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adrian.lambert@mountainrunning.ca
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| Wednesday, July 1 2015 - Team Canada at NACAC Championships Announcement |
We are pleased to announce the athletes who will represent team Canada at the NACAC Championships on July 18th, 2015:
WOMEN
Chessa Adsit-Morris (Vancouver, BC)
Sarah Bergeron-Larouche (Quebec, QC)
Meggan Franks (originally from Alberta, now living in Starkville, MS)
Catrin Jones (Victoria, BC)
MEN
Olivier Babineau (Moncton, NB)
Nick Elson (Squamish, BC)
Kristopher Swanson (Victoria, BC)
Shaun Stephens-Whale (Victoria, BC)
The women’s team boasts four athletes who have all finished in the top 60 at the World Mountain Running Championships. Meggan Franks and Sarah Bergeron-Larouche both finished in the top 50 at the 2013 World Mountain Running Championships in Poland. Meggan ran 17:42 for 5k earlier this year after taking a break from competitive running in 2014 to have a baby. Sarah is the reigning World Snowshoe Champion in the 10k distance. Catrin finished 51st at the 2012 World Mountain Running Championships in Italy and won this year’s Canadian Long Distance Mountain Running Championships. Chessa Adsit-Morris was the top Canadian (57th) at last year’s World Mountain Running Championships in Italy.
The men’s team includes a mix of Canadian national team veterans and newcomers to the team. Kris Swanson is the most experienced mountain runner on this year’s squad for men or women. He competed at the World Mountain Running Championships in six of the last seven years and has a best finish of 30th place from the 2010 World Mountain Running Championships in Slovenia. Shaun Stephens-Whale boasts an even longer connection to the national team, having represented Canada as a junior in 2006 and more recently, represent Canada last year at the World Mountain Running Championships in Italy. Olivier Babineau was 10th at the national championships last year and won the 22km event at the Mt. Sutton Xtrail race in Quebec. He was 9th at the World Snowshoe Championships earlier this year. Nick Elson was the Canadian Champion in the Long Distance Mountain Running course last year in Revelstoke, BC and boasts a season’s best of 31:58 for 10k.
The national team shared their thoughts on competing on home soil on a tough course.
On racing on home soil:
“I’m very excited that NACAC is at home this year. Vancouver is one of my favorite places to race.” (Meggan Franks)
“I am most excited about having friends and family either racing with me or cheering me on; it is so nice to have the positive energy around you and hear your name being yelled throughout the course. (Chessa Adsit Morris)
“I’m definitely looking forward to high level of competition and exploring a new network of trails in our beautiful country…. ” (Olivier Babineau)
“I live in Squamish and train on terrain similar to that of the race. I suspect that many of the visiting runners may be surprised by the poor footing on our local trails.” (Nick Elson)
“Representing Canada while so close to home will be exciting. It will provide my family with the opportunity to witness Canada’s great battle against the formidable US and Mexico.” (Shaun Stephens-Whale)
On the course
“I’m looking forward to the climbs [and] to the suffering.” (Meggan Franks)
“The course looks relatively flat apart from that one climb so I expect a fast race and I’m definitely looking forward to the last descent.” (Olivier Babineau)
“The steep uphill will provide a good test of my mountain legs, while the out-and-back portion of the course will give a good gauge on the competition.” (Shaun Stephens-Whale)
“Like all mountain races, it looks like it will be challenging. For me, 11km's is considered quite short as I normally train for marathons and 50km trail races, so I think the hardest aspect of the race for me is going to be finding the strength to push hard very early on in the event.” (Catrin Jones)
"It is true that I am racing in my country, but I don’t know Cypress Mountain and it is 5191km far away from where I live. ... However, I am pretty excited to discover the course and to race on a competitive level." (Sarah Bergeron-Larouche)
On the joys of mountain running
“What is great about mountain running is that there are so many memorable places and beautiful mountain views.” (Chessa Adsit-Morris)
After running with his father in Yosemite National Park: “The multifaceted landscape really opened my eyes to a new method of exploring and from that moment on I knew I wanted to try mountain running.” (Olivier Babineau)
“What I appreciate about mountain running is being able to get out and have adventures in cool places and call it training.” (Nick Elson)
"I was a member of the national team in 2013 and raced in World Mountain running in Poland. ...I always like to meet people that share the same passion as I do; trail running is like a big family!" (Sarah Bergeron-Larouche)
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