For the first time in UA Eastside 10k history, we will have both Champions back to defend their titles against very competitive fields. For fans of the sport, this is going to one heck of a race. Stay tuned to CRS West social media channels for live updates on September 15th!
More than 6,700 people took part in the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon and 5k, raising an estimated $970,000 for 70 local charities through the Scotiabank Charity Challenge. This brings the grand total since 2007 to over $8 million.
Photo credit: Inge Johnson/Canada Running Series
by Paul Gains
Injury free for nearly two years now, Dayna Pidhoresky has been enjoying an unprecedented block of consistent training and is raring to go at the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon & 5k on June 24th, a Canada Running Series event.
“I want to win for sure,” the 31 year-old Vancouver resident says of her goals. “Time-wise it depends on the day. If I am feeling good then maybe I can really push it a little bit more. I think the main thing is to get some Canada Running Series (CRS) points and try to win.
“Last year I ran really slow there because I was in my marathon recovery phase, so I am in need of a little bit of redemption. I am familiar with the course now and I know the second half can be harder coming off a pretty long downhill section. I think Natasha (Wodak) is doing it so it will be good if she ends up racing – I am ready to put up a fight.”
She laughs at her last comment knowing that Wodak registered a fine 5th place finish at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and remains the Canadian 10,000m record holder at 31:41.59.
At the same time Pidhoresky has enjoyed an impressive start to the 2018 season. In March she won the Around The Bay 30k Road Race in Hamilton, scored a personal best 10k when she finished 5th in the Vancouver Sun Run and then claimed the silver medal at the Canadian Half Marathon Championships in Calgary. Toronto’s Sasha Gollish was the victor that day.
“So far I have been very consistent,” Pidhoresky declares. “I haven’t had that special race that I have been wanting where everything kind of shines, but I have put in a lot of solid races. The main thing is I have been healthy – no injuries at all for going on two years.”
During the 2016 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon she suffered a painful sacral fracture that crushed her physically and emotionally. Yet she battled back seven months later to run a personal best marathon of 2:36:08 in Ottawa. That performance has led to selection for the Canadian team at the 2017 World Championships marathon in London, and suggestions that she is destined to follow Lanni Marchant and Krista DuChene into the ranks of top international class marathoning.
The men’s field features Lethbridge’s Kip Kangogo who last year won this race for the sixth time, and former Canadian international Rob Watson, of Vancouver. To view the complete elite field for the 2018 Scotiabank Half Marathon & 5k, please click here.
Kangogo was 4th in the half marathon at the Vancouver Marathon festival in early May, then three weeks later, finished 2nd at the Canadian Half Marathon Championships in Calgary. Despite his advanced years – he will be 39 next month – the Kenyan born Canadian citizen never fails to turn up ready to do battle, and perhaps feels he owns this race.
Watson ran 2:13:29 at the 2013 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon and once claimed to have retired. Yet his ‘fun running’ has left him in fairly good condition. Despite extensive coaching duties with the Mile2Marathon group, he has returned to serious training to win the Vancouver Marathon last month. He also finished 5th in the Vancouver Sun Run in a very good 30:01. On such evidence this certainly promises to be a competitive race.
The picturesque course starts on the grounds of the University of British Columbia and traces the Pacific Ocean shoreline through Point Grey and Kitsilano to Stanley Park. With turns, some hills and the challenging climb over Burrard Bridge at 18km the event records are quite extraordinary. Lioudmila Kortchaguina set the women’s record of 70:50 in 2003 while Kenya’s Patrick Nthwia ran 63:10 in 2007 to establish the men’s standard.
The top Canadian man and woman will each receive $1,500 as well as 45 CRS points which count toward the overall title and the accompanying $3,000 awarded to title winners.
For further information and last-minute entries, see www.scotiahalf.ca.
presented by:
Introducing our Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k Elite Field.
| Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon Male Elite Athletes | |||||
| Bib # | Last Name | First Name | City | Prov. | |
| 1 | Kangogo | Kip | Lethbridge | AB | |
| 3 | Tomsich | Anthony | Vancouver | BC | |
| 8 | Setlack | Matt | Cold Lake | AB | |
| 9 | Onsare | Benard | Calgary | AB | |
| 10 | Mutai | David | Etobicoke | ON | |
| 11 | Voth | Chris | Vancouver | BC | |
| 12 | Derr | Tom | Eugene | OR | |
| 13 | Manning | Aaron | Mississauga | ON | |
| 14 | Nicholson | Drew | Surrey | BC | |
| 15 | McNamara | Paul | Vancouver | BC | |
| 16 | Gomez | Inaki | Vancouver | BC | |
| 17 | Dunfee | Evan | Richmond | BC | |
| 20 | Finlayson | Jim | Victoria | BC | |
| 21 | Ziak | Jeremiah | Vancouver | BC | |
| 22 | McMillan | Craig | North Vancouver | BC | |
| Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon Female Elite Athletes | |||||
| Bib # | Last Name | First Name | City | Prov. | |
| F3 | Gollish | Sasha | Toronto | ON | |
| F4 | Pidhoresky | Dayna | Vancouver | BC | |
| F5 | Setlack | Emily | Cold Lake | AB | |
| F8 | Olsen | Courtney | Bellingham | WA | |
| F10 | Morrison | Amber | Bellingham | WA | |
| F11 | Hungerford | Briana | Vancouver | BC | |
| F12 | Pepin | Cheryl | North Vancouver | BC | |
| F13 | Lee | Andrea | Vancouver | BC | |
| F15 | Moore | Katherine | Vancouver | BC | |
| F16 | Kassel | Melanie | Chilliwack | BC | |
| F19 | Slaughter | Gemma | Vancouver | BC | |
presented by:
Par Laurent Godbout
Montréal (22 avril) – Profitant de conditions atmosphériques idéales au départ, les coureurs ontariens Tristan Woodfine, chez les hommes, et Sasha Gollish, chez les dames, ont remporté des victoires sans équivoque dimanche au Parc Jean-Drapeau de Montréal, pour la 16ème édition de la Banque Scotia 21k de Montréal.
Woodfine, 24 ans, de Cobden, Ontario, franchissait la ligne d’arrivée située aux abords du bassin d’aviron olympique en 1h05min43s. Gollish, 36 ans, de Toronto, remportait l’épreuve féminine en 1h16min14s.
Woodfine en contrôle
Dès le départ, Woodfine partait doucement avec le groupe de favoris parmi lesquels on retrouvait le champion en titre de 2017 François Jarry, l’Albertain Kip Kangogo, Baghdad Rachem, Jacques-Sylvain Lecointre et Adam Hortian, de Kitchener.
Le petit peloton de six coureurs s’est rapidement étiré et dès le 5ème kilomètre passé en 15:53, Woodfine menait, accompagné de Jarry et Kangogo. Accumulant des kilomètres à une moyenne de 3:06-3:07, les trois meneurs passaient les 10km en 31:30. Woodfine était visiblement le plus à l’aise, tandis que Jarry, à 30 secondes de son meilleur chrono sur route, grimaçait déjà.
Pendant ce temps, le peloton féminin, entouré de quelques coureurs masculins, était déjà réduit à trois athlètes, soit Anne-Marie Comeau, de St-Férréol-les-Neiges, et les Torontoises Sasha Gollish et Laura Desjardins. On avait vu au départ Leslie Sexton, une des favorites, mais la coureuse de London abandonnait dès le 2ème kilomètre.
Pendant que Gollish pratiquait quelque peu son français avec les «boys» qui l’entourait, Comeau, à sa première tentative sur la distance de 21,1 km, était à la tête du groupe qui franchissait les 10 kilomètres en 36 :38. À quelques mètres derrière, Desjardins ne semblait plus capable de tenir la cadence imposée par les meneuses. Très à l’aise, Gollish nous a semblé au beau milieu d’une longue séance d’entraînement!
Les choses se sont rapidement précipitées pour tout le monde entre le 10ème et le 14ème kilomètre. Pendant que Woodfine maintenait le rythme en enfilant des kilomètres en 3 :07, Jarry était décroché et accusait un retard de 28 secondes au 15ème tandis que Kip Kangogo suivait à 75 secondes du meneur. Au 4ème rang, Adam Hortiam pouvait bien voir Kip devant lui mais n’a jamais pu le rattraper.
On peut affirmer sans l’ombre d’un doute, avec ce chrono de 1h05m43s, que Woodfine en avait encore pas mal sous le pied et qu’il aurait certainement pu améliorer son record personnel (1h05m28s) s’il avait été poussé. Jarry, deuxième en 1h07m28s, conserva une avance importante sur Kangogo, 3ème en 1h08m15s.
«J’ai pris un bon départ, expliqua Woodfine à l’arrivée. Je me suis placé 3ème au début mais dès le 4ème kilomètre, je voulais voir qui pourrait me suivre. À partir de là, on avait déjà creusé un petit écart. Au 10km, je me sentais bien et j’ai poursuivi mon effort. J’étais un peu surpris de voir que Kip (Kangogo) n’était plus là. C’est un bon coureur et il a eu un hiver très difficile en Alberta. Je suis certain qu’il reviendra plus fort bientôt.»
Jarry était relativement satisfait de sa course. «Woodfine a fait une bonne course et il était plus fort aujourd’hui. Comme j’ai été malade autour de Pâques, je ne savais pas trop comment ça allait se passer. Considérant tout ce qui n’allait pas bien, c’est quand même un PB et je n’aurais pas pu demander plus.»
Jarry a bien tenté de demeurer près de Woodfine, mais ce dernier a lancé une attaque qui a fait mal à partir du 12ème kilomètre. «Autour de 12-13km, on s’en allait dans un vent de face et c’est là que ça faisait le plus mal, dit encore Jarry. À ce moment-là, je ne pouvais pas répondre et j’ai commencé à cramper. J’ai essayé de revenir sur lui vers le 15ème mais il était trop tard.»
Un résultat de bon augure pour Jarry, qui prévoit courir son premier marathon à Toronto l’automne prochain. Pour Woodfine, il s’agissait d’une dernière course avant le marathon d’Ottawa. «Ce résultat est une bonne indication qu’on est sur la bonne voie. J’ai bien aimé le parcours. Il y avait quelques virages où je me suis efforcé d’accélérer pour prendre un avantage. Je veux juste poursuivre mon entraînement pour Ottawa avec encore quelques semaines solides et ensuite diminuer à l’approche de la course.»
Gollish s’amuse
Gollish s’est montrée plus patiente et donna le coup de grâce en fin de course, terminant sous les applaudissements nourris en 1h16m14s, devançant Comeau par 11 secondes. Desjardins réussit à conserver la 3ème place pour terminer en 1h17m59s.
Coureuse parmi les plus polyvalentes au Canada, elle était de très bonne humeur à l’arrivée. «Je me sentais fatiguée en arrivant ici après un gros entraînement avant-hier. Je ne me suis pas entraîné hier et je voulais juste avoir du plaisir. Je suis demeuré dans le sillon du groupe et j’ai essayé de m’amuser tout au long de la course.»
Ce besoin de détente était bien évident avant le départ puisque Gollish parlait avec tous les coureurs à la ligne de départ. «Il ne faut pas sous-estimer l’importance du relâchement dans une course. Si on peut rendre l’effort moins pénible en relaxant, je crois que ça peut conduire à un meilleur résultat. J’aime bien avoir du plaisir en course.»
Loin d’être à la recherche d’un gros chrono, Gollish a abordé l’épreuve comme un long tempo. «Mon français est terrible, je comprends un peu mais je me suis pratiqué un peu. J’ai essayé de faire ma petite affaire.»
Gollish a maintenant des ambitions sur la distance du marathon. «Je vais quand même tenter de courir un 5000 mètres sur piste en mai. Le plan sera ensuite vers un marathon à l’automne, probablement à Berlin.»
Sans exception, tous les coureurs ont apprécié le parcours. Gollish a bien résumé le sentiment des athlètes. «Loin des voitures, dans ce grand parc, on était vraiment bien.»
Woodfine and Gollish Big Winners in Montreal
By Laurent Godbout
Montreal (April 22) – Taking advantage of ideal weather conditions at the start, Ontario runners Tristan Woodfine and Sasha Gollish won unequivocal victories on Sunday at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montréal for the 16th edition of the Banque Scotia 21k de Montréal.
Woodfine, 24, of Cobden, Ont., crossed the finish line at the edge of the Olympic rowing basin in 1h05m43s. Gollish, 36, of Toronto, won the women’s event in 1h16min14s.
Woodfine in control
From the start, Woodfine was with a small group of favorites, including defending champion François Jarry from Montréal, Alberta’s Kip Kangogo, Baghdad Rachem, Jacques-Sylvain Lecointre and Adam Hortian of Kitchener. The small pack of six runners quickly spread out and passed 5 kilometres in 15:53, where Woodfine took the lead, followed by Jarry and Kangogo. Maintaining an average pace of 3:06-3:07/km, the three leaders passed 10km in 31:30. Woodfine was obviously the most comfortable, while Jarry, 30 seconds off his best time on the road, was already wincing.
Meanwhile, the women’s lead group, surrounded by a few male runners, was already reduced to three athletes, namely Anne-Marie Comeau, of St-Férréol-les-Neiges, and Toronto’s Sasha Gollish and Laura Desjardins. Leslie Sexton, one of the favorites, was seen at the start, but the London runner gave up near the second kilometer.
While Gollish was practicing her French conversation with the “boys” around her, Comeau, at her first attempt at the 21.1 km distance, was leading the group, passing 10 kilometers in 36:38. A few meters behind, Desjardins no longer seemed able to maintain pace with the leaders. Looking very comfortable, Gollish seemed to be in the middle of a long workout!
Things changed quickly for everyone between kilometers 10 and 14. While Woodfine kept a 3:07/km pace, Jarry was slowly letting go and was 28 seconds behind at 15km, while Kip Kangogo fell to 75 seconds behind the leader. In 4th place, Adam Hortian could see Kip in front of him but was unable to catch him.
Beyond a shadow of a doubt, with his winning time of 1:05:43, Woodfine still had a lot left in his legs and could certainly have improved his personal best (1:05:28s) if he had been pushed. Jarry, second in 1:07:28, kept a significant lead over Kangogo, 3rd in 1:08:15.
“I had a good start,” Woodfine said less than a minute after he finished. I positioned myself in 3rd place at the beginning but from the 4th kilometre on I wanted to see who could follow me. From there, we had already dug a small gap. At 10km, I felt good and I continued my effort. I was a little surprised to see that Kip was no longer there. He is a good runner and has had a very tough winter in Alberta. I’m sure he’ll come back to his best soon. ”
Jarry was relatively happy with his race. “Woodfine had a good race and he was stronger today. As I was sick around Easter, I did not really know how it was going to be. Considering all that went wrong, this is still a PB for me and I could not have asked for more.”
Jarry tried to stay in close range of the leader, but Woodfine launched an attack that hurt from the 12th kilometer. “Around 12-13km, we went in a headwind and that’s where it hurt,” said Jarry again. At that moment, I could not respond and started to cramp. I tried to get back to him around 15km but it was too late.” Overall, it was a positive result for Jarry who plans to run his first marathon in Toronto next fall.
For Woodfine, this was his last race before the Ottawa Marathon. “This result is a good indication that we are on the right track. I enjoyed the course. There were a few bends where I went hard to accelerate and take advantage. I just want to continue my training for Ottawa with a few solid weeks and then decrease as the race approaches.”
Gollish relaxed and having fun
Sasha Gollish crossed the finish line looking relaxed and patient, throwing a final knockout punch near the end of the race. Finishing to loud cheers from the crowd in 1:16:14, she edged Anne-Marie Comeau by 11 seconds. Laura Desjardins managed to stay in 3rd place to finish in 1:17:59.
This was an impressive result from Comeau on her first attempt at the distance. The 21 year old Olympic cross-country skier ran without much knowledge of her abilities for the half marathon and was quite satisfied with the result.
One of the most versatile runners in Canada, Sasha Gollish was in a very good mood upon arrival. “I felt tired coming here after a massive training the day before yesterday. I did not train yesterday and I just wanted to have fun. I stayed in the groove of the group and tried to have fun all along the race. ”
This sense of calm was obvious before the start as Gollish spoke with all the runners at the starting line. “We must not underestimate the importance of relaxation in a race. If we can make the effort less painful by relaxing, I think it can lead to a better result. I like having fun in the race. ”
Far from looking for a fast time, Gollish approached the race like a long tempo run. “My French is terrible, I understand a bit, but I practiced a little. I tried to stay focused on my business. ”
Gollish now has ambitions for the marathon. “I will still try to run a 5000 meter track in May. The plan will then be geared towards a marathon in the fall, probably in Berlin. ”
Without exception, all the elite runners appreciated the course. Gollish pretty much summed up the feelings of the group. “Far from cars, in this big park, it felt really good.”
For full race results, visit: https://bit.ly/2pPsK0n
Par Paul Gains
Malgré un grand nombre de modifications au parcours par la construction au Parc Jean-Drapeau, le Banque Scotia 21k de Montréal attire encore cette année un peloton de bons coureurs ayant des visées sur les nombreuses bourses, des points importants pour le Circuit de course du Canada et un bon défi de début de saison.
L’épreuve montréalaise est la deuxième de huit courses du Circuit de course du Canada en 2018.
Les deux champions en titre du Circuit, Tristan Woodfine et Leslie Sexton, seront parmi les favoris, les deux athlètes ayant bien amorcé la saison 2018 avec des victoires au 8km Race Roster Spring Run-Off le 7 avril dernier.
Du côté masculin, l’international canadien Kip Kangogo traversera le pays pour livrer la lutte à Woodfine ainsi qu’au champion de l’édition 2017 de Montréal, François Jarry.
Le sympathique Jarry, étudiant à l’université McGill, n’aura qu’à prendre le métro pour se rendre à la ligne de départ. En dépit de l’admiration et du respect qu’il porte à ses rivaux, François n’a pas l’intention d’être trop généreux envers les visiteurs. N’ayant rien à perdre, il se trouve dans une position de négligé face aux favoris Woodfine et Kangogo. Et c’est ce qui peut parfois faire ressortir le meilleur d’un athlète.
Dans l’épreuve féminine, Sexton sera talonnée par celle qui l’a suivie au deuxième rang à Toronto. Laura Desjardins, une chiropodiâtre, prend son pied, c’est le moins qu’on puisse dire, dans les épreuves de longue distance. Une autre concurrente à surveiller, inscrite au dernier moment, sera Sasha Gollish. Contrainte à l’abandon lors du 8km de Toronto, la médaillée du 1500 mètres des Jeux panaméricains a déjà fait ses preuves sur les distances plus longues et sera dure à battre si elle est en possession de tous ses moyens.
Les Élites à surveiller:
Tristan Woodfine, 24 ans, indépendant, Cobden, Ontario
Le champion en titre du Circuit de course du Canada, Woodfine préconise présentement un volume plus élevé d’entraînement dans sa préparation pour le Marathon Scotiabank d’Ottawa le 27 mai prochain. Dans une semaine d’entraînement plus légère, ce fut une belle surprise pour lui de remporter le 8km Race Roster Spring Run Off à Toronto. Woodfine détient un record personnel de 1h05.28 au demi-marathon.
Woodfine n’aspire pas à un chrono rapide sur le parcours montréalais, surtout depuis l’ajout de plusieurs virages. Étudiant au Collège de Santé et Technologie de l’Ontario, il souhaite devenir ambulancier paramédical.
“Ce sera beaucoup plus pour déployer un gros effort à cinq semaines du marathon d’Ottawa”, explique-t-il. “Je ne suis pas certain qui sera de la course mais s’il y a une bonne compétition cela ajoute au plaisir de courir. L’objectif numéro un est de donner un gros effort en préparation pour Ottawa et s’il y a des coureurs rapides c’est un boni. ”
“J’ai affronté Kip (Kangogo) quelques fois. Il est présent sur la scène canadienne depuis plusieurs années et il est toujours un athlète compétitif. Je ne sais pas si j’ai déjà couru contre François (Jarry), mais n’importe qui peut connaître une bonne course un jour donné et il faut sortir avec l’idée de faire de son mieux et voir où cela va vous mener.”
Leslie Sexton, 30 ans, London Runner, London, Ontario
En octobre 2017, Sexton était couronnée Championne canadienne du marathon malgré une blessure qui avait retardé son début de saison. Présentement en pleine forme, comme elle l’a démontré lors de sa première victoire de l’année à Toronto, elle est maintenant prête au test du demi-marathon. Améliorer son record personnel de 1h13.13 n’est peut-être pas dans les cartes, en raison des nombreux changements sur le parcours du Parc Jean-Drapeau.
Sexton est plutôt motivée par la possibilité d’ajouter des points au classement du Circuit de courses du Canada à Montréal. Encore plus, elle insiste sur l’importance de voir si son volume d’entraînement élevé sera bénéfique. Cette course fait donc partie d’un plan plus général.
“Je dirais que même sans les points du circuit, je participerais à plusieurs courses du circuit de toute façon,” avoue Sexton. “Il s’agit d’une belle occasion de remporter une bourse en argent et me faire connaître un peu plus. Cette année, j’ai l’intention de participer à cinq ou six courses et peut-être demeurer dans la lutte pour le classement général du circuit encore cette année.
“Le plan pour ce printemps n’est pas de courir un marathon mais de travailler à mon demi-marathon et mon 10 km. La date de Montréal au calendrier était bonne pour un objectif au demi-marathon me donnera trois semaines avant les championnats de 10 000 mètres sur piste de l’Ontario. Je n’ai pas couru sur le parcours de Montréal depuis 2012 (elle était 2ème) et c’était alors un Championnat canadien. Même avec la construction autour, je pense pouvoir obtenir un temps rapide.”
Kip Kangogo, 38 ans, Lethbridge, Alberta
Toujours un fort compétiteur sur les routes, le Canadien d’origine kényane est le plus rapide sur papier avec un record personnel de 1h03.22, réalisé au Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon de 2011. Le printemps dernier, Kip avait aussi remporté le titre de champion canadien au Demi-marathon de Calgary. En 2016, il avait remporté la victoire au 21k Scotia de Montréal.
Ces jours-ci, il travaille six heures par jour pour la commission des écoles du District de Lethbridge, ce qui lui permet du temps avec son épouse et ses deux jeunes enfants en plus de pouvoir s’entraîner. Ayant changé d’entraîneur, il exécute les entraînements preparés par le coach kényan Matthew Cheriuyot. Il est aussi un athlète de l’équipe Skechers Performance du Canada.
“Je veux un bon test pour débuter ma saison et Montréal est un bon endroit pour le faire,” dit-il. “J’y suis déjà allé en 2016 et c’est un bon endroit. Ç’a été un hiver difficile mais j’ai bien hâte de voir où en est ma forme en ce début de saison. ”
Sasha Gollish, 36 ans, University of Toronto TC, Toronto, Ontario
Arrivée tardivement à la course de fond, la candidate au doctorat en Génie excelle des épreuves du 1500 mètres au demi-marathon.
En 2015, elle remportait la médaille de bronze du 1500 mètres des Jeux panaméricains. Elle a aussi à sa fiche un record personnel de 1h11.05 au demi-marathon, ce qui la situe au 3ème rang de tous les temps au Canada. Plus récemment, elle a été la meilleure Canadienne des championnats du monde IAAF de demi-marathon à Valence, terminant 30ème en 1h11.52. Malade, elle devait abandonner lors du 8km Race Roster Spring Run Off mais elle est maintenant prête à rejoindre l’élite du peloton de Montréal.
Francois Jarry, 24 ans, Athlétisme Ville-Marie, Montréal, Quebec
Il y a un an, cet étudiant de l’université McGill émergeait comme l’un des bons jeunes coureurs du Québec en remportant 21k Banque Scotia de Montréal en 1h07.23 en terminant par la suite au 4ème rang des championnats canadiens de Demi-marathon à Calgary. Remporter la course de Montréal devant ses amis et supporteurs fut, dit-il, ‘’une de mes plus belles réalisations.’’
Suite à cette victoire, François a été récompensé en étant nommé parmi les athlètes Skechers Performance du Canada comme son rival Kip Kangogo. À l’évidence, il voue un énorme respect au champion canadien.
“Oh, est-ce qu’il sera là ? Je le connais. Je n’avais pas encore vu la liste de départ. Et bien s’il est là, ce ne sera pas facile,” dit Jarry en riant. “Je l’ai vu à Calgary l’année dernière et je sais qu’il est pas mal rapide. S’il est dans la forme habituelle, j’aurai besoin d’un gros ‘pb’ pour avoir une chance contre lui.
“J’avais un bon volume d’entraînement récemment mais cela vous rend plus vulnérable à la maladie. J’ai été malade durant la période de Pâques j’ai dû prendre une pause de près d’une semaine. J’espère que je pourrai garder la forme, ça pourrait être un grande course.”
Anne-Marie Comeau, 21 ans, Université Laval, Québec
En grandissant à Mont Ste-Anne, Comeau a été amenée au ski de fond en bas âge et a participé à de nombreuses compétitions internationales au cours de son adolescence. Mais lorsqu’elle est entrée à l’université Laval en sciences comptables en 2015, elle passa beaucoup plus de temps à la course en cross-country et représentait l’équipe universitaire du Rouge & Or.
Malgré cette absence fréquente des activités de son premier sport au cours des deux dernières années, Anne-Marie a tenté ultimement et avec succès un dernier coup pour se qualifier pour les Jeux olympiques d’hiver de 2018.
“J’ai couru en cross-country durant tout l’automne,” dit-elle. “Je courais beaucoup mais je ne m’entraînais pas tant que ça pour le ski et je me suis étonnée. J’étais en bonne forme et prête pour les Jeux olympiques.
“Le ski de fond est très bon pour la course mais la course est aussi bonne pour le ski. Quand je fais les deux, je me sens bien pour les deux. En ski, j’ai moins de blessures qu’à la course. Les blessures les plus sérieuses en ski sont les tendinites aux épaules. J’en ai eu une il y a deux ans, parce que la double poussée est très dure pour les épaules. Par contre, on n’a pas de blessures aux pieds ou aux genoux.
“Ce sera ma première expérience au demi-marathon. Comme c’est ma première, je ne sais pas trop comment voir cette course, à quelle vitesse je démarrerai. Je ne veux pas partir trop vite parce que je ne sais pas ce que je peux maintenir sur 21 km. J’aimerais bien courir sous 1h20 ou 1h19 mais je ne sais honnêtement pas ce que je peux faire. ”
Laura Desjardins, 29 ans, Newmarket Huskies, Toronto, Ontario
Desjardins en a étonné plusieurs en terminant au 2ème rang lors du 8 km Race Roster Spring Run Off, un résultat qui l’a mis en confiance avant le 21k Banque Scotia de Montréal. En octobre dernier, elle a fait ses débuts au demi-marathon à Toronto en 1h17.24.
“Je sens que j’ai appris quelque chose lors du 8km de Toronto. Préparation, affûtage, nutrition, repos, éléments de récupération,” dit-elle. “J’ai appris de ça et je pense que ça va m’aider pour le demi de Montréal.
Sous la direction du réputé entraîneur de fond Hugh Cameron, elle a augmenté son entraînement de manière significative cet hiver en vue de la saison de compétitions. Programme d’entraînement réalisé tout en poursuivant son travail chez Premier Footworks à Mississauga.
“Je suis relativement nouvelle sur l’entraînement de fond et c’est ma première année avec un plus gros volume et plus de kilométrage, en plus de mes heures de travail par semaine,” explique-t-elle. “Ça m’a demandé une adaptation.”
“Je m’habitue à ce volume et cette intensité à l’entraînement et je veux voir où j’en suis. C’est une sorte d’année d’expérimentation avec différentes distances et voir comment mon corps s’adapte à ces courses. Il n’y a pas de courses de qualification pour des épreuves mondiales. Le demi-marathon Scotiabank de Toronto et le championnat canadien de 10 km à Ottawa seront les plus importantes.”
Presented by Koena 
By Paul Gains
Despite several course changes due to ongoing construction inside Parc Jean Drapeau the Banque Scotia 21k de Montréal has attracted a strong field intent on chasing prize money, Canada Running Series points and an early season challenge.
The event is the second stop on the eight race 2018 CRS circuit.
Leading the elite field are the two defending CRS champions, Tristan Woodfine and Leslie Sexton, who launched their 2018 CRS campaigns in victorious fashion at Toronto’s Race Roster Spring Run Off 8k, April 7th.
Canadian international Kip Kangogo, flies across the country to do battle with Woodfine and defending Montréal champion, Francois Jarry.
The personable Jarry, a McGill University student, will hop the Metro to get to the race but although he admires and respects his rivals he doesn’t intend to be the perfect host. With nothing to lose he is in a comfortable position compared to the favoured Woodfine and Kangogo. And that can often bring out the best in a competitor.
Meanwhile, Sexton will be shadowed by the woman who finished second to her in Toronto, Laura Desjardins, a practicing chiropodist, who is finding her feet in the longer distances. A late addition to the field is Sasha Gollish who, under duress, dropped out of the RRSRO 8k. The Pan Am Games 1,500m gold medalist is an accomplished distance runner and if fully fit will prove difficult to beat.
Elites to Watch:
Tristan Woodfine 24, Unattached, Cobden, Ontario
The defending CRS overall champion Woodfine is embracing a higher training volume as he prepares for the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon May 27. Dropping down and winning the Race Roster Spring Run Off 8km in Toronto was a pleasant surprise in light of the training. Even so he has a best half marathon time of 1:05:28.
Running fast over the Montréal course particularly with the addition of a few more turns is no longer the target for Woodfine who is now studying at the Ontario Health and Technology College. He intends to become a paramedic.
“It’s more about getting a good hard effort in five weeks before Ottawa,” he explains. “I am not sure who is going to be racing but if there is good competition there then that adds to the fun. Goal number one is get a good hard effort in preparation for Ottawa and if there are some fast guys to race that’s an added bonus.
“I have raced Kip a couple of times. He’s been on the Canadian running scene for many years and he is always a good competitor. I don’t know if I have ever raced Francois but anyone can have a good race on any given day so you just go out there and give it your best and see where you stack up.”
Leslie Sexton 30, London Runner, London, Ontario
Last October Sexton was crowned Canadian Marathon Champion despite an injury induced delay to the start of her 2017 season. Now, fully healthy and fit, as her recent victory in Toronto proved, she is ready to test herself over the 21k distance. Beating her personal best (1:13:13) is likely not in the cards this weekend due to the course changes.
The attraction of adding CRS points is one reason she is racing Montréal. More importantly she says is the importance of seeing how her high volume training has paid off. The race is part of a bigger picture.
“I would say even without the CRS points I would be doing a lot of CRS races anyway,” Sexton admits. “It’s just a great competitive opportunity to win prize money and get my name out there a bit more. This year I intend to do five or six races in the Series and hopefully contend for the Series win again.
“The plan for this spring was not to do a marathon but to work on my half marathon and my 10k. So the date of Montréal worked well to be a ‘goal’ half marathon and will give me about three weeks before I do the Ontario 10,000m championships. I haven’t run the Montréal course since 2012 (she was 2nd) when it was the Canadian Championships. Even with the construction, hopefully, I can still run a pretty fast time.”
Kip Kangogo 38, Lethbridge, Alberta
Always a strong competitor on the roads this Kenyan born Canadian citizen is the fastest on paper with a personal best of 1:03:22 from the 2011 Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon. Last spring he also won the Canadian Half Marathon championship in Calgary. More significantly he raced in Montreal in 2016 and won.
These days he is working six hours a day for the Lethbridge School District which he says allow him time with his wife and two young children as well as the opportunity to complete his training program. Having switched coaches he follows workouts prescribed by Kenyan Matthew Cheriuyot. He is also a Skechers Performance Canada Athlete.
“I am looking for a test to open my season and Montréal is a good place to do it,” he declares. “I have been there before (in 2016) and it’s a good environment. It has been a tough winter but I look forward to seeing where my fitness is as I start the season.”
Sasha Gollish 36, University of Toronto TC, Toronto, Ontario
A relative late comer to distance running this PhD Engineering candidate has excelled at distances from 1,500m up to the half marathon.
In 2015 she claimed the Pan Am Games 1,500m bronze. She also has a best half marathon time of 1:11:05 making her the third fastest Canadian of all time. Most recently she was Canada’s top finisher at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships finishing 30th in 1:11:52. Illness forced her to drop out of the recent Race Roster Spring Run Off but she has rebounded to join the elite field for Montréal.
Francois Jarry 24, Athlétisme Ville-Marie, Montréal, Quebec
A year ago this McGill University student emerged as one of Quebec’s finest young runners winning the Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal in 1:07:23 and then finishing 4th at the Canadian Half Marathon Championships in Calgary. Winning this race in front of his hometown supporters was, he says, one of his greatest achievements.
Now he has been rewarded by being named a Skechers Performance Canada Athlete like his rival Kip Kangogo. Clearly he respects the Canadian champion immensely.
“Oh he is going to be there? I know him. I hadn’t seen the start list yet. If he is going to be there it is not going to be easy,” he says laughing. “I saw him in Calgary last year and I know he is pretty fast. If he is in the shape he usually is then I am going to need a very big ‘pb’ to have a chance against him.
“I was doing great training big volume but that makes you more susceptible to illness. I had some sickness over Easter and took me out for about a week. Hopefully most of my fitness will stay with me. It could be a great race.”
Anne-Marie Comeau 21, Laval University, Montréal, Quebec
Growing up in Mont Ste Anne, Quebec Comeau was introduced to cross country skiing at an early age and competed internationally as a youth. But when she enrolled in accounting at Laval University in 2015 she switched to cross country running and competed for the varsity team.
Despite this absence from her chosen sport she made a last ditch effort to qualify for Canada’s team to the 2018 Winter Olympics and was successful.
“I was doing cross country running all during the fall,” she says. “I was running a lot but wasn’t training so much for skiing so I surprised myself. I was in good shape and I was fine for the Olympics.
“Skiing is very good for running but also running is very good for skiing. When I do both I feel better for both. We get way less injuries than in running; the biggest injuries we have in skiing is tendonitis in the shoulders. I had one two years ago because the double pulling is really hard on the shoulders. But we don’t have injuries on our feet and knees.
“This is my first experience in the half marathon. Because it is my first one I don’t know how to see the race, which pace to start. I think I don’t want to start too fast because I don’t know the speed I can go for 21k. I would like to do under 1:20 or 1:19 but I don’t honestly know what I can do.”
Laura Desjardins 29, Newmarket Huskies, Toronto, Ontario
Desjardins surprised many with her second place finish at the Race Roster Spring Run Off 8km a race that has given her much more confidence going into the Banque Scotia 21k de Montréal. Last October she made her debut at the half marathon distance in Toronto finishing in 1:17:24.
“I feel like I have learned something from that (RRSRO 8k) race, preparing, tapering, nutrition, rest, recovery items,” she says. “I have learned from that and I think it will help me going into the ‘Montreal Half.’
Under the direction of noted distance coach, Hugh Cameron, she has increased her training significantly this winter in preparation for the racing season. This she has done around her employment as a Chiropodist at Premier Footworks in Mississauga.
“I am relatively new to the distance training this is my first year doing higher mileage higher volume on top of doing 40 hours of work and commuting,” she explains. “It was kind of an adjustment.”
“I am getting used to this volume and intensity in training and trying to see where I stand. It’s kind of a year of experimenting with different distances and seeing how the body adapts to those races. I know there is no major world qualifier. The Scotiabank Toronto Half Marathon is a big one, the 10k championships in Ottawa.”
VANCOUVER, BC. June 25th. Lethbridge’s Kip Kangogo (65:35) and Toronto’s Lyndsay Tessier (77:00) raced to emphatic victories in the 19th edition of the Scotiabank Vancouver Half marathon, presented by Asics, ahead of 4,229 participants this morning. Another 2,506 took part in the accompanying 5K. The total, sold-out crowd of 6,735 were drawn to the magnificent scenery of the Pacific Northwest and the finish in world-famous Stanley Park, from 9 Canadian provinces, 26 American states and 27 countries around the world. Combined, the runners also raised and impressive $970,000 for 76 mostly-local charities in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge.
The summerlike conditions showed one of the world’s most-scenic half marathons at its best, but led to tactical races up front. It was 19c for the 7:30am start of the “Scotia Half” start at the University of British Columbia at 7:30am. A group of 4 immediately broke away from the field, led by Canada’s 2012 Olympic marathoner Dylan Wykes, with Kangogo, Lakefield, Ontario’s Thomas Toth and Tristan Woodfine from Guelph’s Speed River TFC tucked in behind. Two initial three-minute kilometres got rid of Woodfine who drifted back on tired legs, and the pace slowed to consistent 3:10s as Wykes kept things moving along. Toth, who had already put in over 200 kilometres this week as he prepares to represent Canada in the IAAF World Championships marathon in London in August, was gone by 8k (24:51). It then turned into a thoroughly absorbing cat and mouse contest between two wily veterans. Kangogo had already won the event an impressive 5 times, Wykes once in 2014 (with Kangogo 2nd). The pair continued down through Spanish Banks, Jericho Beach, Point Grey and into Kitsilano with Wykes doing all the leading, and Kangogo in his footsteps behind. 10k was passed in 30:47 and 15k in 46:33 before Kangogo moved out to test Wykes’ race fitness around Kits Point at 17k. At 18k, going onto the challenging uphill over Burrard Bridge, the Albertan made his signature, decisive move that has given him so many victories on the course and it was over quickly. “My training has been coming along really nicely,” Kangogo said. “I was happy with my preparation and I planned to make my move at 18k on the bridge. I had won the Canadian Half marathon Championships 3 weeks ago in Calgary and I was ready. I love this race and am glad to come back anytime.” Despite dropping off to finish 18 seconds back (65:53) Wykes was also pleased with his performance. After battling injuries for 4 years and starting a family, he ran a steady, controlled effort. “It’s great to be back racing,” he said. “Right now I’ve still only got one gear, but watch out for me in the Fall!” Toth crossed the line a distant third in 68:02, with Woodfine another minute back (69:03).
The women’s race produced a surprise winner in Lyndsay Tessier from Toronto’s Black Lungs club, ahead of strong pre-race favourite Dayna Pidhoresky (78:10) of Vancouver. Pidhoresky was coming off a breakthrough performance at the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon just 4 weeks ago – a PB of 2:36:08 that also earned her a place on the Canadian team to the World Championships. “It was tough out there,” she said. “It was hot. The plan was to do a tempo workout and I thought that might be good enough to win today, but it wasn’t. Lyndsay really deserved to win. I’ve only had a couple of workouts since Ottawa, and I was worried if I pushed too hard it might set me back, and I’d miss some important training for London.” Pidhoresky got off to her typical quick start and was well clear at 3k which she passed in 10:02. But Tessier remained steady, gradually hauling her in. Tessier caught up around 8k, and the pair battled back and forth until 13k when Tessier made the move, to eventually win by over a minute. “Early on I just tried to keep the green shorts in sight,” said Tessier. “I’m not good on downhills, and Dayna got away from me on the downhill from 8k to 9k, but I caught up to her again by 10k. I do much better on the uphills and I moved away on the rise from Jericho at 13k. Burrard Street bridge was really a throat punch at the end but once I got over it I just held on.” Washington State’s Courtney Olsen was 3rd in 80:47.
Following the race, Race Director Clif Cunningham presented Kangogo with 6 rings to represent his 6 victories on the course, after several years of the former college All-American repeatedly joking about “where’s my rings?!” A live band, a teeming “Charity Village” and all around good vibes with snow-capped mountains and the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop, rounded out a spectacular Vancouver running experience.
After a summer hiatus the Canada Running Series resumes in Vancouver, with the Under Armour Eastside 10k on September 16th. https://canadarunningseries.com/vancouver-eastside-10k/
Full results from today at https://canadarunningseries.com/scotiabank-vancouver-half-marathon/the-weekend/#results-and-photos
Introducing our Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k Elite Field.
| Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon Male Elite Athletes | |||||
| Bib # | Last Name | First Name | City | Prov. | |
| 1 | Kangogo | Kip | Lethbridge | AB | |
| 2 | Toth | Thomas | Plaistow | NH | |
| 3 | Wykes | Dylan | Vancouver | BC | |
| 4 | Martinson | Geoffrey | Vancouver | BC | |
| 5 | Woodfine | Tristan | Guelph | ON | |
| 6 | Kimosop | Willy | Lethbridge | AB | |
| 7 | Kasia | Dancan | Toronto | ON | |
| 11 | Bascal | Shoayb | Victoria | BC | |
| 12 | Gomez | Inaki | Vancouver | BC | |
| 13 | Browne | Nicholas | Vancouver | BC | |
| 14 | Blazey | Paul | Norwich | UK | |
| 15 | Mulverhill | Chris | Vancouver | BC | |
| 16 | Dunfee | Evan | Richmond | BC | |
| 17 | Nicholson | Drew | Surrey | BC | |
| 21 | Ziak | Jeremiah | Vancouver | BC | |
| 22 | McMillan | Craig | North Vancouver | BC | |
| 23 | Hatachi | Tatsuya | Coquitlam | BC | |
| 24 | Fieldwalker | Matt | Vancouver | BC | |
| 25 | Newby | James | Squamish | BC | |
| 26 | Portman | Bryan | Nanaimo | BC | |
| Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon Female Elite Athletes | |||||
| Bib # | Last Name | First Name | City | Prov. | |
| F2 | Pidhoresky | Dayna | Vancouver | BC | |
| F4 | Tessier | Lyndsay | Toronto | ON | |
| F5 | Wilkie | Sabrina | Vancouver | BC | |
| F6 | Olsen | Courtney | Bellingham | WA | |
| F7 | Coll | Neasa | Vancouver | BC | |
| F11 | Moroz | Jen | Vancouver | BC | |
| F13 | Lewis-Schneider | Meg | Vancouver | BC | |
| F14 | Smart | Kristin | Cobble Hill | BC | |
| F15 | Pepin | Cheryl | North Vancouver | BC | |
| F16 | Dale | Shannon | North Vancouver | BC | |
| F17 | Longridge | Corri | Vancouver | BC | |
| F18 | Moore | Katherine | Vancouver | BC | |
| F22 | Kassel | Melanie | Chilliwack | BC | |
| F23 | Montgomery | Darcie | North Vancouver | BC | |
| Scotiabank Vancouver 5km Elite Athletes | |||||
| Bib # | Last Name | First Name | City | Prov. | |
| 5002 | Wilkie | Mark | Vancouver | BC | |
| 5003 | Watkins | Catherine | Vancouver | BC | |
| 5004 | Gustafson | Kate | Vancouver | BC | |
December 6th, 2016. By Paul Gains
As he crossed the finish line of the 2016 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in fifth place, Eric Gillis knew he had capped off a brilliant year.
The 36 year old Guelph, Ontario resident won both the Canadian championship and the overall Canada Running Series title with this performance in Toronto. And, coming just nine weeks after a superlative 10th place finish in the Rio Olympic marathon, it signaled he has more running in his legs – not to mention a little more cash in his bank account.
The CRS overall winner earns $5,000.
“As soon as I finished Toronto (Waterfront) I assumed that my points would have been enough from the three races to probably win (the CRS title),” the three time Olympian admits. “It was on my mind. It was one of the reasons I went out to Vancouver to race the Eastside 10k in September. Credit to (race director) Alan (Brookes) for putting the series together and for putting that amount of money up for winning the overall series. I feel really fortunate to be the overall champion.
“There is not a lot of guaranteed money in this sport. Until I finished that race in Toronto – you have to finish all three races – so you can’t take anything for granted. It gets myself out racing on Canadian soil which I enjoy. It’s definitely a help to have that $5,000.”
Along with scoring the maximum 60 points by winning the Canadian marathon championship as well as the Vancouver Eastside 10k, Gillis emerged the victor at the Toronto Waterfront 10k which he used to gauge his fitness going into the Olympics. His total points score of 180 easily beat second place Kip Kangogo.
Kangogo, the Kenyan born Lethbridge resident, who gained his Canadian citizenship two years ago, finished with 142 points on the strength of his silver medal Canadian Marathon Championship performance in Toronto (9th place overall) and a pair of victories at the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon and Banque de Scotia 21k de Montreal. The latter two events were lesser weighted in terms of point value than the three events Gillis won.
The Toronto Waterfront Marathon, for instance, is an IAAF Gold Label event the highest international level awarded by athletics governing body. Kangogo, who is equally supportive of the Series, earned $2,000 for finishing second.
The women’s overall winner was another Olympian, Krista DuChene. She topped the table with 165 points having won the Canadian Marathon title and the Toronto Waterfront 10k, which were both worth 60 points. Her victory at the Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal earned her an additional 45 points.
This isn’t the first time DuChene has emerged at the top of the CRS points standings. She also won the overall CRS title in 2012.
“The funny thing is the first time I won it I didn’t even know,” the 39 year old from Brantford, Ontario says laughing. “Now obviously, having run with Alan all these years, first of all it’s an honour, I never take my competition lightly. So to win the series overall is an honour.
“I think the three races that I won, that allowed me to win the series, all three were pretty important. The Montreal Half Marathon was where I proved my fitness to get the (Athletics Canada) stamp of approval for Rio. And it was the first time I had run the course since I broke my leg on the course. So that was pretty special.”
“And the 10k was the first time that race had been run. So that was exciting to run and win it for the first time. Toronto (Waterfront Marathon) was the icing on the cake after coming back from becoming an Olympian and winning a national title. I couldn’t ask for a better season really.”
On January 9th DuChene will turn forty and has her eyes set on beating some of the Canadian masters records as well as improving her personal best times. No shopping sprees are planned so the $5,000 CRS prize will help pay down the mortgage on her house.
The Canada Running Series also recognizes the achievements of the country’s best masters runners too. Kevin Smith (Mississauga) by the slimmest of margins (93 to 91) beat Jerry Ziak of Vancouver to the overall men’s masters title. He earns $1,000 while Ziak takes $500 for second. The pair never met in head to head competition.
Montreal’s Sandra McLean was overall women’s masters champion taking maximum points at the Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal (45 points) and at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (60 points).
While the Canada Running Series serves runners of all ages and abilities there is also an incredible fundraising initiative which accompanies the program. In 2016 more than 53,000 runners raised a total of $5,595,834 for 342 mostly local charities. That translates to roughly $104 for every participant in the series.
The 2017 Canada Running Series launches April 8th with the Race Roster Spring Run-Off 8km an annual tradition in Toronto’s High Park for almost forty years. Some exciting changes lie ahead for the Series including the inclusion of both a 5km and 10km with the Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal, an initiative designed to give more runners an opportunity to participate in a spring time event.
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For more information:
https://canadarunningseries.com/#races
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