Bairu withdraws from Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Regina's Simon Bairu has announced that he's pulling out of the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, citing fatigue.

In a surprising move, Regina’s Simon Bairu has announced that he’s pulling out of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, dealing a huge blow to the race billed as the de facto Canadian Olympic trials.

Bairu, who holds the national record in the 10,000m and finished 13th at the 2010 world cross-country championships, has widely been regarded as one of the best distance runners in Canadian history. Unfortunately, his transition to the marathon hasn’t gone according to plan.

He collapsed during his marathon debut in New York City last November and was hoping to complete his first 42.2K race in Toronto, against the most talented Canadian field ever assembled.

However, after a string of disappointing races this summer, Bairu and his Oregon-based coach Jerry Schumacher decided to pull the plug on the Scotiabank Marathon. Bairu said he wasn’t recovering properly after his high-mileage and hard workouts, and he believed it would be a mistake to try to race a marathon without being 100 per cent ready.

“As much as I would have loved to run in Canada in front of my friends and family for an opportunity to qualify for the Olympics,” Bairu wrote on his blog, “I had to make the decision based on the fact that me at 75 per cent isn’t gonna cut it against the clock and against a very accomplished field.

“I need to be on top of my game and ready to go when I approach my attempt at the Olympic standard and fortunately, I’m not injured, I just need to take a couple of weeks to recharge the batteries then start building off of all the work I have already put.”

The Canadian Olympic Standard is 2:11:29 and Bairu said he’s tentatively planning to go after it at the Fukuoka Marathon in Japan on Dec. 4.

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