Canada’s Justyn Knight targets world championship spot after podium finish at nationals
"The road back to where I am now has been far tougher than where I was as an athlete before," says Knight
John Liu (@johnwithlenses)
While Canada’s best track and field athletes were chasing their Olympic dream in Paris last summer, one of the nation’s best distance runners watched from his Toronto home, recovering from an Achilles injury that nearly ended his career.
Last Thursday, after six long years, Canadian Olympian Justyn Knight returned to the national stage, finishing second in the men’s 5,000m at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Ottawa. Although Knight’s finishing time of 13:43.50 was well shy of the qualifying standard (13:01.00), his silver medal marked a major milestone in his comeback—and kept his 2025 World Athletics Championships hopes alive.
“I’ve been away from running for quite a long time with injury and figuring out how to deal with it,” Knight told Canadian Running after the race. “During those moments, I had a lot of time to reflect and understand how grateful I was to be competing. It’s surreal to be back out here with the best in the nation.”
Knight, 29, is the second-fastest Canadian in history over 5,000m with a personal best of 12:51.93, a mark he set in 2021. Only his Olympic teammate and Swoosh Track Club (formerly Bowerman TC) training partner, Moh Ahmed, has run faster (12:47.20).
In June 2023, he underwent surgery to repair a partially torn left Achilles tendon. Attempts to return in early 2024 were delayed by setbacks, ultimately pushing his competitive comeback to this season. “I think what I missed most was the competition,” Knight said. “Running has always been my forte, and when I thought about my favourite memories, they came from moments at Canadian nationals, Diamond Leagues, or even the Olympics.”
Even during his time away, Knight says he stayed connected to the sport, watching his old races and cheering on rivals he once competed against. “It gave me the itch to get back and do everything I can to be in competitive form,” he said.
While Knight currently sits outside the World Athletics qualification quota for the men’s 5,000m, he is determined to chase the standard of 13:01.00 before the Aug. 24 deadline. Just days after Canadian nationals, he flew to Europe from Toronto in hopes of racing fast and securing the qualifying time.
“The plan is to go after that standard,” he said. “I know I’m fit and ready to go.”
Knight admits the road back has been far tougher than anything he experienced, even during his peak years. “To say the journey has been difficult is an understatement,” he said. “I’m just a person that needs repetition, I need to be consistent—and when that happens, I’m ready to roll. That’s the plan moving forward.”
