Both the men's and women's Canadian Mountain Running teams returned last weekend from the 10th NACAC Mountain Running Championships with silver medals. The Canadian women, led by Canadian Mountain Running Champion Meggan Franks, finished well ahead of the next best team to clinch the second position. The Canadian men finished with the same number of points as the third place Mexican team, but won silver on the basis of having their last scoring runner, Alister Gardner, finish ahead of the last scoring runner for the Mexican team.

The United States brought their A-game to Mt. Cranmore, in New Hampshire over the weekend to sweep the podium in both the men’s and women’s race at the NACAC Mountain Running Championships. The NACAC race features a team event where the top 3 runners from the United States, Canada, and Mexico are combined to give an overall team title. The race was contested from the top of a downhill ski slope, and thus had the unique experience of starting the race with an extremely fast and steep downhill.

In the women’s race, Franks led the Canadians with a 13th place finish and she was supported by three strong runners from “la belle province” . Sarah Bergeron-Larouche and Melanie Nadeau were close behind, finishing 16th and 17th, a mere 4 seconds apart from each other, and the fourth member of the team, Sarah Baribeau in 23rd. 2012 world mountain running championships bronze medallist and former Olympic skier Morgan Arritola took the victory for the USA.

The men’s race was equally competitive, and it was again Quebec runners that lead the way for Canada, with Canadian championships runner-up Jeff Gosselin leading the way in 14th, and Canadian champion David Le Porho soon after in 19th. Alister Gardner rounded out the scoring places for Canada in 29th. The American men included the likes of multi-time champion Joe Gray, 2011 world mountain running champion Max King, and Glenn Randall, former winner of the Colorado’s Pikes Peak Ascent. Gray eventually took the overall win.

Next up for the Canadian team will be the World Mountain Running Championships in Poland in September.

Check out the full results from the race here: http://www.coolrunning.com/results/13/nh/Jul21_USAMou_set3.shtml

Photos and more reports can also be found on the USATF Mountain Ultra Trail facebook page here - https://www.facebook.com/usatfmut