Canada Track & Field and Cross Country News

© Copyright - 2012 - Athletics Illustrated

Dr. Trent Stellingwerff is a former track and field athlete who competed in the NCAA for Cornell University where he was selected as a co-captain. He also competed in the CIS for the University of Guelph, where he twice earned All-Canadian status.

Ryan Gregson of Wollongong, NSW is an Australian middle distance runner who currently holds the Australian and Oceania records for the men's 1500 metres.

February 16th, Inside Athletics of Australia ran an article from the Illawarra Mercury suggesting that Gregson was running out of time to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. A few days later on Friday, March 2nd, Gregson won the 1500m at the Melbourne Track Classic, besting 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist, Asbel Kiprop of Kenya, by over four seconds. It was a comeback of sorts, after a spate of injuries kept him down during the 2011 season.

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© Copyright - 2012 - Athletics Illustrated

Mo Trafeh is the defending two-time (consecutive) champion of the Gate River 15k. He is back for a third consecutive attempt on Saturday, March 10th. During the 2010 and 2011 races Trafeh, won in the identical time of 42:58. The  course record of 42:22 was set by Todd William in 1995. Williams won five times in six years. Trafeh, 26 has spent parts of the previous three years training in Flagstaff, Arizona as well as Morocco.

Pictures from the 67th Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon this past weekend are telling of the elements under which Canadian runner Dylan Wykes took his shots. It was chilly. It was a rainy. A little like home. But Vancouver-based Wykes was not home. (via blogs.theprovince.com)

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© Copyright - 2012 - Athletics Illustrated

UPDATED: March 5th, 2012. 4:15 PM PST.

Sidney, BC - Sunday, March 4th 2012 - Two course records were smashed in a competitive race today at the Synergy Health Management Bazan Bay 5k road race in Sidney, British Columbia.

The new course was positively received by the athletes.

Adidas-McMillanElite is entering a men's team into the 24th running of the Gate River 15k, to compete for the Ten Broeck Team Cup competition as well as the US 15k Team Championships. The race will happen Saturday, March 10th in Jacksonville, Florida. McMillanElite are expecting to win for the second consecutive year. The team includes, Nick Arciniaga, Scott Smith, Danny Mercado and the team's newest member Ben Bruce. The top three team finishers score using the team average time to determine the winner. The top team earns $10,000.

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To what extent are the very best athletes mentally stronger than their competitors?

Without the physical talent and proper training methods an athlete’s fate is determined by physical standards: clocks, scores and performance; measurable factors we can easily identify with. However, possessing physical talent and the dedication to train does not necessarily complete the athlete. Without the right mental toughness or confidence, it may not be possible to achieve the competitiveness we strive for.

© Copyright - 2012 - Athletics Illustrated

UPDATE: March 1st, 2012

Japan Running News latest Lake Biwa Marathon update

Canadian Marathon runners Dylan Wykes and Steve Osaduik, are preparing for their final opportunity to qualify for the 2012 London Olympic Games Marathon by taking on the stacked (see men's elite list below) Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon (or “Biwako,” as the race is known in Japan) on March 4, 2012.

On the Run in…Kelowna, B.C.

November 9, 2011

Born and bred on the mean streets of Old South London Ont. At some point in my life I figured out that I like to run a lot. Ran in university whilst pursuing a degree in History. History degrees are useless, so kept running after Uni. I’ll  run kinda fast every so often. I dig this sport, it’s fun and ya meet cool people along the way. Fueled by cookies, beer and pretty girls.

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Taylor Milne of Windsor, Ontario is a 2008 Beijing Olympics competitor, specializing in the 1500m distance. He is currently preparing to qualify this spring for the 2012 London Olympic Games. First he must race to the Canadian A-standard time of 3:35.50 to get there. He is close.

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Greg McMillan is into his fourth year running adidas-McMillanElite - a post-collegiate program for runners who compete over distances from 5k to the marathon. McMillanElite, Inc. is a non-profit Olympic development running team based in Flagstaff, Arizona. The team is a collaboration between adidas and McMillan Running Company. 

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From our rural offices, Sheldon and I would toil on our daily lunch runs. We would often go on this one particular seven kilometre route through farm fields, along roads and paths. The surfaces throughout are a mix of asphalt, dirt and gravel and sometimes - at least this one time - a grassy berm.

Guelph community raises nearly $1 million in less than a week

© Copyright - 2012 - Athletics Illustrated

Cameron Levins, who competes for NCAA Division 1 Southern Utah University, won the January 27th University of Washington's Invitational Indoor 5000m race and set the meet record time of 13:41.90. He followed that performance up with a come-from-the-back-of-the -pack win the next day in the 3000m event, finishing in 7:48.25. 

© Copyright - 2012 - Athletics Illustrated

Fasil Bizuneh, who owns a 10,000m personal best time of 27:50.48 and a few 62-minute half-marathons will be racing the Jacksonville Gate River 15k in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday, March 10th. His personal best on the Jacksonville course is 43:52. He has twice competed in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, once as a junior and as a senior.