Sifuentes wins another B.A.A mile

Nicole Sifuentes of Winnipeg, Manitoba has won her second consecutive B.A.A 1 mile title. The elite Canadian distance runner stationed out of Ann Arbor, Michigan bested an elite field of women on April 14th. She finished in a time of 4:37.20, and training partner Shannon Osika was 2nd in a time of 4:39.30.

Nicole said her experience in Boston this year was still great despite the inclement weather, “My experience was similar to other years. It’s a really exciting time to be in Boston. Last year was my first year running the mile and it ended up being a lot more exciting and a bigger deal than I had imagined.” Coming off last year’s excitement, Sifuentes anticipated this year’s race with more understanding of the hype that surrounds the B.A.A races that precede the marathon. Sifuentes sensibly headed home after her race to watch the marathon from the comfort of her couch.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhg1f-3FYRb/?taken-by=ndsifuentes

Sifuentes’s primary training group consists of Shanon Osika, Rebecca Addison and Amanda Eccleston. All of these women are top middle distance runners. Training amongst a group of extremely talented women can be difficult, especially when you’re competing directly against one another for sponsorship opportunities and team qualifications. Sifuentes says that all of them have beaten her at one point, and “I can’t say I like it when they beat me.” However, she goes on to say that a team is a collaborative entity, “By training with someone you see the work they put in, and it always feels good to see hard work pay off. Removing yourself from the picture allows you to see how good it is when hard work pays off, and that’s encouraging. It makes me more confident that my hard work will pay off as well.” She is happy with how her season has begun but graciously remembers that she is not alone, “Their success is my success. Share in each other’s ups and downs. It’s truly a collaboration, one person’s success can be shared with everyone.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgUnxxaDCh-/?taken-by=ndsifuentes

Sifuentes doesn’t have a set schedule for the summer, this is common for professional runners during what is referred to as a “down” year, which means there are no major championships.  She plans on running a 5K in the coming weeks and focus on the 1,500m following that, “all I want to do is see how fast I can go, and try and podium or win at Canadian National Championships.” She is also interested in NACAC (North American, Central American and Carribbean Conference) championships, which take place this August in Toronto.