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Weekend recap: Two Canadian men join the sub-4 mile club

Four Canadian runners smash their personal bests at indoor meets in Boston and NYC

At the John Thomas Terrier Classic indoor meet at Boston University on Jan. 30, two Canadian men joined the sub-four-minute-mile club in a race that saw nine men squeak under the barrier. Simon Fraser University’s Aaron Ahl (3:57.95) and Laval’s Jean-Simon Desgagnés (3:58.60) placed fifth and sixth respectively in the eight-lap race.

Both Desgagnés and Ahl had previous personal best times of 4:06.92 heading into Sunday’s mile, each of them running just over an eight-second personal best. After this weekend’s performances, the exclusive list of Canadian men who have run sub-four has now grown to 63.

Ahl is a middle-distance runner who trains with B.C.’s Simon Fraser University, which is the only Canadian school that competes in the NCAA Division II. The 23-year-old is an up-and-coming 800/1,500m runner looking to represent Canada on the international stage. 

Canada’s Kieran Lumb runs world lead in the mile

Desgagnés has had much success in the 3,000 and 5,000m on the track, and this past fall, he helped lead his Laval Rouge-et-Or team to a U Sports Cross-Country Championship, placing second in the men’s 8K. The 23-year-old also has experience on the international circuit, making his Diamond League debut last summer in Rome. 

Photo: Felix Lapointe/Twitter

Addy Townsend makes her mark in the 800m

Ahl was not the only Simon Fraser student who made his mark in Boston. Canada’s Addy Townsend, who is also an aspiring middle-distance runner, ran a five-second personal best in the 800m. Townsend’s time of 2:03.00 ties the qualifying standard for the 2022 World Indoor Championships, which will be held from March 18 to 20 in Belgrade, Serbia. Her new personal best broke both her indoor and outdoor 800m PB, and she finished third in the race. 

John Gay runs PB in 3,000m

Canadian 3,000m steeplechase Olympian and 2021 Canadian cross-country champion John Gay kicked off his 2022 indoor season on Saturday at the Millrose Games in New York City. Gay led the 3,000m race after seven laps and looked strong through the back half of the race. He ultimately finished ninth, in a deep field, taking home a three-second personal best of 7:45.34.

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