Charles Philibert-Thiboutot travels across the world to win Canadian 5K title

A week after racing his final track event in Japan, Charles Philibert-Thiboutot made the 10,000-kilometre journey back to Quebec for “one last” national title at the Beneva Montreal Marathon weekend.

On Saturday, the 34-year-old Quebec City native won the Sports Experts 5K, which doubles as the Canadian 5K Championships, in 14:18. He held off Alec Purnell of Dundas, Ont., who finished second in 14:26, and Montreal’s Thomas Laviolette, who rounded out the podium for third in 14:28.

The quick turnaround made Philibert-Thiboutot’s win even more impressive. Just six days earlier, he was lining up for Team Canada in the men’s 1,500m heats at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. On Thursday, he was on a plane home to fulfil his ambassador role for the Montreal Marathon weekend, but, jet-lagged and all, he still delivered a national title performance.

“One last national title, why not?” Philibert-Thiboutot wrote on Strava after the victory. 

The 5K title adds to what has already been a standout year on the roads for Philibert-Thiboutot. In May,  he won the Canadian 10K Championships in Ottawa, setting a national record of 28:06 and beating out Canadian road racing legend Cam Levins.

To say it has been a busy few weeks for the athlete would be an understatement. Beyond racing, he also gave back to the running community in Montreal. On Sunday, he hopped in the half-marathon to pace more than 55 runners to a sub-1:40 finish.

Philibert-Thiboutot had previously announced that 2025 would be his final professional season. His career will officially conclude on Nov. 2 at the New York City Marathon, where he will make his awaited debut at the distance.

Canada’s Charles Philibert-Thiboutot set for emotional track farewell

Staehli defends 5K title

In the women’s race, Julie-Anne Staehli successfully defended her Canadian 5K on the streets of Montreal, breaking the tape in 16:10 ahead of Ottawa’s Erin Teschuk and Hamilton’s Erin Mawhinney, who finished second and third, respectively.

For full results from the 2025 Marathon Beneva de Montréal, see here.