Ontario runner nabs two Canadian records in one race

At 55, Kevin Smith isn’t slowing down—he’s speeding up, grabbing two national age-group records at one of the U.S.’s fastest races. Over the weekend at Washington D.C.’s iconic Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, Smith stunned even himself by breaking not one, but two national records for men aged 55–59. Smith crossed the 15K timing mat in 53:19, toppling a mark of 53:34 set by Maurice Tarrant in 1988. Minutes later, he hit the 10-mile finish in 57:29, shaving 41 seconds off his own record from December’s Boxing Day 10 Miler in Hamilton.

“I wasn’t even planning on chasing the 15K until I realized the Cherry Blossom race had a certified mat for it,” Smith explains. “It was a chance to go for the double—and I couldn’t resist.”

Taking it to America

Smith didn’t just chase records—he chased down the entire U.S. field in his age category. “That’s my contribution to ‘Taking It To the U.S.‘,” Smith jokes. Racing as part of the USATF 10 Mile Championships, he won the 55–59 division outright and even bested the top finisher in the 50–54 group.

The trip south came with some conflicted feelings. Smith had planned it in January, before political tensions and tariff talk made cross-border travel feel a little loaded. “I was pretty conflicted as the race approached,” he admits. But staying with family near D.C. helped keep the focus on racing—and ensured he didn’t spend much money while in the U.S. “One tank of gas, a pack of gum, and a McDonald’s meal. That’s all I spent!”

The long game

In October, just three weeks after finishing eighth in his age group at the Berlin Marathon (2:42:56), Smith smashed the Canadian 55+ half-marathon record at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Half-Marathon, clocking 1:15:42. It was a milestone 15 years in the making.

With more than 40 years of competitive running and 30 years of coaching experience, Smith is the president and co-founder of Marathon Dynamics Inc. and an NCCP-certified running coach. He first dreamed of breaking records at 40, when he finally figured out how to train consistently without injury. Inspired by his hero Rod Dixon—New Zealand’s middle-distance star turned marathon legend—Smith set out on a self-described “Dixonian Sweep,” aiming to break records from the mile to the marathon.

“Rod Dixon was my idol,” he says. “Little did I realize how hard it would be to even get one.” After years of dedicated focus on consistency without injury, Smith says the work is paying off. “I didn’t get much faster—I just didn’t slow down.” Now 55, he’s going all in: chasing 12 records in 12 months. “I know it’s unlikely I’ll get them all, but the challenge is exciting.”

What’s next?

If his cranky hamstring allows, Smith is eyeing the 5K record later this spring and hopes to shoot for the 10K record at the Toronto Under Armour 10K in June. Then, he hopes to tackle “the toughest dragon of all”—the marathon—at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon later this year.

And how does a record-breaking runner celebrate? “A couple of beers, some chocolate indulgence, a day or two of rest—and then I’ll jump joyously back into the grind.”