A Canadian's guide to the U.S. Olympic marathon trials
And Steve Boyd was fired from coaching at Queen's, the PanAm Cross-country Cup is this weekend and more.
Hello!
I have a primer on the U.S. marathon trials for Canadians, Steve Boyd got fired from his position coaching track & field and cross-country at Queen’s, the PanAm cross-country Cup and the elite-only Tokyo Marathon are both this weekend. And six Canadian elites are running the NYC half-marathon in March.
If you don’t care about the trials, that bit is first, so just keep scrolling. This issue might be too big for your inbox, so if it cuts off, you can read the rest of it online.
I’ve saved any links, podcast or news that I want to share but can wait a week for the next issue, because this one is a big one.
If you want to reach out — say hi, correct an error, send a link along I might like to share — you can reach me at runthenorthnews@gmail.com. You can also get me on Twitter @runthenorthnews.
Let’s get to it.
— Erin @ Run the North
The U.S. marathon trials are this weekend
On Feb. 29, 2020, the best marathoners in the U.S. will all be racing against each other with one goal in mind: to make the U.S. Olympic team. It’s going to be the best.
I know this is a Canadian newsletter, but this race is going to be fun and the U.S. influences us in so many ways, I wanted to put together a primer for you: what it is, why you should be excited, who to watch and how to watch. So here you go!
Why should I watch?
So few races have this kind of stakes: top three go the Olympics. Everyone else loses. The only other race like that is, well, the Olympics.
Sure, marathons have podiums, but placing 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, top American, top Canadian, top masters, whatever, is still an accomplishment that comes with valid bragging rights. But fourth at the U.S. marathon trials? That’s just heartbreak.
The top 10 at the trials all take home prize money, but that’s a small consolation, I think, when your Olympic dreams have just been crushed.
And with so much uncertainty around how future trials play out and how World Athletics will establish qualifying standards for future Olympics, it’s entirely possible future trials will have tougher standards, or have wins that come with asterisk, like the Canadian trials do. This is pure speculation. I have no idea what will happen for 2024 and beyond, but with how the 2020 qualification decisions and communication went down for 2020, let’s just say anything is possible. So anyone who loves championship-style racing with something MAJOR on the line will want to tune in.
Who should I be watching for?
511 women and 260 men have qualified for the trials, 771 in total — the most ever. Here’s a roundup of 20 of the top contenders, most interesting athletes and those with the strongest Canadian connections.
Atlanta did a good job of profiling most of the qualifiers online, if you have time, I’d encourage you to check it it.
These aren’t listed in any particular order.
1. Emma (Bates) Ulmer
Emma was the 2018 U.S. marathon champion, running 2:28:18 to win CIM. She’s run one more marathon since, placing fourth at Chicago in 2019 with a time of 2:25:27. She lives in Idaho, off-grid, with her coach and husband. They co-founded the Idaho Distance Project. Emma is new to the marathon compared to some of the other competitors, but she’s put down two great races at the distance. If she doesn’t make the team this year, I expect she’ll still be in the mix in 2024.
Marathon PR: 2:25:27 (Chicago 2019)
Canadian connection: Emma trains with 2018 Canadian marathon national champion and Olympic hopeful Kinsey Middleton.
Read this: U.S. marathoner Emma Bates thriving in seclusion, save for the wolves, mountain lions and bears by Mark Spezia (ESPN)
2. Sara Hall
Sara Hall is known for her love of racing. She does it a lot. And in 2019, she had her best year ever, running a huge PR of 2:22:16 in Berlin. She has bene attempting the ambitious Berlin-NYC double, but ended up dropping out of NYC due to stomach problems. Sara has the second fastest qualifying time in the women’s race, just after Jordan Hasay. But since she’s done her own thing, she hasn’t really competed against her fellow Americans at the marathon distance that often.
Marathon PR: 2:22:16 (Berlin 2019)
Canadian connection: Sara ran the 2018 Ottawa marathon, running a then personal best of 2:26:20 to place third. She’s since bettered her personal best to 2:22:16, which she ran in Berlin in 2019.
Read this: The Secrets Behind Sara Hall’s Marathon Success by Amby Burfoot (Podium Running)
3. Des Linden
Des Linden is one of the U.S.’s toughest marathoners. She was on the 2012 and 2016 Olympic marathon teams — and is the only female member from either of those teams lining up for a shot at 2020. Des has been remarkably consistent throughout her career, capping it off with a win at Boston in 2018, in truly grind it out fashion. After that, she could have called it a career. Instead, she changed coaches, doubled down and put forward an ambitious plan for 2020: two and hopefully three marathons: the trials, Boston two months later, and the Olympic marathon in August if she makes the team.
Marathon PR: 2:22:38 (Boston 2011)
Canadian connection: The year Des won Boston, Canadian Krista DuChene came third. Des also lives and trains in Michigan, which means she lives and trains through Canadian-esque winters. Is this a stretch? Yes. Do I care? No.
Read this: Des Linden: “When it Means This Much It’s Easy to Keep Showing Up” by Jen Ator (Women’s Running)
4. Molly Huddle
Molly Huddle is one of the U.S. most accomplished distance runners. She currently holds the 10,000m, 5K, 10K and half-marathon national records. She debuted at the marathon at NYC in 2016, where she ran 2:28:13 to place third. But she has yet to master the marathon. Then Boston 2018 happened, where she finished, but it was brutal. She ran 2:26:44 to finish fourth at NYC in 2018. In London 2019, she ran 2:26:33 but felt terrible the whole way. These are all respectable times, but people were expecting more from Molly in the marathon. And if Molly can finally figure out the marathon, she’ll be tough to beat.
Marathon PR: 2:26:33 (London 2019)
Canadian connection: Molly’s husband Kurt Benninger is Canadian. They ran together at Notre Dame. He’s the one repping the Blue Jays hat in the IG photo above, which is the entire reason I chose that post.
Read this: Molly Huddle Will Draw on Experience and Strength at 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials by Erin Strout (Women’s Running)
5. Emily Sisson
Emily Sisson has run one marathon, a 2:23:08 in London. It was the second fastest debut ever by an American woman, behind Jordan Hasay. Emily is known as a metronome and her coach says she was built for the marathon. But with Atlanta being so different from the time-trial style of London, who knows what she’ll throw down.
Marathon PR: 2:23:08 (London 2019)
Canadian connection: She’s, uh, Molly Huddle’s training partner. So Canadian Kurt is her training partner-in-law?
Read this: Emily Sisson a U.S. Olympic marathon trials favorite, thanks to Ireland by Nick Zaccardi (NBC)
6. 7. & 8. Stephanie Bruce, Aliphine Tuliamak and Kellyn Taylor
Stephanie Bruce, Aliphine Tuliamak and Kellyn Taylor are the women of NAZ Elite. They are known for their grittiness and for sharing their entire journey online.
Aliphine is the youngest of the three at 30, and is the biggest wild card. She hadn’t mastered the marathon before joining NAZ elite. She ran well in Rotterdam last year, but then got injured. But her comeback race in New York was impressive, placing 12th in 2:28:12 on an eight-week buildup.
Kellyn Taylor, who is also a trained firefighter, comes into the trials with the fastest OTQ time of the three. She’s known for being a grinder and a fighter. She finished eighth at NYC 2019, the second American right behind Des Linden.
Stephanie Bruce has been very open about her comeback to elite racing after giving birth to two kids. But she’s now running better than ever. She admitted her current PB, 2:27:47 in Chicago in 2019, was a rough ride.
The three of them have trained this entire buildup together, and they feel confident NAZ will be sending at least one teammate to the Olympics.
Marathon PRs:
Stephanie Bruce: 2:27:47 (Chicago 2019)
Aliphine Tuliamuk: 2:26:50 (Rotterdam 2019)
Kellyn Taylor: 2:24:29 (Grandma’s 2018)
Canadian connection: The ladies of NAZ Elite train with Canadian Rory Linkletter, who is trying to make the Canadian team in the 10,000m.
Read this: Always the Underdogs? Maybe Not For Long by Erin Strout (Women’s Running)
9. Roberta Groner
Robert Groner is a full-time nurse and mother of three who has had a breakout few years. She returned to competitive running after many, many years off, only to realize she was very, very, very good at running long distances. After IAAF (now world athletics) changed the Olympic qualifying rules for 2020, she was one of the first Americans to get the new standard. She also represented the US at the world championships in Doha. She’s a total badass, and while she might be a darkhorse at the trials, I would never count her out.
Marathon PR: 2:29:09 (Rotterdam 2019)
Canadian connection: Roberta Groner is America’s Lyndsay Tessier: a 40-something runner with a full-time job who found world-class running success later in life. It’s a fitting comparison: Roberta finished sixth at the world championships, the same race where Lyndsay finished ninth. Is this a real connection? No. But the comparison makes me want to root for Roberta.
Read this: The remarkable story of 41-year-old Olympic marathon hopeful Roberta Groner by Mark Spezia (ESPN)
10. Megan Youngren
Megan Youngren will make history on Saturday, when she becomes the first openly trans person to run in an Olympic trials. She’s been open about this not because she wants the attention but because she knows the conversation it’s igniting might spark change.
Marathon PR: 2:44:12 (CIM 2019)
Read this: Megan Youngren to Become First Openly Transgender Athlete to Compete at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials by Chris Chavez (Sports Illustrated)
11. Jordan Hasay
Jordan Hasay has finished three marathons: the fastest debut ever by an American woman at Boston in 2017 and the second-fastest marathon ever by an American woman in Chicago that same year, and a solid third-place finish at Boston in 2019. But she was on the start list for Boston 2018 (DNS), Chicago 2018 (DNS) and Chicago 2019 (DNF). Plus she’s had to deal with her coach being suspended and her team disbanding. Is Jordan shows up healthy and ready to compete, she’ll be tough to beat. But the chance of that Jordan showing up is 50%, I’d say.
Marathon PR: 2:20:57 (Chicago 2017)
Canadian connection: Jordan was teammates with Canadian marathon record holder Cam Levins from 2013-2017, when they were both members of the now-defunct Nike Oregon Project.
Read this: Jordan Hasay: “I Will Be in the Trials” by Sarah Lorge Butler (Runner’s World)
12. Scott Fauble
In the lead-up to the trials, there was a lot of talk about how the men’s American running scene wasn’t as good or as exciting as the women’s. Two races changed that: Boston in 2019 and Chicago in 2019. In Boston, Scott Fauble and Jared Ward both ran sub 2:10, making them prime targets to make the 2020 Olympic team.
I love following Scott on social media. He loves burritos, movies and his book Inside a Marathon was excellent. He also loves working hard. He’s only run three marathons, so he’s early in his long-distance career, but he seems made for it.
Marathon PR: 2:09:09 (Boston 2019)
Canadian connection: Scott is a member of NAZ Elite, which is the team that Rory Linkletter trains with.
Listen to this: Breaking Boston: Scott Fauble is leading American marathoners into the Olympics (The Rich Roll podcast)
13. Jared Ward
Jared Ward was on the 2016 Olympic team, and he placed sixth in Rio. He’s consistently been one of the U.S.’s best male marathoners for this Olympic cycle. He’s a metronome and knows so much about pacing he’s written papers about it. He’s a stats prof at Brigham Young University, in addition to being a pro athlete. He’s the most established and consistent American male marathoner lining up on Saturday. It would take some hell of a performance from other competitors to steal a spot from Jared.
Marathon PR: 2:09:25 (Boston 2019)
Canadian connection: Jared Ward went to Brigham Young University, where he now teaches and trains. Rory Linkletter went to BYU, so the two know each other and ran together while Rory was on the team and Jared was training for his professional races.
Read this:
14. Galen Rupp
When Galen Rupp is good, he’s the best male marathoner in the U.S. Like his former teammate Jordan Hasay, his career has had amazing highs — winning the 2016 Olympic trials, winning a bronze medal in Rio — but also some serious lows, including major surgery recently, and having his long-time coach Alberto Salazar banned from the sport. It’s hard to know which Galen will show up on Saturday.
Marathon PR: 2:06:07 (Prague 2018)
Canadian connection: Galen trained with Canadian marathon record holder Cam Levins from 2013 to 2017, when they were both members of the now-defunct Nike Oregon Project.
Read this: Galen Rupp, after tumult, finds familiarity before Olympic marathon trials by Nick Zaccardi (NBC)
15. Bernard Lagat
Bernard Lagat is a running legend. He’s competed at the Olympics FIVE TIMES, and only decided to become a marathoner in his 40s. He boldly announced he was going after the American masters record when he made his marathon debut in NYC in 2018. He fell short, but fell in love with marathoning. He got the record in his second attempt at the distance, at the Gold Coast marathon in 2019.
Marathon PR: 2:12:10 (Gold Coast 2019)
Read this: Bernard Lagat: All in for the Olympic Marathon Trials by Sarah Lorge Butler (Runner’s World)
16. Jim Walmsley
Jim Walmsley is America’s best male ultrarunner. And his road to the marathon trials has been fascinating. He decided to chase the qualifying time by running a half-marathon, which is arguably harder than running a full marathon. And then he trained for the race by running huge huge mileage. He’s gotten a ton of attention leading up to the race on Saturday, and I can see why. It’s a good story, he’s so unexpected, and if he does well, it might throw a wrench into how people think about running success.
Marathon PR: The trials are Jim’s marathon debut, even though, yes, he’s run way farther in ultra races. He ran a 1:04:00 half-marathon to qualify.
Read this: Jim was profiled in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated and Runner’s World.
17. Leonard Korir
Leonard Korir has the second fastest qualifying time, after Galen Rupp. He was born in Kenya, came to the U.S. for college and obtained citizenship in 2016. He ran the fastest marathon debut ever by an American man, when he ran Amsterdam in 2019. He’s fast, but he doesn’t have a lot of experience at this distance, so it’s hard to tell how he’ll do during the trials. But that’s part of the fun.
Marathon PR: 2:07:56 (Amsterdam 2019)
Read this: How Leonard Korir Quietly Became the Second-Fastest Marathoner Headed to Trials by Taylor Dutch (Runner’s World)
18. Abdi Abdirahman
Abdi Abdirahman was on the 2012 American Olympic marathon team. He’s been an Olympain four times, running the 10,000m in 2000, 2004 and 2008, then the marathon in 2012. He broke the masters marathon record set by Bernard Lagat when he ran NYC in 2019, running 2:11:34 to finish ninth overall.
I have to root for Abdi and Bernard. Their longevity in the sport and range they are discovering is impressive and inspiration.
Marathon PR: 2:08:56 (Chicago 2006)
Read this: Abdi Abdirahman Shares Secrets to His Long Career by Hannah Borenstein (Podium Runner)
19. Kyle Wyatt
Kyle Wyatt is Canadian-American and lives in Toronto, where he works as the editor of the Literary Review of Canada. He came to Canada for graduate school and wrote about getting Canadian citizenship for the LRC in 2019.
He ran 2:188:55 at Chicago in 2018 to earn his spot in Atlanta. That was the sixth fastest marathon by a Canadian that year. He’s one of the slowest qualifiers in the men’s race, coming in five seconds under the 2:19:00 cut-off.
Marathon PR: 2:18:55 (Chicago 2018)
Canadian connection: Kyle *is* Canadian. He’s the most Canadian person running on Saturday.
Read this: A trials story fit for an editor by Kelly Vanegas (Atlanta 2020 website profile)
20. Anthony “Tony” Tomsich
Tony Tomsich is a coach with Mile2Marathon. He’s originally from Alaska and now lives in Vancouver. According to this interview with the Rob Watson Show in 2018, he moved to Canada “for a girl” in 2016.
He ran 2:18:49 at the Eugene Marathon to qualify for the trials.
Marathon PR: 2:18:49 (Eugene 2019)
Canadian connection: He lives here! He’s the second most Canadian person running on Saturday.
Read this: I found no profiles of substance on Tony. Someone write one.
Six OTQs happened on Canadian soil
Four women and two men on the qualifying list ran their qualifying race in Canada.
👟Becky Wade
Becky Wade is a freelancer writer whose work appears in Runner’s World, Podium Running and more. She’s very open about her training online and often writes about it. She’s also the author of the book Run the World, which chronicles a year she spent travelling the world to explore different running cultures.
OTQ: 2:33:03 (Toronto 2019)
Read this: This runner literally wrote the book on what it’s like to run all around the world (Canada Running Series)
👟Jessica Chiester
Jessica Chiester is a nurse practitioner from New York, who made headlines in 2018 when she placed fifth at Boston. But since she started from the non-elite corrals, she was originally not eligible for prize money. The race eventually fixed that. Her brother Tim is also running the trials!
OTQ: 2:42:16 (Toronto 2019)
Read this: Chichester siblings of Mount Morris qualify for Olympic marathon trials by Victoria E. Freile (Democrat & Chronicle)
👟Ana Johnson
Ana Johnson is a runner from New York, where she works as a nurse and has two kids. She’s originally from Mexico and originally came to the U.S. to learn English. The profile I link to below is great, there’s a lot about how being an oncology nurse has taught her about having joy and living in the moment.
OTQ: 2:43:10 (Ottawa 2018)
Read this: Ana the Great (Joyful Approach)
👟Melissa Hardesty
Melissa Hardesty is originally from Indiana and now lives in New York, where she is a professor at Binghamton University. She didn’t start running until her 30s, according to the Atlanta 2020 profile, and 2020 will be her second trials. She also ran in 2016, when she placed 92nd.
OTQ 2:44:14 (Toronto 2019)
Read this: Olympic Trials Qualifier Melissa Hardesty (Runologie on Medium. This is a profile from 2016.)
👟Enoch Nadler
Enoch Nadler is a runner from Florida, where he runs the Team Florida Track Club. He ran for the University of Florida, and became a marathoner in his 30s. He actually qualified for the 2016 trials with a half-marathon time but didn’t participate. His 2:13 OTQ puts him in the top 25 in the men’s race.
OTQ: 2:13:04 (Toronto 2019)
Read this: Nadler laser-focused for strong Olympics run by Randy Lefko (Clay Today)
👟Jonathan Mott
Jonathan Mott is another runner from Florida, where he’s the founder and coach for RunnersFix Coaching Services. He ran the 2016 trials, where he placed 47th. He also won the Detroit marathon in 2017. The profile I link to below is well worth reading, it outlines a difficult childhood, and how Jonathan’s twin brother’s death via overdose has inspired his running.
OTQ: 2:18:34 (Ottawa 2018)
Read this: Each lap remains a lease on life for distance runner Jon Mott by Joey Knight (Tampa Bay Times)
What’s the course like?
The course is an 8-mile loop through Atlanta, which they run three times, followed by a 2.2-mile loop to take them to the finish.
It’s hilly. And they run by the Olympic rings from 1996, which is not only a cool visual, it’s a great reminder of what’s at stake.
The hilly, difficult course will amplify the championship nature of this race.
How can I watch?
Coverage begins on NBC at 12 p.m. ET. There are four ways to tune in to NBC if you’re in Canada.
📺 If you have basic cable, you can watch the race on NBC, as NBC is part of most Canadian cable packages — just check first to make sure you do.
📺If you have an antenna and live near the U.S. border, you should be able to pick us NBC that way, super old school.
📺You can hunt for a stream on YouTube or Twitter the day-of. Using terms like “marathon trials free live stream” usually gets something. Let’s Run usually posts streaming links in their message boards, if you dare to check that part of the internet out.
📺Your final option is downloading a VPN to get an American IP address. I use HotSpot Shield. They have a monthly plan and a basic plan. I have the paid plan, so I can’t vouch that the stream will work on the basic plan. Other VPN options: Tunnelbear, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, NordVPN. There’s a lot out there. Once that’s up and running, you’ll be able to stream it on NBC.com.
If you’re going the antenna route or VPN route, I would recommend you get this set up and tested before the 29th, so on the day of the race you can just enjoy it.
Anything else?
👟 If you’re into running and race logistics, Citius Mag’s Chris Chavez interviewed Jay Holder, Atlanta Track Club’s marketing and communications director, about what it’s been like to prep for putting the race on for their podcast. As a person who loves logistics, I loved this conversation. You can listen to it here.
👟 A sports media class at the University of Georgia teamed up with the Atlanta trials to profile several of the athletes. The Kyle Wyatt profile I linked to above was part of this project. You can see the rest of the profiles here.
👟 Defending women’s champion Amy Cragg withdrew from the race this week, citing illness. She’s struggled with Epstein-barr syndrome and fatigue from overtraining. She spoke to Women’s Running about the decision, you can read that story here. This means the only women from the 2016 team at the trials for 2020 is Des Linden, as Shalane Flanagan retired last year.
That was a lot of info! Thanks for sticking with it! More running news is below this small promotional break.
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Fallout from Megan Brown’s story continues, Queen’s fires track and cross-country coach Steve Boyd
The fallout from the Globe and Mail article that outlined the abuse Megan Brown experienced while being coach by Dave Scott-Thomas of the University of Guelph and of the Speed River Track and Field Club continues.
Former athletes speak out
Samantha Beattie, who ran at the University of Guelph from 2008 to 2012, wrote about her experience for the Huffington Post:
It’s hard to explain the dark side of running for Guelph. My experience was one of microaggressions and indifference that cut me down over and over again until I believed I was so fundamentally flawed that I shouldn’t be on the team.
I never suffered abuse like that alleged by Megan or some of the other women interviewed in the article, but in the years following her departure, I believe Dave continued to act in self-interest to win at all costs, at the expense of many of his athletes, myself included.
The girls I ran beside for four years suffered from fractured bones, anorexia, bulimia or other mental illnesses and still felt pressured to run because of the highly competitive environment Dave and his staff created.
Samantha is not the only athlete to share her experience. Several runners from the program, including Rachel Cliff, Robyn Mildren, Krista DuChene and more, have shared their story or part of it on social media.
Queen’s coach Steve Boyd gets fired for online comments
In fact, it was a comment thread on Robyn Mildren’s Facebook post that led to the next move that sent shockwaves through Canadian running: Queen’s University’s cross-country and track and field coach Steve Boyd was fired for comments he made online.
Michael Doyle once again had the story for the Globe & Mail (that link is behind a paywall).
Boyd joined Queen’s as a coach in 2010, and quickly turned it into one of the leading running programs in the country. He was named USports cross-country coach of the year last year and the Queen’s women’s cross-country team were national champions last year.
In the Facebook comments, he compared Guelph athletes to prisoners of war working with their captors, he compared them to women who are in domestic violence situations and argued they are complicit when they hide the violence from the kids and don’t leave the situation. He also suggested several athletes willfully ignored what was happening and argued that everyone connected to the program was complicit in what happened. He argued that Guelph should be stripped of their national titles. He also traded barbs with several athletes in the thread and continued to push the conversation after several people asked him to stop.
Boyd was also active on the online forums Trackie.com. According to CBC Sports, he posted 2,641 times since joining in 2013.
Queen’s University released a statement about why they fired Boyd:
Queen’s university upholds and promotes the value of free speech. However, Mr. Boyd made numerous statements on social media berating and blaming student athletes who were themselves victims and which only served to re-traumatize them. In doing so, Mr. Boyd flagrantly disregarded the respect and dignity requirements of the Queen’s A&R Coaches Code of Ethics, the OUA Code of Conduct and Ethics, and related U SPORTS Policies and Procedures.
Mr. Boyd’s comments follow a pattern of objectionable social media commentary spanning several years, about which he had previously been formally cautioned. Mr. Boyd failed to heed repeated warnings from the administration to stop his reckless social media activities.
You can read the full statement here.
The Canadian running community reacts
Boyd’s firing has divided the running community and ignited a conversation about the comments, Queen’s reaction to them, and what is and is not an appropriate response.
Brant Statchel, who was an assistant coach at Queen’s from 2012 to 2019, wrote about it on Facebook, Lyndsay Tessier posted on Instagram,
Current Queen’s athletes, including Brogan Macdougall, have publicly commented on what it means for the rest of their careers. Brogan also spoke to The Kingston Whig-Standard:
“I honestly thought that in 2020 this didn’t happen anymore. That was what I thought up to a day ago: institutions wouldn’t silence victims,” said MacDougall, who added that she has heard from people in the running community who support the team but are afraid to speak out.
“How are we going to protect victims if we aren’t even allowed to speak about how we could go about doing that without fear of getting fired?”
Several elite runners had a dialogue about it on Twitter, prompted by a tweet by Lanni Marchant.
Boyd posted about the firing on Facebook:
Everything I have ever written online is available for public viewing, under my name, and the general themes of it are always: unbridled passion for my sport and the athletes who do it, and unstinting support for the highest value in sport. I have NEVER punched down in my sometimes blunt commentaries. When I have confronted others, it has ALWAYS been to challenge them to do more to be
better athletes, fans, members of the sport community, and citizens. And my tone was always appropriate to the recipient. If you were an adult and should know better, I told you so, while always being open to frank debate. Reasonable people respect this. Those who hide, or deal in platitudes, will find fault. In short, I wear my outspokenness — and indeed, my firing for it — as a badge of honour, not of shame.
Sasha Gollish at iRun makes the case that these are two different stories: what Dave Scott-Thomas did and the firing of Steve Boyd:
What have we learned? Most importantly, we cannot let Megan Brown’s story be clouded by this recent Boyd dismissal. A good friend of mine said it best: “We cannot let the issues with Boyd discredit Megan’s story; while these issues are intertwined by time, the concerns are separate.” We need to continue to discuss what happened to Megan to create an environment where those subjected to this kind of abuse feel safe and supported. We can put an end to sexual abuse, but only if we offer a supportive and compassionate environment for the victims.
In addition, we would be best to remember that the boundaries between personal and professional life no longer exist—especially if you are vocal in any online communities.
The Toronto Star editorial board released an op-ed stating the firing went too far (paywall link):
The underlying message of Boyd’s comments is clearly concern for how student-athletes were treated, anger over an institution’s blind eye and determination not to let this go without some sense of justice having been done.
Those are values that we might well expect all university coaches, and administrators for that matter, to share.
Instead, because of his firing, we’re left with an unsettling feeling that universities are closing ranks and want this story to fade from view rather than have it openly discussed.
Over the weekend, Boyd was kicked out of a track meet by the athletes director at York University, according to reports on social media, which has prompted even more outcry on social media. If you’re interested in that, this thread from a tweet by Leslie Sexton is worth reading.
A petition has been put in place on Change.org, asking Queen’s University to reinstate Boyd.
Rachel Cliff is running the elite-only Tokyo marathon this weekend
The mass participation start for Tokyo was cancelled, but the elite race is still on. The elite field includes one Canadian: Rachel Cliff. Rachel hasn’t posted anything on social media since the race cancellation, so I am assuming she’s ready to go and will be there in Tokyo on Sunday.
Rachel debuted in 2018 in Berlin, running 2:28:53, the fastest Canadian woman’s marathon debut ever.
In her second marathon, she broke the Canadian national record, running 2:26:56 in March 2019 in Nagoya, Japan.
That record was since broken by Malindi Elmore in Houston in January.
The run qualified Rachel for the 2020 Olympics in the marathon. However, 2/3 of the Canadian women’s Olympic marathon team have yet to be selected — and Rachel is one of three who is qualified for the two spots. Lyndsay Tessier and Malindi Elmore also have qualified. Dayna Pidhoresky qualified as well, but at the reigning national marathon champion, she was auto-selected to the team. Athletics Canada will choose the other two representatives in the spring. Rachel’s performance in Tokyo could improve her case for being chosen by the selection committee.
Also running Tokyo this year are defending champions Ruti Aga (PB 2:18:34) and Birhanu Legese (PB 2:02:48), both from Ethiopia. Alongside Ruti, there are four other women who have run sub 2:20: Ethiopians Birhane Dibaba (2:18:46) and Tigist Girma (2:19:52), Kenyan Valary Aiyabei (2:19:10) and Israeli Lonah Chemtai Salpeter (2:14:46).
Six men in the field have run under 2:05: Birhanu and fellow Ethiopians Getaneh Molla (2:03:34), Sisay Lemma (2:03:36) and Asefa Mengstu (2:04:06), Bahraini El Hassan El Abbassi (2:04:43) and Kenyan Titus Ekiru (2:04:46).
You can see the full elite field here.
PanAm Cross-Country Cup is this week in Victoria!
The U.S. marathon trials aren’t the only exciting race taking place on Feb. 29.
The other race Canadians should be paying attention to the the PanAm Cross-country Cup, which is being held in Victoria, B.C. at Bear Mountain Resort & Spa.
11 countries are sending teams. Including Canada, we will see Brazil, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guadeloupe, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, United States and Venezuela. 126 runners are going to compete in total. For the purpose of keeping this newsletter a reasonable length, I am only highlighting the Canadian senior team.
Canada is sending 24 athletes in total, 12 of them are senior athletes.
The women’s senior team:
Geneviève Lalonde: The Canadian record holder in the steeplechase is the two-time Canadian cross-country champion and was the top Canadian at the world cross-country championships in 2019.
Natasha Wodak: The Canadian 10,000m record holder and PanAm gold medallist loves cross-country and couldn’t turn down an opportunity to read the red and white on home soil.
Maria Bernard-Galea: The Canadian steeplechaser and 2016 Olympian ran strong at the national championships and was the Canadian runner-up to Lalonde.
Victoria Coates: Victoria was on the 2017 Canadian cross-country team and represented Canada at the 2018 world half-marathon championships.
Kirsten Lee: She ran for the University of British Columbia in college and currently trains with the BC Endurance Project.
Hannah Woodhouse: She currently runs cross-country for the University of Guelph and was on the squad they sent to the USports national championships in November.
The men’s senior team:
Connor Black: Was the third Canadian at nationals. Black, who just graduated from the University of Guelph, was 2018 Canadian university cross-country champion.
John Gay: He was a steeplechaser who just graduated from the University of British Columbia. He’s represented Canada on the world stage twice this summer: at the world cross-country championships as part of the mixed-relay team and at the world championships in Doha.
Brandon Allen: Allen just graduated from Iona College.
Jean-Simon Desgagnés: He studies medicine at the University of Laval. He is on their cross-country team.
Mitchell Ubene: He was second at the Canadian USports cross-country championship in November. He runs for the University of Guelph.
Kieran McDonald, who ran at the University of Alberta in college, graduated in 2018.
You can see the full team, including the U20 athletes, at the Athletics Canada website.
Both the senior men’s and women’s teams will run 10K. The junior men will run 8K and the junior women will run 6K.
This video, which was part of the bid package, outlines the course:
You can see more about the course on the official website.
Christopher Kelsall from Athletics Illustrated was involved in the bid and planning process, which he outlines in this piece. If it goes well, they are hoping to bid for the 2023 world cross-country championships.
The entire weekend looks like a lot of fun, and if you live nearby, you should check it out. You can find more details on the website.
Six Canadians are running the NYC half-marathon
The NYC United Airlines half-marathon is taking place on March 15 and six elite Canadian women are going to be on the start line:
👟Natasha Wodak
Natasha is Canada’s 10,000m record holder and kicked off 2019 by breaking the Canadian half-marathon record. Two weeks after she became the first Canadian woman to break 1:10 in the half-marathon, Andrea Seccafien became the second, breaking the national record Natasha set at a race in Japan. I wouldn’t be surprised if her goal in NYC is to get her record back.
Natasha’s half-marathon PB is 1:09:41, which is from Houston 2020.
👟Krista DuChene
Krista is one of Canada’s most accomplished and prolific marathoners. The 2016 Olympian is still chasing her dream of being named to the 2020 Olympic team. Krista is using this race as a tune-up before she returns to Boston for the third year in a row. Boston is April 20, 2020.
Krista’s half-marathon PB is 1:10:52, which is from the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon in 2013.
👟Dayna Pidhoresky
Dayna is the only Canadian woman confirmed to the 2020 Olympic team, having won the Canadian marathon championships at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 2019 with an Olympic qualifying time. I don’t believe Dayna is running a spring marathon, so she’s using this race to build fitness before Tokyo.
Dayna’s half-marathon PB is 1:11:46 , which is from Niagara Falls in 2011.
👟Kinsey Middleton
Kinsey is the 2018 Canadian marathon champion. But she struggled in her second attempt at the distance in Toronto last year. She’s giving her Olympic dreams another shot in London. Kinsey is using this race as a tune-up before the London marathon on April 26, 2020.
Kinsey’s half-marathon PB is 1:12:15, which is from Houston 2020.
👟Melanie Myrand
Melanie represented Canada in the marathon at the world championships in Doha. She placed a respectable 27th in the race, one that was so hot and humid merely finishing was an impressive feat. But she hasn’t run a race since.
Melanie isn’t running a spring marathon, according to her Instagram. She’s taking the season off 42.2 so she can focus on executing a strong fall marathon.
Melanie’s half-marathon PB is 1:15:50, which is from Houston in 2018.
👟Jen Moroz
Jen ran 2:47:52 at the Toronto marathon last fall. She’s represented Canada at two multi-sport world championships. She currently lives in Vancouver.
Jen’s half-marathon PB is 1:18:47 , which is from the the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon in 2019.
There are no Canadian men running the race.
You can see the full elite field announcement here.
That’s it for this week! Next week, I’ll recap the marathon trials, Tokyo and the PanAm Cross-country Cup, and we’ll see what else happens this week.
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Thanks for reading and keep on running. We’ll see you next week.