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Apr 22 2015
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Three Time Winner Eric Gills Returns to Banque Scotia 21k De Montreal. By Paul Gains

By | Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal et 5k | No Comments

Scotia21kMtl Eric Finish Line BlogTORONTO April 22nd 2015. Eric Gillis returns to the Banque Scotia 21k De Montreal (April 26) seeking his fourth consecutive victory on the scenic Parc Jean-Drapeau course.

The two time Canadian Olympian will also attempt to make it three for three in this young 2015 season.  Already he has won the Harry’s Spring Run-Off 8k and, this past Sunday, the Toronto Yonge Street 10k. All three races are part of the Canada Running Series.

Gillis was the 2014 Canada Running Series champion and appears a good bet to repeat if he can stay in form.

Success however is not only due to his commitment to training hard at Speed River Track Club but also an uncanny ability to balance family life with his training and competitive schedule.  Gillis, 34, is the father of two young children Heidi, 5, and Luke, seventeen months. His wife Emily is a nurse and recently returned to full time work following maternity leave.

“It is flexible, that’s the biggest thing with kids, and, with my wife Emily back at work now,” he declares. “We have chats the night before or a couple of nights before and get things down on calendars but it is always a very fluid process.

“That is probably the biggest challenge – my ability to plan ahead. But once we do it usually involves getting up just before 7am – the kids might already be up. Emily will get up first with the kids, and then from 7 until 9 it’s breakfast. Then I am taking Heidi my youngest to the bus stop at 8:30am. She’s in junior kindergarten and then it’s taking Luke to daycare after that.”

While Emily heads off to the clinic where she works Gillis heads out for the first of his two daily runs around 9:00 a.m. and after he returns there are breakfast dishes to tackle.

“I am usually pretty flexible through the day,” he offers. “My usual routine is either doing some stretching mobility exercises or even sometimes some core exercises.”

Once a week he also drives to Georgetown, Ontario where he visits an acupuncturist and also has a weekly physiotherapy appointment with Brenda Scott-Thomas, the wife of his long-time coach Dave Scott-Thomas. Then there are the occasional appearances for his sponsor, New Balance which might entail visiting a local high school or a running shoe store.

“Those things I usually book for around noon when I am not running or have children responsibilities,” he adds.

Scotia21kMtl Eric For Blog“Getting in the second run is more challenging right now.  Sometimes I try to get out before 3:30pm when I have to get my daughter off the bus. I also have practice (with Speed River TC) at 4pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday now so Emily and I will do the trade-off. I will get Heidi off the bus and then leave for practice.”

If it all sounds complicated it’s something the family takes in stride. Gillis is a true family man and enjoys the opportunity to travel together. A year ago, for instance, he and the family took the train to Montreal. His wife and children were at the finish line when he collected the National Half Marathon title that day.

“With all of us staying in one room it’s a little tougher with my little guy older now,” says Gillis. “He’s up through the night whereas last year when he came to Montreal for the 21k it was easier because he slept through the night.”

This week Gillis will travel alone to the competition.

“It’s a little tougher knowing that it’s more work for Emily at home when I am away at a race,” he admits, “so there’s a tradeoff. To go to a road race and you consider it’s a work trip. But it’s also more work with only one parent being home or you have to ask your in laws to come and stay. It’s a tradeoff.”

Between Emily’s salary, his New Balance contract and the money he picks up from road race appearance fees and prize money, the family is able to live comfortably in Guelph, Ontario.

He is a heavy favourite to win on Sunday. Although Quebec athletes are showing promise on the track, none are yet approaching the level required to challenge an athlete of Gillis’ strength. Consequently, he is taking a relaxed approach to the event.

“It’s not the Canadian championships this year so I doubt there will be the same level of competition,” he explains. “I am treating it like a solid half marathon race training Hopefully I run a similar time to years past but I am not looking to run a personal best.”

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For More Information and registration:

http://www.canadarunningseries.com/monthalf/index.htm

 

 

 

Apr 19 2015
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Marchant And Gillis Take Toronto Yonge Street 10K Honours. By Paul Gains

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TYS10K Lanni Winner

Lanni Marchant breaks the tape in 31:49

TORONTO April 19th 2015. Despite a very strong headwind and cool temperatures for most of the race Lanni Marchant narrowly missed the course record at the Toronto Yonge Street 10k this morning.

The 30 year old resident of Chattanooga, Tennessee crossed the finish line in a time of 31:49,  just seven seconds off Florence Jepkoskei’s 2007 record time. It was her second victory in three years at this Canada Running Series race.

Marchant, who famously beat the Canadian women’s marathon record at the 2013 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (2:28:00), was all smiles as she greeted well wishers after the race. Missing the record didn’t disappoint her in the least.

“I am really happy with how I ran today,” she said. “I have been really focusing more on the 10,000m stuff for the track.  With the wind and conditions today I was happy to dip under (my P.B. on this course). I think I was 31:58 two years ago so I was a bit quicker than that this year so I will take it.”

From 3 kilometres on Marchant, who is originally from London, Ontario, was alone in the women’s race her chief rival, Tarah Korir, dropping back around that point. Korir, the 2012 Toronto Yonge Street 10k winner, spends most of the year in Cherangany, Kenya where her husband Wesley is a Member of Parliament. Marchant trained in Kenya during the winter and spent a lot of time with her friend and rival.

“I have known Tarah for years and we trained together in Kenya,” Marchant explained. “We did a lot of workouts in Kenya. She really made me work hard over there and she really made me work hard at the start of the race today.

“I never line up expecting to win or be the favourite.  I never want to doubt another girl’s fitness. I know how quickly I came on the scene so I never doubt how quickly another girl is going to do the same thing.”

Korir finished second in a time of 32:57 and soon after joined her parents at the Kenyan Kids Foundation table in the post race area. This is the charity she and Wesley started to help educate young Kenyan children. Although shivering in the cold wind she was pleased with her performance today.

“I started out with (Lanni) but then I felt like that pace was a bit too quick to maintain so I dropped back a little bit,” she revealed. “It was maybe 3 or 4k before I felt I was able to maintain a pace. I was able to pass runners.

“It was a lot better than a year ago. I was hoping to run a little faster but it was a decent race. I just want to continue improving from here.”

Marchant heads back to her latest high altitude training camp in Flagstaff, Arizona this evening where she will prepare for a pair of important track meets.

“I have been training in Flagstaff the last couple of weeks,” the London, Ontario native said. “I will head back there tonight then I head to California to do the Payton Jordan 10,000m on the track and try and get under 32 minutes for the IAAF world championships standard. Then I will be in Ottawa for the national 10k championships.

“I am going to do the Pan Am Games marathon so I will be back in Toronto for that. I can’t do two marathons in one summer and I really want to go to the IAAF world championships, so I have to become a 10k runner to do so.”

Eric Gillis crosses the finish line in 29:16

Eric Gillis crosses the finish line in 29:16

Two time Canadian Olympian Eric Gillis accomplished his goal of winning the men’s race albeit in a time reflective of the windy conditions. That time of 29:16 is more than a minute slower than his best on this course. He surged with 3 kilometres remaining in the race and earned a gap on Matt Loiselle which he held to the finish. Loiselle took second in 29:35 with the surprising Lamont Marshall finishing 3rd in 29:50.

“I wasn’t feeling that great this week,” Gillis revealed. “Some hip issues, so I played it conservative. Crazy wind out there all the way down Yonge Street. It didn’t feel as fast as normal on that course. But then things kind of clicked when I picked it up with 3k to go. I am a little sore now but I will get some therapy and I will be good to go.”

“I had Matt (alongside) until 7k and he did a bunch of the leading. Matt did a ton of the work. Just before 7k I knew we were going to make a turn and I was hoping the wind wasn’t going to be in our face and it wasn’t.  I just kept up the tempo from there, tried to feel good. I was feeling like if it was more than a 10k I could keep the rhythm going. I am pleased with the win and glad to get this one in.”

Loiselle had started the race wearing a hat but a gust of wind blew it off barely two hundred metres down the road. After losing the better part of two years rehabilitating from injuries he was pleased to make it to the starting line and test himself against Gillis. Two weeks ago the pair had raced at Harry’s Spring Run-Off 8k with the Olympian prevailing by 22 seconds.

“I am satisfied, I guess,” Loiselle, a 30 year old Athletics Toronto member, said. “Usually we have the wind coming from the north and, of course, today it was coming from the south.

“Originally I wanted to kind of push the pace and take it out from the gun. I tried anyway, maybe got a little bit of a gap at about 3k but Eric caught up to me. We stayed together until around 7k and he made a pretty good surge and I couldn’t react. Overall I am definitely happy with the effort. It was a better race than two weeks ago. Each week is getting a little bit better.”

Another notable performance today was the third place finish of Lioudmila Kortchaguina in a time of 33:44.  The Russian born Canadian, who represented Canada in the 2007 IAAF World Championships marathon, is now 43 years of age.

TYS10K Red Door Family Shelter

Race Director Alan Brookes, Councillor Michelle Beradinetti, and Red Door Family Shelter Executive Director Bernitta Hawkins

There were so many winners today including Red Door Family Shelter who went home with $12,700 to fund their Children’s Programs and Sick Kids Hospital who benefited from the fundraising efforts of the Justice League Runners. Toronto 2015 mascot PACHI joined the celebrations at the finish line as the star of many runners’ photo selfies during a special day for Toronto!

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For Race Results: Toronto10k.ca 

Apr 08 2015
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Gillis And Marchant Face Strong Challenges at Toronto Yonge Street 10K. By Paul Gains

By | Toronto Yonge Street 10K | No Comments
TYS10K Blog Eric Gills

Eric breaks the tape at Toronto Yonge Street 10k, 2014. His first win on Yonge Street and third try!

TORONTO April 8th 2015. Two time Canadian Olympian Eric Gillis heads up a strong men’s field while Canadian marathon record holder Lanni Marchant is the women’s favourite in the 2015 Yonge Street 10km race April 19th.

Gillis, a 35 year old Guelph, Ontario resident won this race last year with a time of 28:32 and went on to capture 2014 Canadian National titles in both the 10k and the Half-Marathon. He finished off the calendar year with a new personal best at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (2:11:21). It was no surprise that he was also the Canada Running Series overall champion.

He had intended to run the Rotterdam marathon this spring but a nagging case of tendonitis in his shin interrupted his marathon training and he was forced to change direction.

A spring road race season is now in the cards. A victory at the Harry’s Spring Run-Off 8k (24:18) last Saturday, April 4th amply demonstrated that he is in good shape.

“Yes I was pleased with (my performance) at Harry’s Spring Run-Off,” Gillis says. “It’s always nice getting a win and I felt in control at the end of a big week of training.

“It was nice getting a race in before the Toronto Yonge Street 10k.  I haven’t raced since the 2014 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon last October. So the Harry’s run is bound to help with confidence for (the race in) two weeks’ time. I’ll bring down my training more before Toronto Yonge Street 10k to make sure I’m fresh and read to go.”

Toronto Yonge Street 10k attracts a huge field and, like the Harry’s Spring Run-Off 8k and the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, is part of the Canada Running Series. Gillis faces a formidable challenge in Toronto from Athletics Toronto Track Club teammates Matt Loiselle and Sami Jibril.

Loiselle is returning from two years of injuries and chased Gillis around High Park to finish 2nd at Harry’s Spring Run Off in a time of 24:40 twenty-two seconds behind Gillis.

“Training is going well now,” Loiselle says. “I feel like I’m starting to turn a corner.  It was tough getting through the cold winter in Toronto, as anyone who was training here knows, but now spring is here and I’m looking forward to it.

“I’m excited for this year’s Toronto Yonge Street 10k.  For whatever reason, it’s really never fit into my plans since I’ve been living in Toronto.  It will be another stepping stone as I try to get back to the level I was once at. I know it’s a fast course and the competition is always great so I’m really looking forward to it.”

For the past four years Loiselle has provided accounting services for a large health food and supplement store in Markham called Nature’s Emporium.

“They are very understanding of my training and racing schedule so it’s a great place for me to work,” he adds. “I’m also in the process of obtaining my Certified Public Accountant license, so I’m in the middle of taking courses for that.  I’ve also been coaching the distance team at York University for about a year and a half, and I do some online coaching as well on the side.”

Equally busy and determined to perform well is training partner Sami Jibril. The 26 year old works the 3pm – 11pm shift as a streetcar maintenance repairman at the Toronto Transit Commission and fits in training before and after work. Twice he has run 29:16 at the Toronto Yonge Street 10k finishing as high as 3rd in the race’s 2013 edition.

“My fitness is better than last year,” Jibril insists. “I have had a great winter training without warm weather training camp this year. My main goal is to ‘PB’; I have run identical times back to back years of 29:15.5.

“Eric Gillis is a great Canadian champion and is, by far, the favourite to win. I will be focusing on myself and am preparing to finish in the top three and challenge the top guys for the 2015 Yonge street 10k title.”

Jibril tried his hand at the longer distance in March finishing 3rd at last month’s Around The Bay 30k Road Race in Hamilton with a time of 1:35:48. Consequently, he rested through this weekend’s Harry’s Spring Run-Off 8k a race he won two years ago.

Marchant, who ran 31:58 on this course to take the 2013 race, will be challenged by Tarah Korir,  the 2012 race champion. Both have recently spent time training in Kenya.

Korir, is married to 2012 Boston Marathon champion, Wesley Korir, and spends several months a year in the country as Wesley is the Member of Parliament for Cherangany district.

Lanni on her way to victory at Modo Spring Run Off Vancouver 8k on March 22nd.

Lanni on her way to victory at Modo Spring Run Off Vancouver 8k on March 22nd.

Marchant recently won the Modo Spring Run-Off Vancouver 8k in 26:43. That race kicked off the 2015 Canada Running Series.  She then finished 4th in the 10,000m at the Stanford Invitational. Her time there (32:11.06) was a new personal best and the second fastest time ever recorded by a Canadian.

The 31 year old from London, Ontario is best known for setting a Canadian marathon record of 2:28:00 at the 2013 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

“I will be doing the Payton Jordan 10000m in May,” she reveals. “I love the longer stuff. I can run marathon pace until the cats come home but getting me to run quicker is proving to be a bit of a task! So, I was happy to get out and race Modo 8k as a rust buster.

“I am doing the Pan Am Games Marathon definitely, so (I will) play around with the shorter stuff then by May I will do my last 10k and turn our heads back to the longer stuff and what I am more comfortable with anyways.”

Another runner to watch at this year’s Toronto Yonge Street 10k is Flotrack World Beer Mile champion Corey Gallagher from Winnipeg. A year ago he ran a personal best time of 30:32 at this race to finish a credible 10th overall.

“For Toronto Yonge street 10k I’m really looking to set a ‘PB’ and aim for top 10 overall,” he says. “To ‘PB’ I think I need to be a little more aggressive at the start and not sit back or be scared to go for it.”

Since winning the beer mile championship the Canada Post worker has been in the news constantly.

“It’s crazy how much attention I have got since I won Flotrack Beer Mile World Championships,” he says laughing. “I figured it would be like most things – fifteen minutes of fame – but here we are going on five months later and I’m still getting attention.

“The response at the Modo 8k was amazing. People were nice and curious about what a beer mile was. I think people like hearing about the Beer mile, everyone understands a mile and most people have had a beer. So mixing the two and hearing how fast I do both (5:00.23) seems to catch people’s attention. I’m enjoying chatting with people about the Beer Mile, and getting everyone’s take on it, positive or negative.”

As part of the nationwide Canada Running Series, the Toronto Yonge Street 10k maintains the high standard set by a full time professional management team. The downhill point to point course offers runners the chance to lower their personal best times and have an enjoyable time doing it. It is also an important fundraiser for Red Door Family Shelter.

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For More Information and registration: www.toronto10k.ca

Mar 26 2015
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Toronto Race Celebrates 37th Anniversary: “Ten Remarkable Years with Harry Rosen.” By Paul Gains

By | Harry's Spring Run-Off | No Comments

TORONTO March 26th 2015. For thirty-seven years the Harry’s Spring Run Off 8k and 5k has been the season opener for many of the country’s top distance runners. It is Toronto’s oldest, continuously held road race.

On April 4th more than 4,400 runners of all abilities including elite racers, fun runners and charity fundraisers, will line up in Toronto’s High Park for what will be the 37th anniversary of this prestigious race. Harry Rosen Inc. has been title sponsor of “Harry’s” Spring Run Off for the past ten years.

Some of the sport’s superstars have emerged victorious on the picturesque and challenging course. Indeed, the 8k course records are held by Daniel Komen of Kenya (22:35 in 1994) and Britain’s Jill Hunter (25:56 in 1990).

Komen, of course, went on to set world records at 3,000m and 5,000m as well as capture the 1997 IAAF World Championship at 5,000m. Incredibly that 3,000m record (7:20:67) still stands.

There have been some epic battles. Defending champion, Paul Kimugul, a Kenyan born resident of Toronto will be hard pressed again by two-time Olympian Eric Gillis who is a late entry.

HSROT Eric Gills

Eric Gills breaking the tape in 2011

Last year Gillis was 3rd about twelve seconds behind the Kenyan. The resident of Guelph, Ontario had planned to run the Rotterdam Marathon but tendonitis in his shin hindered his preparation. As a result he adjusted his training to include some spring road races

“After I decided not to do Rotterdam my goal was just to get back into healthy form and get some good workouts under my belt; get my groove,” says the 35 year old. “I got another couple weeks of training in and decided to go for some races and Harry’s is one I have done a few times before. It’s 8k and a bit of a different distance for me. It’s a fun race so I emailed Alan to see if I could get in and he said sure.

“I like that it’s in High Park, I enjoy the nice scenery there; it’s a beautiful area of Toronto – a challenging last hill. It’s one of those things: I enjoy the thought of it; don’t necessarily like it when I am finishing. It makes it interesting. I like watching the race after I am done and cheering on people up that hill.”

The hilltop finish is also on Larry Rosen’s mind as he thinks about the race. The CEO of Harry Rosen, a leading menswear company with 17 stores across Canada, is extremely proud that 2015 marks the company’s 10th consecutive year as title sponsor. He and many of the company employees have run every year in their distinctive lime green t-shirts and raised roughly $3 million for the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre’s research into prostate cancer.

“Listen, that last hill in that race is an absolute bugger,” says Rosen, the eldest son of founder Harry Rosen, with a laugh. “At the end of the 8k you come up that last hill and it separates the men from the boys and the women from the girls, so to speak.

“It’s a really great sense of community and great spirit when you go out there. A few years ago I remember (the late NDP leader) Jack Layton had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and he came out to launch the race. It was very meaningful to know that a real victim was there supporting the race and supporting the fundraising.”

Olivia Chow, Jack Layton, Mark Daley and Larry Rosen

Olivia Chow, Jack Layton, Mark Dailey and Larry Rosen at Harry’s Spring Run-Off, 2010

Rosen, who also sits on the board of the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation, points to the impact this race has had on cancer research.

“It’s interesting,” Rosen continues, “almost all of the money we have raised over the past ten years has gone to support the work of Dr. Robert Bristow and his team at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.

“Last year he made a very significant breakthrough to do with the genetic code and being able to make certain predictions vis a vis prostate cancer. We know that we have made a difference in men’s lives and our activities have bettered and extended the lives of many men. We feel a great sense of accomplishment as a result of that.”

Besides that challenging Spring Road hill, which has earned the respect of thousands of runners of all abilities, there has been another constant from the beginning. Race director Alan Brookes will be celebrating his 30th year at the helm. Harry’s Spring Run-Off 8k is also part of the eight race Canada Running Series.

“The Spring Run-Off has always been really special to me,” says Brookes. “To me, it means Spring and a new season in Toronto’s most beautiful park. It was started by the Dyon brothers, Mike and Paul, and Brooks Shoes (the original title sponsor), (former Canadian 1,500m record holder) Dave Reid and his father, Coach Hugh Cameron, and was Canada’ s first ever prize money race.

“And what can I say about Larry Rosen and the Harry Rosen team who have been partners of the event for the past ten years? They have helped this historic race move into the modern era for a great cause. It’s an experience, not just a run what with the piper, the maple syrup, the great swag, the pancake breakfast.”

The 8k race starts at 10:00 a.m. followed by the 5k at 11:15 a.m. A children’s 800 metre run goes at 11:45 a.m. To cap off a great morning the $3 pancake breakfast Brookes allludes to will also be held post race (10:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.) in the Party Site. Pancakes will be flipped by Councillor Sarah Doucette, and all proceeds go to the High Park Nature Centre.

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For More Information and last-minute entries: http://www.canadarunningseries.com/springrunoff/index.htm