Weekend preview: Canadian Olympians racing in California and Europe
Gabriela DeBues-Stafford, Ben Flanagan and Ben Preisner among the many Canadians toeing the line this weekend
Photo by:
Kevin Morris
The outdoor racing season is well underway, and beyond the Diamond League, Canadians are lining up at various locations this weekend. From Los Angeles to Prague, there are several big races as athletes look to achieve world standard ahead of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August.
Sound Running Track Fest, May 6
There is a particularly strong contingent of Canadians running the 1,500m and 5,000m at this weekend’s Sound Running meet in L.A. Gabriela DeBues-Stafford is running her first race since her injury in 2022, and Ben Flanagan is set to continue an already impressive run of races with a 5,000m. Just a few weeks ago, Flanagan raced the B.A.A. 5K, finishing second in a Canadian record.
In American news, phenom Katelyn Tuohy looks to take a run at Jenny Simpson’s collegiate record of 15:01.70. The NC State runner is a multi-time NCAA champion who could add “sub-15 runner” to her resume on Saturday.
800m: Addy Townsend of Coquitlam, B.C.
1,500m: Charlie Dannatt, Regan Yee, Robert Heppenstall, Gabriela DeBues-Stafford, Kieran Lumb
5,000m: Erin Teschuk, Jessy Lacourse, Thomas Fafard, Nick Bannon, Julie-Anne Staehli, Ben Flanagan, Charles Philibert-Thiboutot
3,000m steeplechase: Ceili McCabe, Jean-Simon Desgagnes
10,000m: Mike Tate
Full details, start lists and schedule can be found here. The live stream is pay-per-view, presented by Tracklandia. Link to watch can be found here.
Prague Marathon, May 7
Over in Europe, Ben Preisner and Justin Kent will be lining up at the Prague Marathon in the Czech Republic on Sunday morning. Preisner has run the fourth-fastest marathon of any Canadian, behind Cam Levins, Trevor Hofbauer and Jerome Drayton. Preisner ran a 1:02:42 at the Houtson Half in January.
Results, schedule and race details can be found here.
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