for the win,” he reveals. “I don’t know who is in the race. The Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon is a good venue for me. I have won it all those times. I think I have run it six times and I have won four. I lost to (2012 Olympians) Reid (Coosaet) and to Dylan Wykes in the other two years.

“When my daughter Emma was born I won this race in 2013 just for her. She was born June 2nd so I said I was going to run a race for her, just to welcome her. I won the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon for her.”

On May 1st of this year, Kangogo became a proud father a second time when his son Roy Bii Kangogo came into the world.

The picturesque course starts on the grounds of the University of British Columbia and traces the Pacific Ocean shoreline to Stanley Park. Having run here so many times, Kangogo is comfortable with choosing the correct tactics to win.

In 2011, he ran 1:03:22 coming near the race record of 1:03:10 which has been held by Kenya’s Patrick Nthwia since 2007. A fifth victory would have additional significance therefore, and he has joked with race director, Clif Cunningham, that if he gave out rings for each title he could possibly fill the fingers on one hand.

“It is a good course because it has everything. It has flats, downhill, uphills, all the challenges that runners face,” he explains. “I know the course really well. I know where there is a hill and I know how to run it.”

The only uncertainty is his level of fitness. For half the Ottawa marathon he was on Olympic qualifying pace but then the heat started affecting him. Despite the conditions, he refused to quit, which would have afforded him the opportunity to save himself for another marathon. Instead he moderated his goal. The Vancouver race will be only four weeks after the marathon.

“I think (my recovery from the Ottawa marathon) was very good,” he reveals. “I took a week off then got back into running. It wasn’t bad. The weather wasn’t the best for running faster so I did the best I could with the weather. I just kept taking fluids and tried to pace myself.

“There was no point to save it. I knew it was the last chance to run the Olympic standard. In one way or another you are going to get it or not. My pacer was on pace until 11km when he dropped out, but we were still on pace. Then I went with one guy from Sudan. By 23km I knew it wasn’t going to happen. I said ‘You know what? The next option is to run just to finish it.’ That was the next reward for me. I knew the standard was gone but after that maybe I can reward myself by just crossing the line with a smile.”

At the age of 36 – he celebrates his 37th birthday on July 20 – Kangogo knows his best days are likely behind him and retirement is on the horizon. Still he is enjoying his running.

“I think I am going to sit down with my wife,” he says of his running future. “My wife is still going to school and I think we will discuss that plan and see what we are going to do going forward. I am still running now. She is still going to school. We will discuss that in the near future.”

The elite field in Vancouver also includes Kenya’s Dancan Kasia, best known for his pacemaking duties at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon as well as Canadian international Rob Watson. The latter had also attempted the Olympic standard earlier this spring at the London Marathon. He finished in 2:18:45 and will be looking to put a spark back into his racing form. View Canada Running Series’ Race Director, Alan Brookes’ interview with Rob Watson after the London Marathon earlier this year: http://runcrs.co/1sGU8yo

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For More Information and to register:

http://www.canadarunningseries.com/svhm/

Apr 09 2016
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Robert Winslow and Rachel Hannah win 38th annual Race Roster Spring Run-Off 8k

By | Race Roster Spring Run-Off | No Comments

TORONTO. April 9th. Robert Winslow and Rachel Hannah cruised to comfortable victories at today’s 38th Annual Race Roster Spring Run-Off 8K in High Park, in 24:42 and 27:51, respectively. It was race # 2 in the 2016 Canada Running Series, the country’s premier running circuit. Steeped in tradition as Toronto’s oldest continuously-held road race, the Spring Run Off is famous for its scenery, its challenging hills and weather, and its “Opening Day” position in the city’s running calendar. Today did not disappoint, with bright blue skies and a crisp -4 degrees for the almost 3,500 runners in the 8K, and the 5K and 800m Kids Run that followed.

This year’s main bill was a re-match between U of T Track Club’s Rachel Hannah and Vancouver’s Dayna Pidhoresky in the 8k. Hannah, who won the bronze medal in the Pan Am Games marathon in Toronto last July, and Pidhoresky raced together at the Houston Marathon in January, chasing the Canadian marathon standard for the Rio Olympics (2:29:50). They went through 25k with Dayna slightly ahead, 1:29:24 to 1:29:32, before she was forced to drop out with stomach problems. Rachel went onto set a new PB of 2:32:09, just shy of the standard. Today they again started out together, with Hannah just a step or two ahead:

Pan Am Games Bronze medallist Rachel Hannah, women's champion in 27:51.

Pan Am Games Bronze medallist Rachel Hannah, women’s champion in 27:51.

“I felt quite good, and comfortable throughout the race. It was really good to be out racing again,” said Rachel. “I tried to be pretty conservative the first kilometre or two. Felt really smooth. Then I started to pick it up a little bit. I felt good on the first hill (at 3k) and that gave me good confidence. I really got away from Dayna around 5k, 6k. I was feeling really strong and I didn’t want to save it ‘til that last hill!” By the time they crossed the line at the top of Spring Road hill the gap was 14 seconds. The ageless Lioudmila Kortchaguina was third in 28:35. The 44 year-old from Markham also claimed first Master’s honours. Part of the tradition of the Spring Run Off, Lioudmila was overall Women’s Champion in 2002 and 2003.

Although it was his first time racing Spring Run Off, Robert Winslow continued the strong Speed River Track Club tradition at the Spring Run Off. With teammate and defending champion Eric Gillis racing the Berlin Half-marathon last weekend as “proof of fitness” for Rio, the challenge fell to Winslow to uphold the Guelph club’s reputation – and he did so convincingly. It was the 27 year-old Winslow’s first podium finish with Canada Running Series and he couldn’t have been happier.

Robert Winslow

Robert Winslow upholds Speed River winning tradition, 24:42.

“I cruised through the first couple of K, then hit the first hill around 3k, and that’s when things started to open up. I opened the gap more on the big downhill at 5k, then just tried to maintain ‘til I got to the last hill as I knew it was going to be a tough one. I just tried to work that last hill hard – it’s easier to do when you know the Finish is right there. I’ve been getting some good workouts in with Eric and Reid [Coolsaet] and the rest of the Speed River gang. I was hungry to get going today and get some good racing in.”

A new, up and coming CRS star, 19 year-old Ehab El-Sandali of Toronto West Athletics, took second in 25:12, holding off Paris’ Josh Bolton (25:20). Ehab is the current Canadian Junior Cross Country Champion, and represented Canada at the Pan Am XC Championships in Caracas, Venezuela last month.

Canadian Running and Runner’s World magazine sport-science columnist Alex Hutchinson took the Men’s Master’s title in 27:22.

The accompanying 5K was won by Miles Avalos in 16:20 and Jenni Dwyer in 20:09.

The Kings and Queens of The Hill.

The Kings and Queens of The Hill.

One of the highlights of the morning was a new “Kill The Hill Challenge” (#killthehill) that timed all participants up the final 365 metres of the infamous Spring Road hill. Invited, elite athletes were timed but not eligible for “King and Queen of The Hill” awards. The titles, complete with cloaks, crowns and tiaras, PowerBar and maple syrup prizing, went to Luka Senk (79.7 seconds) and Pascale Gendron (1:34.9) in the 8k; to Avalos (79.0) and Dwyer (1:40.2) in the 5k. Interestingly, both runners-up in the 8k posted the best elite times, with Ehab El-Sandali “killing the hill” in 73.0 and Dayna Pidhoresky in 1:34.

Despite the chilly temperatures there was a festive, “Opening Day” atmosphere. It was a day of family fitness, fundraising and fun in Toronto’s grandest park. More than $55,000 was raised for the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. Councillor Sarah Doucette flipped pancakes in support of High Park Nature Centre. And she was joined by MP Arif Virani and MPP Cheri DiNovo to help hand out awards. Councillor Mike Layton let his feet do the talking, running the 8k and “killing the hill” in 2:36.

Complete results for the 8k and 5k, including the Kill The Hill Challenge at http://www.canadarunningseries.com/springrunoff/csroRESULT.htm

Next races in the Canada Running Series are Banque Scotia 21k et 5k de Montréal, April 24th; and Toronto Waterfront 10k, June 25th. http://www.canadarunningseries.com/crs/index.htm

Jan 06 2016
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Alan’s Journal: Happy New Year! Let’s Do It Together!

By | Alan's Journal | No Comments
TORONTO January 6th 2016.

Hey fellow runners!

I hope you had a great holiday period with family and friends. There are probably a few of us with food hangovers out there [speaking for myself]. For those who had more difficult times, I hope that family and friends were there with support for you, and with help to move forward.

Speaking of that, 2016 awaits us, pregnant with possibilities, goals, hopes and dreams! What are yours? I’ve SO enjoyed seeing so many of your social media posts over the last few days. Your first runs of the New Year; or your first club and crew runs of 2016, with the Running Room Resolution Runs from coast to coast; from the Paradise Run Club in St.John’s to Longboat Road Runners first run in High Park, to East Van Run Crews first “Monday-Nighter” from Red Truck Brewery in YVR. Please keep them coming; they are great INSPIRATION and MOTIVATION as we start to make our plans for 2016 at Canada Running Series.

Let’s get after 2016 TOGETHER, and make it a banner year!

For sure, it’s now time to set some goals. Maybe it’s your first marathon at STWM or a new 8k PB at the Race Roster Spring Run-Off or a 10k PB at the Toronto Waterfront 10k? If you’re Lanni or Eric, our CRS 2015 Champions, it could be the dream of a great performance at the Rio Olympics. Or it could be a shorter-term goal like Night Terrors’ #JanuaryBattle in TO & LA. Maybe it could be a running streak like Matt Galloway’s epic #365daysofrunning Challenge, which he just finished! If you haven’t read Matt’s interview on the life-changing impact running had for him in 2015, and how it helped him discover his neighbourhood, city and world, as well as himself, it’s really worth a read. And check out the photo of Matt with his #SpringRunOff 2015 finishers’ medal!

cherry blossoms

New Year’s Tips Du Jour: Training helps! 

  • Out on the West Coast, our Modo Spring Run-Off 8k #Modo8k “Learn To Run” training starts this week. Get the training plan here.
  •  Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal #Scotia21kMtl training with Boutique Endurance starts January 17. Details here.
  •  Race Roster Spring Run Off 8k #SpringRunOff “Learn To Run” with Tribe Fitness starts February 7th! Join the training crew here. 
  • Always give yourself three goals: an ACCEPTABLE goal; a CHALLENGING goal; and an ULTIMATE goal, to avoid “all or nothing” disappointment.
  • Plan REWARDS, treats along the way for your daily, weekly, monthly triumphs.
  • In training, VISUALIZE yourself at that Finish Line – the joy, achievement, hands up high!
  • And don’t forget to share these moments with us all on our CRS SOCIAL HUB. It’s a great place to connect as well as getting all the latest news.

At the office, we’re busy, busy, busy getting ready for the 2016 CRS season, and I’ve challenged all of our team to be able to tell each and every one of us:

  • What’s NEW and EXCITING for 2016, for each and every CRS event?
  • Why should I want to sign up for them?

So keep your eyes on our website, newsletters, and especially Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all the new, exciting stuff they roll out for us, as it’s unveiled. I think today’s a great beginning for them! How do you like the Race Roster Spring Run-Off 2015 medal? I love it. Especially the robin! And what about #KillTheHill Challenge?

That’s a sign. The early bird gets the worm! Gotta run,

Alan

@alnbrookes on Twitter and Instagram

P.S. Keep an eye on the Houston Marathon next weekend too! A whole bunch of our CRS stars will be starting 2016 with a BANG and a BOOM, chasing dreams to represent us and our country – in Rio and at the IAAF World Half-Marathon Championships in Cardiff, Wales. Rachel Hannah will be chasing that Olympic qualifying standard [2:29:50]; Dayna Pidhoresky makes her marathon debut; Krista DuChene, Rob Watson & Sami Jibril are racing the Half, aiming for Cardiff. See the preview, and follow me on Twitter. I’ll be there! [and hopefully in Cardiff and Rio, too]. Here’s a great race preview from Canadian Running as well as information to track your favourite runners throughout the race!

Dec 15 2015
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2015 Canada Running Series One for the Books. By Paul Gains

By | General | No Comments

TORONTO December 15th 2015. The 2015 Canada Running Series is now behind us and will be remembered, once again, for providing runners of all abilities, from novice to Olympians, the chance to lace up, strip down and challenge themselves over certified accurate and fully supported courses.

The Modo Vancouver Spring Run Off 8k (March 22nd) set the tone for perhaps the most competitive series ever with Canadian internationals Kelly Wiebe (the winner in 23:42), Geoff Martinson and Chris Winter occupying the first three places while Canadian marathon record holder Lanni Marchant fought off a challenge from hometown favourite Rachel Cliff to win the women’s race in 26:43.

Marchant would go on to win the Toronto Yonge Street 10k, the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon and finish 5th overall (and first Canadian) in the Series climax, the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. The event also doubled as the Athletics Canada National Championships.

Marchant’s finishing time of 2:28:09 was her second fastest time ever, missing her national record by merely nine seconds. Nonetheless, she was all smiles as she was rewarded with an Olympic qualifying mark.

The London, Ontario native’s consistency earned her perfect points in a year when no fewer than 131 runners scored points and she also claimed the $5,000 overall CRS prize. Two years ago she was also the CRS overall champion. Asked what she considers the highlight of 2015 she responds quickly.

“Qualifying for Rio in two events,” says the 31 year old. “The CRS races are kind of the bread and butter for Canadian runners; they put on the top events you are going to run in Canada, outside Ottawa Race Weekend.  (Race Director) Alan (Brookes) makes sure to put on great races and invites us out. He invited me up to Toronto Yonge St 10k where at the time it was my fastest 10k ever and it kind of gave me the confidence to run on the track.

“Winning the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon told me my fitness was still there for the longer stuff even though in the summer I had been focused on the shorter distances.  I knew I was going to be able to roll right into a good marathon in the fall.”

The $5,000 overall prize will come in handy as she prepares to represent Canada in either, perhaps both, the 10,000m and the marathon in Rio next summer.

“I was fortunate enough to get carded this year but I won’t get the enhanced funding that other athletes get that help them go to training camps and physiotherapy and stuff like that,” she declares. “So having that boost of money from CRS, well, it’s going to get put to good use this year. Definitely having that extra $5,000 in my pocket will cover Kenya and one other training camp.”

With the 2015 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon earning IAAF Gold Label status for the first time, the international field was once again exceptional. Racing fans in over 100 countries watched the live stream on the STWM.ca website with the first four men finishing within 38 seconds of one another.

Canada’s Eric Gillis placed 7th in 2:11:31 achieving what he had come for – the Olympic qualifying standard. Should he be named to the 2016 Olympic team he would join Lea Pells, Paul Williams and Kevin Sullivan as the only Canadian distance runners to make three Olympic teams.

Gillis, who comes from Antigonish, Nova Scotia but is a long time resident of Guelph, Ontario, also had an incredible season.

Victories at Harry’s Spring Run Off 8k, Toronto Yonge Street 10k and the Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal earned him enough points, together with his Canadian championship marathon title, for the overall CRS prize for the second consecutive year.

“Definitely (the highlight) was getting the Olympic marathon standard in Toronto,” he reveals. “Setting that goal of being around the same time I had run there before and be comfortably under the standard. Setting that goal and achieving it in Toronto was special.

“The (other CRS races) were great setup races (to get the standard). I was hoping to get the standard in the spring nice and early but after a couple of injuries in the buildup for Rotterdam I didn’t feel confident going into that. I didn’t run the marathon and it was so great to have those CRS races in the spring to re-focus myself at home. It was a good ‘plan B’ and it gave me a good vibe going into the summer and in the buildup to Toronto.”

While Marchant and Gillis achieved Olympic standards, the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon also saw Leslie Sexton smash her personal best with a solid performance of 2:33:20. At 28 she is poised to join a growing list of elite Canadian women thanks in no small part to the Canada Running Series.

Another leading light was Rachel Hannah, the 2014 CRS overall champion who elected to run the Pan Am Games marathon, an event for which members of the Canada Running Series staff provided on-site support. She was rewarded with the bronze medal.

Then at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront she entered the half marathon distance finishing with a time of 72:25, good enough to earn a place on Canada’s team for the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff in March. Both Canada Running Series and Ottawa Race Weekend are contributing finances to send that team to Cardiff.

Not to be outdone, there was a terrific competition for the CRS Masters’ titles with Vancouver’s Stan Jang earning the victory with 83 points while Lioudmila Kortchaguina, a familiar name to race fans, collected 135 points to win the women’s Masters’ title. They each collected $1,000 prize money for the overall titles.

“Congratulations to Lanni, Eric, Stan, Lioudmila, and all of the runners who crossed the finish lines of CRS 2015,” says Alan Brookes. “We saw so many great races, so many great achievements, so many great stories. So many runners, of all shapes and sizes, all abilities, came together to create a wonderful season. We’re already excited for 2016, which will be a massive year at home with 8 more CRS events to celebrate, plus Cardiff and Rio!”

Almost 60,000 runners participated in the 2015 Series and together raised $5.8 million for local charities. No doubt the numbers will continue to grow as the Series heads into 2016.

For complete Canada Running Series 2015 standings see http://www.canadarunningseries.com/crs/crsRESULT.htm

Registration for Canada Running Series 2016, including “Combo Packs”, is now open at http://www.canadarunningseries.com/crs/index.htm

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Dec 03 2015
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Announcing the Race Roster Spring Run-Off and Toronto Waterfront 10k!

By | Alan's Journal, Race Roster Spring Run-Off | No Comments
TORONTO December 3rd 2015.
A Message from Canada Running Series Race Director Alan Brookes:

I hope you are enjoying some nice, easy running in this down season, giving yourself the time to recover physically as well as mentally after the race season. In the planning department at Canada Running Series, we are all systems GO! The 2016 Canada Running Series season will be our 27th year and it’s shaping up to be a thriller! Most of you know our shared mission of “building community through running”, based on the twin pillars of organization and innovation. 2016 will be no exception with some exciting new changes and growth.

We have two big news items to share!

Announcing the Race Roster Spring Run-Off 8k & 5k! The Spring Run-Off is Toronto’s oldest, continuously-held road race, going into it’s 38th edition, with the killer Spring Road Hill, piper McGonigal, fresh maple syrup, Councillor Doucette flipping pancakes, and hopefully some blossoms in Toronto’s most magnificent park! Race Roster has signed on as new title sponsor and we’ll be working with them on state-of-the-art, customer-friendly online registration and referral incentives for you and your friends! And don’t forget Tribe Fitness’ free “Couch to 8k” training program, designed to get you to the start line on Saturday April 9th. Use hashtag #SpringRunOff to connect with others also training for this race. Registration opens this Monday December 7th at 12 noon!

Perhaps the biggest news of the day is that the Toronto Yonge Street 10k is evolving into the Toronto Waterfront 10k! We are working on an exciting new course with a tentative date of either Saturday June 25th or Sunday June 26th. We have submitted our application based on recommended dates and a fabulous new course which starts on University Avenue, runs down the Lakeshore, out and back past the CNE, and then returning from the West to finish at Coronation Park. Pending final approval from the City, we are planning to open registration in the new year. Stay tuned and feel free to connect with us on Twitter @alnbrookes and @RunCRS using hashtag #Waterfront10k to chat and ask us questions about this exciting new development

Are you ready?

Let’s get our CRS 2016 on! View our full race calendar at RunCRS.ca  

Connect with me on Twitter and Instagram and let’s keep the conversation going!

Nov 16 2015
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Important 2016 Canada Running Series Registration Update!

By | Alan's Journal, Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal et 5k, Oasis ZooRun, Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments
A message from Canada Running Series Race Director Alan Brookes:

Hello fellow runners;

As 2015 fades into our log books, 2016 is coming up fast! Canada Running Series is ALMOST done – bar the wrap up! WHAT a year it was! In addition to 8 great Series races, we also had the Pan Am Games to organize and enjoy. A massive THANK YOU to all of you for the important part you played in an outstanding year. Almost 60,000 participants; more than 5,000 volunteers; 19 fabulous sponsors; tens of thousands of spectators and cheer squads; and a whopping $6 million raised for our 339 Official Charities. So many great stories, and reasons to cheer. Beyond EPIC!

Although there’s still a lot of tidy-up activity happening at the CRS offices – paying bills and prize monies, mailing out unclaimed awards, writing 2015 reports for our sponsor partners, we’re also full swing into 2016 – designing next year’s medals and t-shirts, fun new activations and more.

Are you ready?

We have some VERY exciting stuff in the works, including a new race. What will it be called? When will it be held? Where will it run?

Because of these tasty updates, we’ll be LAUNCHING online registration tomorrow for the following Individual Races:

  • Banque Scotia 21K et 5K de Montreal: Sunday April 24th 2016.
  • Oasis ZooRun, 10k, 5K & Cub Run: Saturday September 24th 2016.
  • Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Half-marathon & 5K: Sunday October 16th 2016.

COMBO PACKS, with multi-event discounts, for our full Eastern Calendar [including Toronto Spring races] will be coming SOON. We’ll have that up and available as soon as we have finalized our plans – and you’ll be among the first to know! ‘Til then, let’s keep running, keep in touch, and get planning for new goals, and thrilling new adventures together in 2016.

Alan, @alnbrookes

Aug 04 2015
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Alan’s Journal: #PANAMANIA. We did it! But was it a Tipping Point?

By | Alan's Journal | No Comments

TORONTO August 4th 2015

Hey fellow runners;

Wow! What a month we’ve had since my last Journal edition on July 7th! It was a remarkable month, overwhelmingly dominated by the Pan Am Games, and I think we are all enormously impressed with the way the Games brought us all together. #UnidosJugamos! As well, the Games showcased sport, and our sport of running and athletics in particular, as never before in Toronto.

HUGE thanks to TO2015, and to all of you who gave of your time, energy and passion to bring our city alive for a month! Special shout outs to:

  • The Canada Running Series team – the extended family, not just the full-time crew — who organized 5 road events in 8 days, on top of the regular, gruelling CRS season. There were plenty of 3am Crew Calls, plus a few all-nighters for some. BIG ups to Heather and Chris who have put in MAJOR hours over the last 2 years in preparation. Thanks to Toronto Olympic and other club members, plus our regular support teams who stepped up big time!
  • 08-04-IMG_5657ALL of you who came out to cheer, especially our awesome Toronto run crews who set up CHEER SITES on-course for both Women’s & Men’s Marathons: Pace & Mind, Night Terrors, Parkdale RR, Tribe Fitness, plus a number of other clubs. YOU WERE GREAT! The first thing Catherine Watkins said to me after her finish, was how amazing the support was for her out there. Catherine’s post-Pan Am blog is a must-read: “Running the marathon for Team Canada on home soil was definitely a highlight in my life.“.
  • 08-04-IMG_5337The athletes: our current CRS Women’s champion Rachel Hannah and Catherine Watkins; Rob Watson and Kip Kangogo; and Evan Dunfee and Inaki Gomez who brought home Gold and Silver in the 20K Walk. I think we were all so thrilled to see our regular CRS friends on the world stage, in our hometown, in an event(s) that we were all part of! And on the track too, with SO many fine performances up at York! While Lanni’s bronze in the 10,000m and Alex Genest’s Silver in the 3000m steeplechase were huge highlights for me, there were just so many others. It was an electrifying week on the track in between the 2 marathon and race walk weekends.
  • 08-04-IMG_4537The neighbourhoods, the broader community that was “IGNITED”, like our own St. Lawrence ‘hood, through TO2015’s “Ignite” programme and PanAmania. St. Lawrence’s 41 Neighbours book is a great example, and a special, unique souvenir that we were able to share. There are still a few copies left to buy on Amazon! 
  • Our friends from The Americas who came to visit us in our town! It was really special for me to see friends and strengthen ties with Mexico and Peru and our neighbours from USA – bienvenidos y gracias Gus Borges, Rodolfo Gomez, Gladys, Raul, Vianey for all the special moments. THANKS Mike Nishi and Stan Coburn for being part of it all!

What was YOUR highlight?

08-04-IMG_5684It was glorious to see sport taking centre stage, in Canada’s largest metropolis, in a city known globally for arts and culture, for TIFF or Luminato or Nuit Blanche rather than sport. The City’s support has traditionally been given to these deserving, iconic cultural events, but with scant attention paid to sport [other than pro sports like the Leafs, Jays or Raptors]. I’d like to think this past month has more than adequately demonstrated that “SPORT MATTERS”, and that we can have both arts/culture and sport/healthy lifestyles. As the ASICS name represents: Anima Sana In Corpore Sano—a healthy mind in a healthy body.

Were the Pan Am Games a “Tipping Point”?

We’ve heard lots about the “LEGACY of the Games”. For the most part, I think it’s safe to say, the conversation has been about infrastructure legacy – – the fabulous new neighbourhood of Corktown, including a brand new Y and Corktown Common; the high-speed train link to Pearson; the outstanding renovation of Queen’s Quay to showcase Toronto’s waterfront; Union Station expansion. I hope, I think, it is much more than that. I’d like to believe that the Games got our city moving and brought it ALIVE, through a marvellous combination of sport, culture and activation. For sure, we have a new Y, a new track, a new field hockey field, a new velodrome, a new pool. But there’s something new in the air as well – -the “SPIRIT OF THE GAMES”. And that is perhaps the greatest legacy.

I hope we can keep hold of this spirit, and carry the momentum forward to Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. STWM is a wonderful vehicle for sustaining the momentum. It is a truly world class sports/athletics/running event that is with us every year. It brings 25,000+ participants from 60+ countries. It brings top international competition to race against Canada’s best. It ignites a dozen of our great Waterfront neighbourhoods. It generates over $30 million of economic activity annually for Toronto, and raises ~$4 million a year for our local charities.

08-04-IMG_5510For ALL of you involved in the Pan Ams, I offer an invitation to keep the momentum going at STWM this October. Join our CRS gang, and our Canadian stars like Krista and Eric. Come RUN [or walk] one of the STWM distances – they cover the range, from 5K to 42k. VOLUNTEER. We need more than 3,000 every year to make it a success. And in the words of run crew legend Charlie Dark, “IF YOU DON’T RUN, YOU MUST CHEER!!” Let’s line the Course with hundreds of thousands of awesome cheer squads! It’s only through our combined energy that we can sustain the pace, build a true legacy for the Games, and show the world what a great running city Toronto is – we’re NOT a one-hit wonder! As Vancouver’s Catherine Watkins wrote in her post-Pan Am blog, “Running the marathon for Team Canada on home soil was definitely a highlight in my life.” There’s something VERY special about having a hometown, CANADIAN big-city marathon! TORONTO, we CAN do it!

Enough. I need to sleep, recover. As the mantra on the new STWM training singlets from ASICS says, “EAT, SLEEP, TRAIN, REPEAT.”

Alan
ps. Let’s stay connected on social media! Twitter & Instagram @alnbrookes
pps. I’d be remiss if I didn’t offer the Insider Tip of the month! For everyone building up your long runs, Steve Lennon’s latest video blog is a MUST WATCH!  

Mar 22 2015
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Kelly Wiebe, Lanni Marchant win Modo Spring Run-Off 8K. Record crowds turn out for Canada Running Series opener.

By | Modo Spring Run-Off 8k | No Comments

VANCOUVER. March 22nd, 2015. Kelly Wiebe and Lanni Marchant recorded impressive victories ahead of a record-sized crowd of almost 1,300 runners at Sunday’s Modo Spring Run-Off 8K in Stanley Park. The event was “Opening Day” for Canada Running Series 2015, the country’s #1 running circuit, and drew runners from 7 provinces and 8 countries. It was also an important fundraiser for the Take-A-Hike Foundation.

Wiebe, who will be leaving tomorrow to race for Canada in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships next Saturday in Guiyang, China, came out strong and took no prisoners in a stacked men’s field.

“I knew it was going to be very tough competition today, so I was looking to go out hard. I made sure the first couple of kilometres were really, really honest! After that I just tried to maintain the gap to the Finish. The race was an important sharpener for World Cross. I just wanted to feel good and build confidence.”

Kelly Wiebe winner Modo8K Horizontal

Returning Champion Kelly Wiebe takes the win in 23:42

Kelly passed 1km in 2:45 and never looked back, crossing the line in 23:42, 40 seconds faster than his winning time in the race last year.

Geoff Martinson was very pleased with second place. “”It was better than I expected,” he said.

“I went out a little bit conservatively. I kept my eyes on Kelly and Chris [Winter] ahead and slowly tried to reel them in. Kelly went out very fast. I knew I couldn’t hold that pace. I just went with what felt good for me. Then, with a K to go I found a bit more in the tank and got by Chris”.

In the women’s race, there was a really tasty battle between Canadian Marathon record holder Lanni Marchant [London, ON] and Vancouver’s Rachel Cliff. Marchant eventually prevailed, 26:43 to 26:55 ,but not before a thrilling duel around the Stanley Park Seawall.

Lead Women Modo8K

Dayna Pidhoresky, Lanni Marchant, and Rachel Cliff battle it out on the Modo8K course!

“I just ran with Rachel the first 4 or 5km,” said Marchant. “Then I really tried to pick it up and run strong the last 3k. Rachel made a surge around 4k and I had to hang on. Then I got a second wind around 5k and moved away the last two K. I think I knew I had it by 6k. I’m really happy to come out here and win. The Vancouver girls really seem to own the races out here, so it was nice to represent Ontario!” From here I’m going to Payton Jordan and do some track in April, before switching back to marathon training for the Pan Am Games marathon in July.”

Third place finisher Dayna Pidhoresky [27:13] also threw down an important marker ahead of her Around The Bay 30k in Hamilton, ON next weekend. “I felt strong,” she said. “I’m ready for the longer races and this was a really good test.” Dayna went out with Lanni and Rachel for the first two kilometres, and although she dropped off a little then, the leaders never got too far away. “I really enjoyed watching the battle unfold ahead,” she said.

World Beer Mile Champion, Corey Gallagher of Winnipeg, got hammered (no alcohol until post-race) by the extremely competitive field placing 11th with a time of 25:47.

Cory Modo8K

World Beer Mile Champion Corey Gallagher.

Participants today ran in support of Take a Hike, a unique combination of adventure-based learning, therapy and community service – all integrated into a full-time high school curriculum that works to empower ‘at risk’ youths in our community. The program teaches life skills and attempts to repair relationships between participants and their families. Take a Hike students volunteered at the event and together with Modo raised over $4,200 to support local school programs.

“We were thrilled with the turnout today, and the outstanding quality of the field,” said Canada Running Series president Alan Brookes, “What a fabulous launch into spring. We can’t thank everyone enough for making this event such a success. The energy was superb! We’re proud and hugely appreciative of being able to race in such a magnificent setting like Stanley Park. Special thanks to the City and Parks Board for allowing us to race here.”

Modo Spring Run Off 8K Men:

1. Kelly Wiebe 23:42

2. Geoff Martinson 23:58

3. Chris Winter 24:05

Modo Spring Run Off 8K Women:

1. Lanni Marchant 26:43

2. Rachel Cliff 26:55

3. Dayna Pidhoresky 27:13

Complete results can be found at http://www.canadarunningseries.com/results/2015/srov/overall.html

For a complete list of Canada Running Series 2015 events see http://www.canadarunningseries.com/crs/index.htm