Grinding it out in Guelph

Maybe it’s something in the water, or perhaps it comes from training in conditions that often resemble a deepfreeze. Whatever it is, it seems to be working for a couple of runners from Regina. Two athletes from the Regina-area claimed the top prize at the 2008 Canadian Cross Country Championships in Guelph, Ont., held on November 29. Kendra Schaaf of Craven, Sask. defended her title in the junior women’s 5K race, finishing in a time of 17:23.6, while Regina’s Simon Bairu won his sixth senior men’s championship, completing the snow-covered 10K course in a time of 30:49.9.

Speed River’s domination in the senior men’s race was also impressive. The Guelph-based club had four of the top six finishers, much to the delight of the home crowd. “It’s hard to deny that Guelph is the cross-country capital of Canada,” says Rob Watson, who finished second to Bairu in the senior men’s race. “Every day when we get together for workouts you know somebody is going to be having a good day, and is going to be pushing it.”

Bairu, 25, credits his upbringing in one of Canada’s coldest cities for his dominance in the sport of cross-country running. “Running in minus-25 or minus-30 weather – that makes you tough,” he says. In what seems to be a clear shot at football and hockey, Bairu calls cross-country “the toughest event in Canada in November or December. It’s about who can grind the most, for the longest and the farthest.”

Cross-country often gets lost in the hype over marathons, 10K road races and track meets. Most recreational runners have never even tried the sport, and it seems to be left to the domain of elite runners. But the lure of a good challenge is part of what makes a runner, a runner, Bairu says. “I love the hills, the grass and the mud. It’s a wildcard, when you get out there you don’t know what to expect with the course. The wind plays a factor, and I just love that.”

We often hear about runners who plan southern vacations in the winter to participate in road races in warm locations – and escape the snow and the cold. Stephanie Hood does the opposite. The 27-year-old marathoner grew up in Manitoba, but now lives in St. Louis, Mo. “When I saw the course, I got really excited. It’s a challenge, and I love hills. It was snowing and so beautiful,” says Hood, who won the senior women’s 7K race in a time of 25:19.9.             Hood came from behind with an impressive surge over the final 2K to overtake Tarah Mackay and win the race.

But her victory was nowhere near as dramatic as the finish in the junior men’s race. Quebec’s Olivier Collin snatched victory from Mohammed Ahmed of St. Catharines, Ont., with a last-second dash and lean at the finish line. But if there’s a articleer boy for how mentally tough and gruelling the sport can be, it’s Ahmed. Over the final stretch he was coughing up blood, and had to be treated in the medical tent as soon as he crossed the line.

The top 12 finishers in each of the races are eligible to run for Team Canada at the world championships in Amman, Jordan, on March 28.