Canadians tackle world’s most competitive distance race

The IAAF Cross Country Championships are often called the greatest race in the world. No other race features the combination of quality and depth that this race offers, year in and year out. And the 2011 edition, held March 20 in Punta Umbria, Spain, was no exception.

For a relatively young Canadian team, the race was a unique opportunity to take on the world’s best, and to gain experience competing at the highest level of the sport. The top Canadians were Ross Proudfoot of Sudbury, who was 49th in the Junior Men’s race; Caroline Pfister of Sherbrooke, 51st in the Junior Women’s; and Cam Levins of Black Creek, BC, 57th in the Senior Men’s. Levins finished just three seconds ahead of Regina’s Kelly Wiebe, who was 59th. Both Wiebe and Levins are only 21 years old, and were competing at their first world championships.

At the front of the race, Ethiopian Imana Merga and Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot won the senior men’s and women’s races. The IAAF website features great profiles of both Merga and Cheruiyot

Canadian Results:

Junior Women 6km – Team finished 12th

51. Caroline Pfister 21:43 Sherbrooke, QC
55. Carise Thompson 21:54 Lynden, ON
60. Maria Bernard 22:00 Calgary, AB
62. Ciara Kary 22:02 Calgary, AB
64. Fiona Benson 22:07 Dawson Creek, BC
72. Emily Driedger 22:17 Georgetown, ON

Junior Men 8km – Team finished 12th

49. Ross Proudfoot 24:53 Sudbury, ON
63. Xavier King 25:24 Ajax, ON
68. Connor Darlington 25:30 Whitby, ON
79. Andrew Kowalsky 25:53 Windsor, ON
83. Robert Denault 26:01 Aurora, ON
93. Paul Janikowski 26:19 Lasalle, ON

Senior Women 8km

88. Kate Harrison 28:51 Toronto, ON

Senior Men 12km – Team finished 16th

57. Cameron Levins 36:36 Black Creek, BC
59. Kelly Wiebe 36:39 Regina, SK
98. Barry Britt 38:31 Hampton, NB
99. Alex Genest 38:35 Lac-aux-Sables, QC
105. Derek Snyder 40:21 Guelph, ON

 Full results are here