Weekend recap: Fredericton Marathon course records fall

As summer temperatures hit Canada’s eastern provinces on Mother’s Day weekend, thousands of runners took to the roads for the Fredericton Marathon in New Brunswick and the Sporting Life 10K in Toronto. 

Course records fall in Fredericton

It was near perfect conditions for the 45th annual Fredericton Marathon in the New Brunswick capital.

Stanley Chaisson of Charlottetown, P.E.I., won his third consecutive Fredericton Marathon, breaking his race record, finishing in two hours, 24 minutes and 40 seconds. Chaisson won the race handily, crossing the finish line in Queen’s Square 16 minutes ahead of second-place finisher Evan Arsenault of Quispamsis, N.B., in 2:40:10. Mathieu Hebert of Moncton, N.B. was third behind Arsenault in 2:48:51.

On the women’s side, a 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier Sarah Mulcahy of Fort Kent, Maine, broke the long-standing women’s marathon record of 2:53:57, set by Paula Keating in 2014. Mulcahy edged out Keating’s record by under 30 seconds, taking the women’s title in 2:53:30 to place sixth overall. Katie Lamarche of Alberton, P.E.I., was the second woman to cross the finish line, in 3:09:10. Jenilyn Hatt of Coldbrook, N.S., finished third in 3:16:54.

Kyle Grieve and Emily Setlack win Sporting Life 10K

Torontonians were greeted with a light tailwind for the annual Sporting Life 10K. This year the race raised more than $1.5 million for the charity Campfire Circle, with the goal to enrich the lives of kids and families affected by childhood cancer.

Toronto’s own Kyle Grieve led the race from start to finish, winning the point-to-point race from Toronto’s midtown to the lakeshore in 29:48. “It felt really great to win, especially in my home city,” says Grieve. “The crowd support was incredible. They provided a ton of encouragement.”

Grieve intended to get rolling at a fast pace from the start. “I wanted to run my own race,” he said, “especially since it’s known as a fast course.” 

The 29-year-old was solo from the gun, winning the race by a 23-second margin over Toronto’s Ben Shore and Brandon Raftis, who finished second and third, in 30:11 and 30:20. This is Grieve’s second straight road-race win after his Mississauga Half Marathon victory two weeks ago. He will head to the track for some 5,000m races before he makes his 10,000m debut at the Pacific Distance Carnival in Langley, B.C., on June 23.

Women’s champion Emily Setlack of Trenton, Ont., latched on to a large chase pack in the early stages, establishing a 40-second lead over the second and third-place women at 5K. Setlack, 42, hung on in the latter half of the race to win in 32:41, which is the fastest women’s time at the Sporting Life 10K since 2007. 

Kim and Michelle Krezonoski of Thunder Bay, Ont., battled for second place, with Kim holding off a late surge from her twin in a sprint to the finish. Kim and Michelle are in preparation for the 2023 Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minn., on June 17.

Here are the full results from the Fredericton Marathon and the Sporting Life 10K.