Canadian running: a year of big moments

As she contemplates her next move, our videographer, Maxine Gravina, looks back on a year of documenting some of the highlights of the Canadian running scene.

Unfortunately, my time with Gripped Publishing has come to a close. Before I move on to my next adventure I wanted to look back at some of my favourite moments during my time with Canadian Running (in random order):

Cam Levins Canadian men’s marathon record post-STWM interview

“What’s one word you can use to describe how you feel right now?” I asked Cam. “Elation,” he replied. It’s rare in my profession that you get a shot of a Canadian record going down, and luckily for me this was my day. Cam Levins breaking the Canadian men’s marathon record less than 100m away from my lens was a moment I won’t forget. Going forward in my career, it will be hard to top that day.

A Day in the Life: Gen Lalonde

I was very lucky to do the “Day in the Life” series with some pretty cool elite Canadian athletes like Damian Warner, Melissa Bishop, Corey Bellemore and Gen Lalonde. My favourite was Gen’s video. I loved how chill and down to earth she was. Her simple lifestyle, quirky home, and chill training vibes really hit home, and made her video so fun and easy to put together.

Myles Misener-Daley: Canadian U18 400m Record-Holder

Since I started taking photos at races, it’s always been exciting watching athletes grow over the years. Seeing Myles Misener-Daley’s record-breaking 400m performance at OFSAA in 2018 was beyond exciting. A crowd giving a standing ovation for a track and field performance is not something I’ve seen at many meets in Canada, but when it happens it gets me excited for the future of Canadian track & field.

Harry Jerome Track Classic

Rarely do I get to travel out of province for meets, but I was thrilled to travel to Vancouver for the Harry Jerome Track Classic. Not only does the track display a beautiful view of the BC mountains, but the meet showcases west coast high school, university, and elite talent.

Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend

I had the pleasure of covering Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend twice, and both times it was a party. The streets of downtown Ottawa are shut down for the 2K, 5K, 10K, half-marathon and marathon all weekend. The pubs are packed, the competition is exciting, and the streets are filled with spectators. This is a race I will be adding to my bucket list.

NACAC Athlete Profile: Sergio Raez Villanueva

If there’s one thing I love about the running community, it’s meeting people like Sergio. Whether he’s had a good or bad race day, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this guy not smile. Sergio’s passion for running is demonstrated in this video where he tries to convince the audience to try a race on the track. Because, why not?

2019 OFSAA/Speed River Inferno

Having two big track meets in one day? Exciting, exhausting and a recipe for a nice sunburn. This year the Speed River Track and Field Club hosted the OFSAA track and field championships and Speed River Inferno on the same day. The meet showcased up and coming youth and elite Olympians, bringing together a great display of Canadian running talent.

Mohammed Ahmed and Anthony Romaniw reminiscing at OFSAA cross-country 

There’s nothing better than a bromance, and watching Canadian-record holder Mo Ahmed and 2016 Canadian 800m Olympian Anthony Romaniw reminisce about their OFSAA cross-country days was too good to be true. I live for the interviews where athletes share interesting and unheard stories with the audience.

 OUA cross-country championships 2018

A cold fall day, pouring rain, and mud galore–also known as the perfect cross-country day. As I ran around the Thames Valley Golf course during the Ontario University Cross Country Championships freezing my fingers and toes off, I inhaled the excitement of cheering coaches, athletes, and spectators coming out to experience a banner season.

125th Around the Bay course preview

I may be a little biased with this choice, because it’s from my hometown, but I’m going to give this spot to one of the oldest road races in Canada. Patrick Mackinnon, coach of the Dundas Valley Track Club, gave an excellent course preview of the Around the Bay Road Race. It left me itching to put this race on my to-do list as well.

I’d like to give a special thanks to Maddy, Anne, Joan, Kate, and the rest of the Gripped Publishing team for the wonderful experiences I had during my time here, and a big thank you to the Canadian running community for reminding me why I love the sport of running so much.