Canada’s Kieran Lumb sees opportunity in men’s 1,500m at World Indoor Championships
With Jakob Ingebrigtsen's absence and Josh Kerr opting to run the 3,000m, Vancouver's Kieran Lumb wants to make the most of this opportunity
Photo by:
Kevin Morris
The 2024 World Indoor Championships kick off this Friday in Glasgow, and Kieran Lumb is one of two Canadian athletes in the men’s 1,500m, aiming to break through in the absence of Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
The men’s 1,500m at the World Indoors is wide open, with Ingebrigtsen sidelined due to injury, Mohammed Katir suspended on whereabouts violations and world 1,500m champion Josh Kerr opting for the 3,000m instead. Lumb, along with Quebec’s Charles Philibert-Thiboutot are hoping to seize the opportunity and potentially earn a medal at a major championship.
“It is definitely an open field,” says Lumb. “This is a fantastic opportunity, and you need to seize it when it comes. I want to make the most of it.”
Lumb isn’t getting ahead of himself, recognizing that his first task is to secure a spot in the 1,500m final. “Once I am there, anything can happen,” he adds.
World Indoors will be Lumb’s third appearance for Team Canada at a major championship in the last 12 months. At the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, he made his senior national team debut in the men’s 1,500m but did not advance out of the heats. “As much as you don’t want to admit it to yourself, in Budapest, I was happy to be there,” he reveals. “My performance in Budapest reminded me how small the margins are, but those are experiences you gain from navigating rounds at a major championship.”
Heading into these championships, Lumb is more confident than he was seven months ago. He displayed his versatility in the fall, winning the Canadian Cross Country Championship (10K) in Ottawa, followed by a Canadian indoor 3,000m record a few weeks later. Last week, he became the second-fastest Canadian 800m runner indoors, with a 1:46.34 clocking at the Ken Shannon Last Chance meet at the University of Washington.
“I really pride myself on being a versatile athlete,” says Lumb. “It’s great to see my training has paid off across different distances. I want to put it all together in Glasgow.”
Lumb and Philibert-Thiboutot will compete in the first round of the men’s 1,500m on Friday afternoon at 3:10 p.m. ET. You can stream the 2024 World Indoor Championships from Canada live on CBCSports and CBC, and the CBC Gem app. Canadian Running will be live from Glasgow, reporting on the action and featuring interviews with athletes as everything unfolds. You can follow our coverage on Instagram or Twitter.
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