Nate Brannen looks to follow up Olympic success at the Canadian 5K Championships

Nathan Brannen originally from Cambridge, Ont. is a three-time Canadian Olympian and recently finished 10th overall in the men’s 1500m at the Rio Olympic Games. We caught up with Brannen ahead of Sunday’s race.

RELATED: Nate Brannen advanced through to his first Olympic 1,500m final

Canadian Running: You represented Canada at the recent Rio Olympic Games. What was the experience like, what did you learn from it and how has it affected your future training and racing plans going forward?

Nathan Brannen: This was my third Olympic Games, so for the most part, I knew what to expect. After competing in the past two Games, I knew I was capable of competing against the best in the world and came into these Games with the goal of making the Olympic 1,500m final. Fortunately, I reached my goal and qualified for the final, finishing 10th overall. After competing in Rio, it left me wanting a little more and has given me a lot of motivation leading into the 2017 season.

Canadian Running: What are your goals and expectations ahead of the 5K Championships? How are you preparing/training between now and then?

Nathan Brannen: With this race being my final race of the 2016 season, I just want to end on a positive note. I haven’t run a competitive 5K in eight years so it’s going to be out of my comfort zone but I feel like my fitness in the 1,500m will carry over well for a 5K. Only time will tell.

Canadian Running: What do you like about this event and about racing in Toronto?

Nathan Brannen: I love racing in Toronto and just being back close to my hometown of Cambridge, Ont. Growing up only one hour from the city, I will be able to have friends and family there to cheer me on, something I don’t get to experience too often. I really like Toronto and can’t wait to be back and race.

Canadian Running: What are your training and racing plans following the 5K Championships?

Nathan Brannen: This race will conclude my 2016 summer races. After the 5K Champs, I will take some downtime and slowly build up for some possible late fall road races and if not, start gearing up for some indoor track races in 2017.