If you’re a fan of cross nation, prepare for a spectacle on Saturday afternoon within the open males’s 10K discipline on the 2023 Canadian Cross Nation Championships. A number of the nation’s high middle-distance runners are in Ottawa to contend for the nationwide title, together with reigning XC champion Connor Black, 1,500m Olympian Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, plus rising Canadian distance stars Kieran Lumb and Jean-Simon Desgagnés.
Can Connor Black go back-to-back?
Final 12 months, Black of London, Ont., received his first nationwide XC title, beating out Olympic steeplechaser John Homosexual on the ultimate lap of 5 at Mooney’s Bay in Ottawa. Though Black had a profitable collegiate profession with the College of Guelph, his win final 12 months got here unexpectedly to most after a Tenth-place end in 2021. Black informed Canadian Operating that he knew he was able to extra and began his hill coaching in the course of the summer season in preparation to contend for the win at nationals.
Coming in because the defending champion on the identical course, Black is the favorite and is searching for one other spot on Group Canada for the 2024 World XC Championships after not having the ability to run earlier this 12 months as a result of sickness. The final runner to win back-to-back ACXC titles was two-time Olympian Luc Bruchet in 2017 and 2018 in Kingston.
The kings of the center distance
Lumb and Philibert-Thiboutot have gone head-to-head within the males’s 1,500m loads on this 2023 season, with Lumb famously edging out Philibert-Thiboutot for the 1,500m title on the Canadian Monitor and Area Championships in July. The 2 titans of the 1,500m will battle as soon as once more on Saturday, however this time over 10K on grass. It has been some time since both of them has stepped foot on a cross-country course and, in reality, competed at Canadian nationals for XC, however each males look to return not solely to win the person title however to assist their respective groups win the open title for the highest staff.
Vancouver’s Kieran Lumb to return to Canadian Cross Nation Championships
Philibert-Thiboutot arrives in Ottawa after a profitable two-medal efficiency for Group Canada on the 2023 Pan American Video games earlier this month. If a gold medal within the 1,500m and a silver within the 5,000m is any indication of his health, he’s decided and able to assist CAUL (Membership D’Athletisme de L’Universite Laval) do no matter it takes to win the staff title. Philibert-Thiboutot is a seasoned veteran and is aware of his strengths, plus the up-and-down and down 2K loop will make this a tactical race, which is able to work towards Philibert-Thiboutot’s strengths–a ultimate kick.
For Lumb, that is his first time at Canadian XC nationals since he received the U20 title in 2017. He had a profitable second half of the 2023 season, setting a Canadian document within the 3,000m (twice) and ending high 5 on the World Highway Operating Championships within the street mile. The largest query mark round Lumb will probably be concerning what kind of form he will probably be in on Saturday. Lumb is coming off a brief break in mid-October and has just one month of cross-country coaching underneath his belt. Lumb joins a loaded Vancouver Thunderbirds staff, that includes nationwide marathon champion Thomas Broatch and U Sports activities (staff) gold medallists John Perrier and Javieer Tiwana.
Better of the remainder
A number of different athletes to look at are the Harbour Monitor Membership trio of Max Turek, Andrew Davies and Andrew Alexander. Turek completed within the high 5 right here final 12 months, and Davies is coming off a bronze medal on the 2023 Canadian U Sports activities Championships. Alexander received the 2023 TCS Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon in 62:44 and is coached by former Canadian XC champion and Olympian Matt Hughes. Within the staff class, Harbour has nothing to lose, and with that loaded high three, they may shock a number of individuals and discover their means onto the rostrum.
CAUL’s Philippe Morneau-Cartier has been undefeated on Canadian soil this fall, successful 4 consecutive XC races and the U Sports activities nationwide title. Morneau-Cartier is extraordinarily match and has been crushing his teammate, Pan-American steeplechase champion Desgagnés, in exercises. The boys went one-two at U Sports activities, and each ought to place inside the high 10 right here. They’ve added depth with the inclusion of two of Canada’s greatest 5,000m runners, Thomas Fafard and Philibert-Thiboutot, making CAUL a favorite to take the lads’s staff title.
I might not name Royal Metropolis’s Mitch Ubene a sleeper decide, as he’s been proper there, knocking on the door for a breakthrough at a number of nationwide championships since graduating from the College of Guelph final 12 months. A second-place end within the males’s 5,000m to Ben Flanagan at Canadian nationals in July and a fifth-place end on this course final 12 months. This race is certain to be tactical, and Ubene is a affected person and gritty runner, which might work properly for him on this powerful course.
Predictions
Particular person high three:
- Charles Philibert-Thiboutot (CAUL)
- Philippe Morneau-Cartier (CAUL)
- Connor Black (London Western Monitor Membership)
Group high three:
- CAUL (Membership D’Athletisme de L’Universite Laval) – Quebec Metropolis
- London Western Monitor Membership – London, Ont.
- Harbour Monitor Membership – Hamilton, Ont.
For a complete preview of the ladies’s discipline on the 2023 Canadian Cross Nation Championships, test right here.
How one can watch
The 2023 Canadian Cross Nation Championships will probably be broadcast stay through AthleticsCanada.television. The stay webcast and on-demand movies will solely be accessible for RunnerSpace +PLUS subscribers. Viewers can enroll right here. Canadian Operating will probably be readily available live-tweeting, sharing movies on our Instagram, and conducting interviews with high finishers on the championships. Comply with alongside on our Instagram and Twitter.
The ladies’s open 10K is up first on Saturday morning, kicking off at 11 a.m. ET, adopted by the lads at midday ET. Protection for the championships begins with the masters race at 10 a.m. ET.
Schedule
8:30 a.m. Children’ race
9:00 a.m. Neighborhood 6K race
10:00 a.m. Masters 6K (70+) and 8K race
11:00 a.m. Open Ladies 10K race
12:00 p.m. Open Males 10K race
1:00 p.m. U20 Ladies’s 6K race
1:45 p.m. U20 Males’s 8K race
2:30 p.m. U18 Ladies’ 4K race
3:15 p.m. U18 Boys’ 6K race
