American team breaks Cabot Trail Relay course record

For the second consecutive year, The Maine-iacs emerged as the outright winners of the historic Cabot Trail Relay in Baddeck. N.S., claiming the top spot in the 276-kilometre, 17-leg relay race and setting a new course record of 15 hours, 43 minutes and 23 seconds.

Alec Troxell of the MAINE-IACS is the record breaker for leg 10 of the Cabot Trail relay–finishing at 1:00:47 and an average pace of 3:25. pic.twitter.com/3bX1jz5J0i

— Amara Bangura (@Amarahbangura) May 28, 2023

The team of 14 runners averaged a pace of 3:25/km for 276 km, beating their previous winning time by 18 minutes. The top Canadian team, Slow Ships AC from Nova Scotia, gave The Maine-iacs a run for their money, finishing only 14 minutes behind them, in 15:57:49. Following them, Toronto’s Black Lungs team took third with a time of 16:49:37.

The Maine-iacs team was led by Robert Gomez of Bangor, Maine, who finished 83rd overall at the 2023 Boston Marathon in 2:27:25, and U.S. Olympic Marathon Trails qualifier Daniel Vassallo. Both athletes ran two of the 17 legs. The second-place team, Slow Ships, is made up of former and current cross-country team members at Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S.

This dude just finished the last leg of the Cabot Trail relay —18.7 km— in 1:01! Insane. pic.twitter.com/GmBADcRy7A

— wojinald (@wojinald) May 28, 2023

In the female division, Toronto’s Glory Dames were crowned champions of the 34th Cabot Trail Relay, crossing the finish line in 21 hours, 21 minutes and 43 seconds. They were followed by the American team, Maine Road Hags, who completed the race in 22:26:33. Another Ontario team, Sole Sisters, finished third in 23:11:48.

In the mixed team event, the Halifax Road Hammers from Nova Scotia finished in the top spot in a new course record of 17 hours, 34 minutes, and 54 seconds.

A third-course record was set in the masters division by the Toronto Harriers, who finished fifth overall in 18:36:36, only operating with nine runners.

This year, 69 teams finished the historic relay race. The 35th edition of the Cabot Trail Relay is scheduled for May 2024.