Without any races in Canada, Canadian elites looking to U.S. for racing opportunities
Hello,
It’s been really quiet on the Canadian running front, as people are hunkered down during the pandemic’s second wave. Some athletes are travelling to the States to find racing opportunities. Eliud Kipchoge announced this next race. And as always, there’s a smattering of news and links and podcasts to wrap this issue up.
Let’s get to it!
Without any races in Canada, Canadian elites looking to U.S. for racing opportunities
There hasn’t been many racing opportunities in Canada, forcing several athletes living in Canada to make a tough choice: sit out on racing opportunities, which could compromise their chances to make the Olympics, or risking travel to the United States to compete in races being set up there.
Doug Harrison at CBC Sports spoke to some athletes, including Mariah Kelly and Lindsey Butterworth, about making this choice. Both Kelly and Butterworth competed at the New Balance Grand Prix in New York, and Kelly also added some West Coast races to her overall trip.
Butterworth was also anxious about coronavirus and travelling as she considered race options in Arkansas and Texas before deciding to compete at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix last Saturday in Staten Island, New York.
"We struggled with this decision for quite a while as we know the consequences and challenging environment of living [in a global pandemic]," Butterworth's coach, Brit Townsend, said over the phone.
"It can get a bit frustrating and stale if you're not [racing]. She wanted this so bad and I felt she needed it since there are so few opportunities available at this level."
Athletes are not exempt from the federal two-week quarantine from international travel upon returning to Canada. Mariah shared her feelings about quarantine life in Instagram.
Athletics Canada is currently working on creating racing opportunities in the spring and summer, but so much of it depends on where the pandemic is at, and what local restrictions look like at that time.
Eliud Kipchoge to run elite-only Hamburg marathon
Eliud Kipchoge has announced he will be running in the elite-only NN Mission Marathon in marathon on April 11. The race is being coordinated in part by his race team, NN Running Team.
“I am going back to the genesis of my marathon career. For me, Hamburg is where it all began. I hope to inspire many people around the world by running a great race in the streets of this wonderful city,” he wrote on Instagram.
Eliud made his marathon debut in Hamburg in 2013, he won the race.
The pressure is on Eliud because after dominating the marathon for so many years, and becoming the world record holder and the first person two break two hours at the distance, he finished a surprising eighth at the elite-only London marathon in October.
Canadian Running even went so far to say that he “needs” to win this race.
Eliud is also on the Kenyan Olympic marathon team.
Charles Philibert-Thiboutot signs with New Balance
Charles Philibert-Thiboutot has announced he has signed a pro contract with New Balance.
“I can’t describe the excitement I have for joining the @newbalance family. I really do believe this is a partnership that will elevate my running (and style 😜) to the next level. Beyond grateful for this new opportunity,” he wrote on Instagram.
”It was only a logical choice after I spent (for the best) most of 2020 rebuilding, and working on my weaknesses in all spheres of the sport. This change was needed to complete the new and improved version of me.”
The 30-year-old has spent this season in Europe, working to qualify for the 1,500m and the 5,000m at the Tokyo Olympics. He ran the 1,500m in at the 2016 Games in Rio.
Strides: Other stuff to know about, read and listen to
🚩 If you’re looking for a virtual race this February, why not sign up for the Harry Jerome Classic Charity Run? The distance is up to you and it’s taking place the last weekend in February. All proceeds are going toward Hogan's Alley Society, which is dedicated to highlighting and preserving Black history in Vancouver. Harry Jerome is one of Canada’s most successful and iconic Black athletes of all time. I looked at his life and legacy in a past issue.
📺 NPR’s Code Switch put out a great video on IGTV about how white supremacy has influenced running culture, and why that has resulted in it being dangerous to be "running while Black” and how the conversation surrounding running safety has long centred white women:
🇷🇺 Russia athletes have been banned from the Olympics again, kinda. In 2021 and 2022, they will compete under the title ROC, which stands for the Russian Olympic Committee. Should an ROC athlete win gold, their anthem will not be played. In 2018, Russian competitors were known as “Olympic athletes from Russia.”
🎧 The founders of Strava, Mark Gainey and Michael Horvath, were on the NPR podcast How I Built This. They talk about how they got started, how they select and create new features and how important the virtual fitness community has become in the pandemic. I personally deleted Strava when I realized how easy it would be for someone to murder me after looking at a week’s worth of my data, but it was still interesting to learn the origin story of one of the most popular apps in running.
👟 Ann Marie Elpa at the Toronto Star looked at how run crews build community, even during this time where many of us are running alone. She specifically profiles the Air Up There Run Crew, which is a group in Hamilton dedicated to BIPOC runners:
Moe Bsat, founder of Air Up There, says the community-building element of groups like his is significant in these trying times. Bsat, who has been running for 13 years, says the group was built out of the need for accessible spaces for racialized runners and to amplify BIPOC voices in the running community.
“COVID has been an eye opener for running crews and runners. Runners were made aware of the inequities that exist in our unjust world and COVID made those inequities hard to miss ... I believe (the pandemic has) created more compassion and empathy within running groups.”
🌟 Canadian Running profiled Paralympic runner Nathan Riech, whose goal is to win gold at the 2021 Paralympic Games in the 1,500m. Reich runs in the T38 category, which is for runners with coordination impairments. He holds the world record in the event.
“I run to win,” he says. “I can see myself getting first or blowing up and getting fifth, depending on how my strategy works out. But I’d rather get fifth after having given it my all rather than finishing in second and thinking, ‘Ah, I wish I’d gone for it.'”
🏟 The Hamilton Spectator looked back at an era when they had a local indoor track meet that drew thousands of fans. The Spectator Indoor Games were held at Copps Coliseum and had memorable moments such as hosting Ben Johnson’s first race back after his drug suspension and being stripped of Olympic gold in 1988. It was a track calendar staple and saw many Olympians come through to compete.
The event is still held (however it was cancelled because of the pandemic) but it’s now a meet primarily for elementary and high school students.
📰 Lori Ewing profiled Trevor Hofbauer for the Toronto Star. Hofbauer is the 2019 national marathon champion and is the only male athlete who was automatically qualified for the Canadian Olympic marathon team. The piece looks at how Trevor has been dealing with the pandemic, how he finds inspiration from basketball and what he’s been doing t prepare for his first Olympics.
🎧 Mariah Kelly was the latest guest on Women Run Canada. They talk about how Mariah worked her way up from a promising high school runner to one of the best runners in the country, how her perseverance has been one of her key qualities for success and how she’s been handling the pandemic.
That’s it for this week!
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Run the North come out on Monday mornings. Thanks for sticking with me through the ups and downs of the pandemic.
I hope you’re hanging there and taking care of yourself and your loved ones.
I’ll see you next week!