Three Canadians win masters titles in Boston

Canadian masters runners fared well Monday in Boston, winning three masters division titles on the Hopkinton to Boylston Street course.

Jean Marmoreno, Liz Borrett, and Keijo Taivassalo, won the women’s 70-74, women’s 75-79 and men’s 60-64 divisions, respectively.

The 72-year-old Marmoreno finished in 4:00:56. It’s the fourth time the Toronto runner has won a master category in Boston.

Borret, a Kelowna, B.C., resident, finished in 4:26:36, a few minutes slower than her time last year when she won her first masters title on the same course. She’s 76.

Taivassalo, from Thornhill, Ont., at 76, ran 3:35:21 to win his men’s masters race.

Other Canadians finished strong in the master race as well. Denis Robson, whose coach, Cliff Matthews, recently died while on a training camp in Kenya, was the top Canadian master, finishing third among women 45-49 in 2:54:11. The Halifax runner has had strong showings in Boston before.

Paula Keating, a New Brunswick marathon record holder, finished one place behind Robson in the division, running 2:54:53.

Christian Mercier of Quebec City finished second among men 40-44, running 2:24:37 and Louise Voghell of St. Armand, Que., was second in the women’s 60-64 bracket, finishing in 3:16:19. Victor  Mladenka was third in the men’s 60-64 group with 3:06:00. One division older, Cap-Santé, Que., resident Gilles Lacasse finished third.

Overall, Canada’s top finishers were Philippe Viau-Dupuis of Montreal and Brittany Moran or Toronto. The two finished 23rd and 36th in the men’s and women’s categories. Viau-Dupuis finished in 2:21:16 and Moran raced to a 2:49:59.