Quinn-Smith, Loiselle shine in Montreal

Toronto’s Tara Quinn-Smith set a new Canadian record of 1:12:08 as she dominated the women’s field at the Banque Scotia 21K de Montréal on April 19, outpacing second-place finisher Lioudmila Kortchaguina by more than three minutes. The event served as the Canadian championships for the half-marathon, attracting more than 2,800 runners on the flat and scenic course.

In the men’s race, Asamenew Yeshanew of Ethiopia finished first in 1:03:55, just ahead of top Canadian Matt Loiselle of Windsor, Ont., who ran a breakthrough performance of 1:04:09. The Canadian athletes who finished in the top three positions are eligible for selection to the 2009 IAAF World Half-Marathon Championships, to be held in Birmingham, U.K. this October.

Canadian Half-Marathon Championships Results:

Women

Tara Quinn-Smith (1:12:08)

Lioudmila Kortchaguina (1:15:49)

Paula Wiltse (1:19:46)

Men

Matt Loiselle (1:04:09)

Andrew Smith (1:05:07)

Steve Osaduik (1:05:52)