Canada’s Charles Philibert-Thiboutot wins B.A.A. 5K

Canada’s Charles Philibert-Thiboutot kicked off the Boston Marathon weekend in style this Saturday, winning the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) 5K in 13:35. His time took one second off the previous Canadian 5K road record, set by Paul Williams in Carlsbad, California in June 1986.

It’s a northern invasion as Canada’s Charles Philibert-Thiboutot runs away from the field to win in 13:35 (unofficially) over a late-charging Geordie Beamish. @EagleWilly22 takes too American honors. pic.twitter.com/5Y71X2RY1l

— CITIUS MAG (@CitiusMag) April 16, 2022

Philibert-Thiboutot ran a strong race from start to finish, but the win wasn’t handed to him. New Zealand runner Geordie Beamish and Zouhair Talbi of Morroco unleashed a couple of hard kicks in the final metres of the race in an attempt to overtake C.P.T., but fell short to finish second and third, both in 13:36.

All smiles from men’s race winner @Chuck_PT at the @BAA 5K after (privately) calling his shot last night pic.twitter.com/86yV1F1F4V

— CITIUS MAG (@CitiusMag) April 16, 2022

This is a great start to the 2022 outdoor season for Philibert-Thiboutot, after an excellent summer last year. In August 2021, he won the Falmouth Elite Mile and set an event record in 3:52.97, only a few weeks after grabbing the world 1,500m standard at a track meet in California in 3:34.43.

“I’m really happy,” he said in an interview with Radio-Canada. “Honestly, it’s not the strongest Canadian record that existed, but it’s still my first Canadian record.”

Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi breaks course record

The Women’s-only 5K world record-holder, Teferi, broke the tape in the women’s race in 14:49, taking one second off Molly Huddle’s previous course record from 2015. Unlike in the men’s race, Teferi had a commanding lead over the rest of the field, with Weini Kelati, who holds the American women’s-only 10K record, finishing second in 15:04. Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi rounded out the podium in third in 15:16.