Toronto Zoo Run to host National 10K championships

The Canadian 10K road race championships will take place as part of the Toronto Zoo Run, Oct. 17.

The event will also serve as the finale for the Timex Road Race series, which includes more than 100 races across the country, with more than 140,000 participants each year.

The Zoo Run is also part of the Canada Running Series.

“This is an outstanding opportunity to grow our sport,” says Alan Brookes, Canada Running Series race director.

“Bringing together the Federation, Canada’s two premier running series’, and two marvelous sponsors in Oasis Juices [Lassonde] and Timex Canada. Together, we can build a bigger, better, higher profile, more exciting event that makes everyone — and especially the sport — a winner.”

Last year’s winners were Regina’s Simon Bairu and Toronto’s Megan Brown. Bairu represented Canada at the 2007 World Track and Field Championships.

In last year’s 10K championship, Bairu beat a field that included Olympians Eric Gillis and Taylor Milne, both of Guelph, Ont. Gitah Macharia, of Oakville, Ont, who is running the marathon at this year’s World Championships, also took part in last year’s event.