Ontario distance runner sets Canadian record in her first 10,000m race

It was a weekend to remember for Jadyn Keeler of Barrie, Ont., in northern California. Keeler smashed the Canadian U23 record in the women’s 10,000m on Friday at the Stanford Invite in Palo Alto, Calif., in her first time racing the distance.

Keeler’s record-breaking time of 32:06.70 beat the previous record by 26 seconds, placing her eighth on the Canadian all-time list and only 53 seconds behind the national record of 31:13.94, held by two-time Canadian Olympian Andrea Seccafien.

“It was an incredible feeling,” Keeler said about her achievement. “I was uncertain what to expect, as it was my first time racing the 10,000m distance.”

Twenty-five laps of a 400m track can sound overwhelming, but Keeler says she approached it by telling herself to stay relaxed and turning her mind off. “We went through 5,000m in 16:10, and I just felt great,” she said. She proceeded to run 16:06 over the final 12.5 laps, becoming the first Canadian woman since 2022 to run under 32 minutes and 10 seconds.

The 21-year-old third-year student at the University of North Dakota shared that she’s been eager to tackle the 10,000m since arriving in Grand Forks in 2022. “The longer the race—the better I perform,” Keeler said with a laugh. “It’s always been the case.”

Canadian U23 record in the women’s 10,000m 🚨

Jadyn Keeler of @UNDtrackfieldXC clocked 32:06.70 at the Stanford Invite to smash the previous record by 26 seconds.

This puts Keeler 8th on the 🇨🇦 all-time list and is the fastest 🇨🇦 women’s 10,000m time since 2022.

Impressive 👊 pic.twitter.com/wtRqC1PWLF

— Marley Dickinson (@marleydickinson) April 5, 2025

Keeler’s running journey started in Barrie, Ont., where she grew up as a figure skater. Her talent for distance running was discovered when she was 12. “I was just running for fun, and my elementary school XC coach pointed me toward a local track club,” she recalled. By high school, she had shifted her focus completely to running, leaving figure skating behind.

Like many athletes, Keeler faced challenges during the pandemic. She missed two seasons of high school track and field in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID and had to rely on Zoom to make her university and athletic decisions. “I remember not being able to visit universities, so I had to decide on where I was going to study and run track for the next four to five years via Zoom,” Keeler said.

Her path eventually led to the University of North Dakota, where she trains under coach Tom Scott. Keeler praises UND for its individualized programming, supportive staff and top-tier facilities, including a new 300m indoor track. A double major in molecular biology and geography, she balances academics with track and field and XC.

Canadian women have not competed in the 10,000m event at the last three major championships (Paris, Budapest, Eugene), but Keeler could change that trajectory if she continues to progress. However, she also envisions transitioning to the marathon in the future. “The goal right now is to continue developing my speed and to lower my times in the 10,000m,” she said. “Competing for Canada one day would be a dream come true.”

For now, her focus is on achieving her NCAA goals, which include qualifying for the 2025 NCAA Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Ore., in June, and excelling in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase, 5,000m, and 10,000m at the Summit League Conference Championships in May.

“Seeing what Ceili McCabe and Savannah Sutherland have done—it’s super inspiring to a lot of Canadian female athletes,” said Keeler. “They’ve paved the way for a lot of us, and if they can do it, why can’t I?”