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Canadian IAAF World Championships marathon team named and set to go

The IAAF World Championships will take place this summer. At last, we know which athletes are to represent Canada in the marathon

Rachel Hannah
Rachel Hannah
Photo: Michael Doyle.

Five Canadian marathoners have now been named to represent Canada at this summer’s 2017 IAAF World Championships in London, England.

RELATED: Eric Gillis shares the details of his incredible Olympic marathon

Eric Gillis, originally from Antigonish, N.S. and who now lives and trains in Guelph, Ont. with the Speed River track club, has represented Canada at three previous Olympic Games. Most recently he finished 10th overall in the marathon at the Rio Olympics, the best result by a Canadian in that event since 1932. Gillis will be joined by Thomas Toth of Peterborough, Ont., who will make his debut representing Canada at a major championship. Toth bettered the qualification standard (of 2:19) by just two seconds under the toughest of circumstances at the 2017 Hamburg Marathon. Previously, he won the 2016 Canadian Half-Marathon Championships.

On the women’s side, Canada will be represented by Rachel Hannah of Toronto, Tarah Korir of St. Clements, Ont. and Dayna Pidhoresky of Vancouver. Hannah recently ran this year’s Boston Marathon which was her first of the Marathon Majors. She in best known in the running community for winning the bronze medal in the marathon at the 2015 Pan Am Games. She has a marathon personal best of 2:32:09.

Korir has previously represented Canada at the 2016 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff, Wales and secured her qualifying time for this summer’s championships with a 2:35:46 time at the 2017 Prague Marathon. Pidhoresky will be representing Canada for the first time in a world championship. She ran her marathon debut last year at the 2016 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. She improved upon that experience running a 2:36:08 at this year’s Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon.

Several familiar names who met the standard but declined an invitation to compete were Krista DuChene, Lanni Marchant, Reid Coolsaet and Rob Watson.

The World Championships will take place in London, U.K. from August 4th to 13th. The men’s marathon is scheduled to take place at 10:55 a.m. local time on Sunday, August 6th while the women’s race runs at 2:00 p.m.

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