Erin Mawhinney, JP Flavin triumph at Under Armour Toronto 10K

On Sunday morning, a sold-out crowd of 7,500 runners took to Toronto’s Lakeshore Boulevard in the Under Armour Toronto 10K. Runners from nine provinces, two territories (the Yukon and the Northwest Territories), 18 American states and 20 countries enjoyed sunny, if slightly warm conditions, with a repeat performance on the women’s side and a winner that nearly missed his opportunity in the event on the men’s.

Last-minute success

JP Flavin, a 25-year-old from New Jersey, nearly missed the Under Armour Toronto 10K, ringing up organizers moments before the registration limit was reached. His eleventh-hour entry turned into a triumph as he clinched victory with a time of 29:20, leading the race from start to finish. This win also helped elevate top Canadian runner Andrew Davies to a PB of 29:25. Third place (and second Canadian) went to Ottawa’s Lee Wesselius in 29:49, and Rob Kanko of Dundas, Ont. rounded out the top Canadian finishers at 30 minutes flat.

“I am very thankful they let me in the race,” said Flavin, who trains with the Brooks Hanson Project in Michigan. “I kept 4:40 miles throughout, which was my plan. It was fun.” Flavin made his decisive move at the 5K mark, breaking away from the lead pack with a goal of distancing himself from Davies, and maintained his lead to secure the win.

Davies, a Sarnia, Ont., native who is currently a law student in Vancouver, tried to keep up, but couldn’t close the gap.“I was trying to cover it as best I could without risking blowing up at the end,” he said. Davies has been focusing on the 5,000m, aiming for the Canadian Olympic trials in Montreal.

Mawhinney dominates women’s race

Defending champion Erin Mawhinney delivered a commanding performance on the women’s side, finishing in 33:40, a full 25 seconds ahead of runner-up Salome Nyirarukundo of Ottawa. The women’s podium was a repeat of last year’s, with Mawhinney, a nursing consultant from Hamilton, pleasantly surprised by this year’s time after a recent battle with iron deficiency.

“This was the first race since February that I haven’t felt dizzy,” Mawhinney said. Her coach, two-time Canadian Olympic marathoner Reid Coolsaet, greeted her at the finish line. Rachel Hannah, who recently took third in the Ottawa Marathon, took third in 34:10 (almost a minute faster than last year), making the women’s podium a repeat of 2023.

Masters championships

The race also featured the Canadian Masters’ championships. Toronto’s Allison Drynan topped the 45-49 age group with a time of 38:46, while Bryan Rusche led the men’s masters with a 33:37 performance.

“We saw an outstanding competitive race up front as Flavin and Davies battled all the way to the line, and a fabulous show of community spirit today,” said Alan Brookes, race director of Canada Running Series. “The Under Armour Toronto 10K is always one the most exciting events of the series and today’s race was no exception. With a beautifully sunny day along Toronto’s waterfront, we were joined by runners from across the continent and Toronto’s run crews turned out in full force to cheer them on. The energy was palpable from start to finish,” he added. “Everyone was a winner today!”

For full results of the 2024 Under Armour 10K, head here.