Hoka Distance Classic cancelled due to rain

The Hoka One One Distance Classic, one the North America’s premiere middle-distance meetings, was cancelled mid-way through Thursday night in Los Angeles due to an unexpected storm.

All the men’s 1,500m besides the first section and all the 5,000m races were cancelled, meaning Canadians hoping to see Cam Levins chase the national 5,000m record, or Natasha Wodak, the new 10,000m national record holder, take a shot at the shorter event, will have to wait a bit longer.

The United States Track and Field Association has said there are no plans to run the cancelled events Friday evening at a different location in the Los Angeles area, though some have hoped there will be an opportunity for athletes who travelled for the meet to race.

Still, many Canadians did have a chance to compete and raced well. Matt Hughes won the men’s steeplechase, flanked by compatriot Taylor Milne, who finished a close second. They raced to 8:25:54 and 8:25:72 finished, respectively. Genevieve Lalonde finished third in the women’s race in 9:42.40, under Canada’s world championship standard.

Had so much fun last night at #HOKAmdc plus que satisfaite avec le standard Olympique et Mondiaux. Now off to spend time with the sibblings!

— Geneviève Lalonde (@lalongen) May 15, 2015

Full results can be found on the event website.

The cancellation prompted dissatisfaction from some athletes scheduled to race, while local residents welcomed the downpour which suggested at least temporary relief from an ongoing, multi-year drought in the region.