Weekend recap: Quebec duo collect wins at New York City Track Night
A recap of the long weekend in Canadian running, highlighting performances in Halifax and New York City
Photo by:
Kevin Morris
With the 2023 outdoor track and field season in full swing and athletes beginning to target world championship qualifying times, two Canadian runners ran to near-best times at the NYC Track Night on Randall’s Island Park in New York City on May 19. Quebec City’s Jean-Simon Desgagnés won the 3,000m steeplechase for the third consecutive year, while his training partner, Thomas Fafard, won the men’s 5,000m in a near-best 13:33.00 (his second-best time over the distance).
The French quarters
For the third-straight year, Canadian steeplechaser Desgagnés won the men’s 3,000m steeplechase at NYC Track Night. He set the pace from the front early on and put in a surge with two laps to go, winning the race by three seconds in 8:23.32, only three seconds off his personal best of 8:20.68 set earlier this season. In 2022, Desgagnés represented Team Canada in the 3,000m steeplechase at the World Athletics Championships and NACAC Championships.
Deux victoires à New York ! @queendesgagnez remporte le 3000m steeple du Track Night NYC en 8:23.32, 3e année consécutive qu’il remporte cette compétition.@ThomasFafard triomphe au 5000m en 13:33.00. Son 2e meilleur chrono en carrière sur la distance. pic.twitter.com/cGhxQ9pmmh
— Felix A Lapointe (@CoachLapointe) May 20, 2023
Moments later, in the men’s 5,000m, it was a Canadian one-two, as Fafard took the win in 13:33-flat, followed by Jeremy Coughler of London, Ont., seven seconds behind his compatriot in 13:40.70. Despite the windy conditions on Randall’s Island, Fafard ran the second fastest 5,000m time of his career, only a little more than a second behind his personal best of 13:31.50 from 2022.
The three men continue to inch closer to the 2023 World Championships standards of 8:15.00 for the 3,000m steeplechase and 13:07 for the 5,000m.
First-time winners at Halifax Blue Nose Marathon
Hundreds of runners beat the rain on Sunday morning in Halifax at the 2023 Blue Nose Marathon. For the second year in a row, two runners from out of province won the race, with Toronto’s Brent Scheibelhut winning the race in 2:47:51 and Amber MacLeod of Stratford, P.E.I., taking the women’s win in 3:23:29.
At the finish of the Blue Nose Marathon. Half-marathon and 10K competitors coming in now. The finish line has been moved to Emera Oval. Rain threatening and wind is blustery, which has helped runners crossing Old Bridge to Dartmouth but causing resistance heading back to Halifax. pic.twitter.com/X8EuSUqVr7
— Glenn MacDonald (@CH_GMacHerald) May 21, 2023
Although the rain held off, all runners battled strong gusts and headwinds during the race. Scheibelhut won by nearly five minutes ahead of Matthias Mueller of Lower Sackville, N.S., in 2:52:44. Mueller was the half-marathon champion at the 2021 Blue Nose Marathon. Five-time Blue Nose champion David MacLennan of Scotsburn, N.S., was third in 2:54:19.
MacLeod finished two-and-half minutes ahead of runner-up Shannon Brittany-Pollock of Fredericton, N.B. (3:25:57). Jessica Morehouse of Timberlea, N.S., was third, two minutes behind Brittany-Pollock, in 3:27:57.
Here are the full results from the 2023 Blue Nose Marathon.
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