If you’re a fan of cross nation, prepare for a spectacle on Saturday afternoon within the open males’s 10K area on the 2023 Canadian Cross Nation Championships. A number of the nation’s high middle-distance runners are in Ottawa to contend for the nationwide title, together with reigning XC champion Connor Black, 1,500m Olympian Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, plus rising Canadian distance stars Kieran Lumb and Jean-Simon Desgagnés.
Can Connor Black go back-to-back?
Final yr, Black of London, Ont., received his first nationwide XC title, beating out Olympic steeplechaser John Homosexual on the ultimate lap of 5 at Mooney’s Bay in Ottawa. Though Black had a profitable collegiate profession with the College of Guelph, his win final yr got here unexpectedly to most after a Tenth-place end in 2021. Black informed Canadian Operating that he knew he was able to extra and began his hill coaching in the midst of the summer season in preparation to contend for the win at nationals.
Coming in because the defending champion on the identical course, Black is the favorite and is on the lookout for one other spot on Staff Canada for the 2024 World XC Championships after not with the ability to run earlier this yr attributable to sickness. The final runner to win back-to-back ACXC titles was two-time Olympian Luc Bruchet in 2017 and 2018 in Kingston.
The kings of the center distance
Lumb and Philibert-Thiboutot have gone head-to-head within the males’s 1,500m lots on this 2023 season, with Lumb famously edging out Philibert-Thiboutot for the 1,500m title on the Canadian Observe and Area Championships in July. The 2 titans of the 1,500m will battle as soon as once more on Saturday, however this time over 10K on grass. It has been some time since both of them has stepped foot on a cross-country course and, actually, competed at Canadian nationals for XC, however each males look to return not solely to win the person title however to assist their respective groups win the open title for the highest crew.
Vancouver’s Kieran Lumb to return to Canadian Cross Nation Championships
Philibert-Thiboutot arrives in Ottawa after a profitable two-medal efficiency for Staff Canada on the 2023 Pan American Video games earlier this month. If a gold medal within the 1,500m and a silver within the 5,000m is any indication of his health, he’s decided and able to assist CAUL (Membership D’Athletisme de L’Universite Laval) do no matter it takes to win the crew title. Philibert-Thiboutot is a seasoned veteran and is aware of his strengths, plus the up-and-down and down 2K loop will make this a tactical race, which is able to work towards Philibert-Thiboutot’s strengths–a closing kick.
For Lumb, that is his first time at Canadian XC nationals since he received the U20 title in 2017. He had a profitable second half of the 2023 season, setting a Canadian report within the 3,000m (twice) and ending high 5 on the World Highway Operating Championships within the highway mile. The largest query mark round Lumb might be concerning what kind of form he might be in on Saturday. Lumb is coming off a brief break in mid-October and has just one month of cross-country coaching underneath his belt. Lumb joins a loaded Vancouver Thunderbirds crew, that includes nationwide marathon champion Thomas Broatch and U Sports activities (crew) gold medallists John Perrier and Javieer Tiwana.
Better of the remainder
A number of different athletes to observe are the Harbour Observe Membership trio of Max Turek, Andrew Davies and Andrew Alexander. Turek completed within the high 5 right here final yr, and Davies is coming off a bronze medal on the 2023 Canadian U Sports activities Championships. Alexander received the 2023 TCS Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon in 62:44 and is coached by former Canadian XC champion and Olympian Matt Hughes. Within the crew class, Harbour has nothing to lose, and with that loaded high three, they might shock just a few folks and discover their means onto the rostrum.
CAUL’s Philippe Morneau-Cartier has been undefeated on Canadian soil this fall, successful 4 consecutive XC races and the U Sports activities nationwide title. Morneau-Cartier is extraordinarily match and has been crushing his teammate, Pan-American steeplechase champion Desgagnés, in exercises. The boys went one-two at U Sports activities, and each ought to place inside the high 10 right here. They’ve added depth with the inclusion of two of Canada’s finest 5,000m runners, Thomas Fafard and Philibert-Thiboutot, making CAUL a favorite to take the lads’s crew title.
I might not name Royal Metropolis’s Mitch Ubene a sleeper decide, as he’s been proper there, knocking on the door for a breakthrough at a number of nationwide championships since graduating from the College of Guelph final yr. A second-place end within the males’s 5,000m to Ben Flanagan at Canadian nationals in July and a fifth-place end on this course final yr. This race is certain to be tactical, and Ubene is a affected person and gritty runner, which may work effectively for him on this powerful course.
Predictions
Particular person high three:
- Charles Philibert-Thiboutot (CAUL)
- Philippe Morneau-Cartier (CAUL)
- Connor Black (London Western Observe Membership)
Staff high three:
- CAUL (Membership D’Athletisme de L’Universite Laval) – Quebec Metropolis
- London Western Observe Membership – London, Ont.
- Harbour Observe Membership – Hamilton, Ont.
For a complete preview of the ladies’s area on the 2023 Canadian Cross Nation Championships, verify right here.
Find out how to watch
The 2023 Canadian Cross Nation Championships might be broadcast reside by way of AthleticsCanada.television. The reside webcast and on-demand movies will solely be accessible for RunnerSpace +PLUS subscribers. Viewers can join right here. Canadian Operating might be available live-tweeting, sharing movies on our Instagram, and conducting interviews with high finishers on the championships. Comply with alongside on our Instagram and Twitter.
The ladies’s open 10K is up first on Saturday morning, kicking off at 11 a.m. ET, adopted by the lads at midday ET. Protection for the championships begins with the masters race at 10 a.m. ET.
Schedule
8:30 a.m. Youngsters’ race
9:00 a.m. Group 6K race
10:00 a.m. Masters 6K (70+) and 8K race
11:00 a.m. Open Ladies 10K race
12:00 p.m. Open Males 10K race
1:00 p.m. U20 Ladies’s 6K race
1:45 p.m. U20 Males’s 8K race
2:30 p.m. U18 Women’ 4K race
3:15 p.m. U18 Boys’ 6K race
