Canadian triathlete beats elite field at Vancouver First Half

On a wet Sunday morning at Vancouver’s First Half, Canadian triathlete Jeremy Briand stunned the field as the top finisher in the half-marathon. Briand of Sainte-Julie, Que., beat a field of top Canadian talent and up-and-coming distance stars, breaking the tape in 64:27.

Jeremy Briand is your 2024 winner in 1:04:28, a Top 10 all-time event performance @VanFirstHalf @runvancanada https://t.co/pPDtwv9q0Y #runvan pic.twitter.com/HI1Myz9k63

— First Half (@VanFirstHalf) February 11, 2024

The men’s half-marathon came down to the wire with Briand edging out U Sports XC medallist Andrew Davies and 2:14 marathoner Lee Wesselius by 10 seconds. Canadian Olympic marathoner Trevor Hofbauer finished fourth in 64:49.

In recent years, Briand has been one of Canada’s top triathletes, representing Canada at the World Triathlon level. During his undergrad, the 28-year-old was a middle-distance runner with McGill University’s track and field program. After graduating, he began his triathlon career and quickly made his mark by winning Canadian tri nationals in 2019.

Briand’s winning time was 28 seconds shy of the personal best he ran earlier this year at the 2024 Houston Marathon, where he finished 25th, in 63:59.

Yemane Mulugeta of Surrey, B.C., who crossed the line in seventh place in 66:43, set a new Canadian U23 half marathon record. The 19-year-old has a very promising career ahead of him and is one of Canada’s top up-and-coming distance running talents.

Malindi Elmore wins her first Vancouver First Half title

Days after receiving an early nomination to her third Canadian Olympic team, Malindi Elmore threw down an impressive performance to win the women’s race at the Vancouver First Half. Elmore crossed the finish line in 1:11:57, coming in nearly two minutes ahead of Samantha Jory of Vancouver (1:13:34). Kate Bazeley of St. John’s crossed the line for third in 1:14:41.

Sometimes running marathon pace for a half is hard! First race in 2024 on a wet, cold and windy day. Thanks to the vollies and organizers!! Onward to next Boston marathon training block. https://t.co/McxYPOJYQO

— Malindi Elmore 🥑 (she/her) (@MalindiElmore) February 11, 2024

This was the first time Elmore had won the Vancouver First Half, previously finishing second to Natasha Wodak in 2022 in 1:11:58. Both Elmore’s times rank within the top five performances in the history of the race. The Kelowna native is currently gearing up for the 2024 Boston Marathon on April 15, which she will run in preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

You can view the full results from the Vancouver First Half here.