WORLD TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIP - SPEEDY IN SPAIN

August has been a track fan's dream. With the World Track and Field Championship covered every day of the event on CBC television, one could not be much happier. Actually, more coverage of the distance events could have made the coverage even better for long distance runners. Nonetheless, this was the best coverage ever for a track event.

The main events for road runners were on the last Saturday and Sunday of the Championship as the men's and women's marathon were run. Canada was represented by Bruce Deacon. Bruce could be seen with the large pack of leaders at the beginning of the race, but the warm conditions made it difficult for Bruce to keep up to the relatively fast pace. Bruce hung on to finish 27 out of 80 runners as he finished in 2:20:25. The winner of the race was the well known and always feared Spaniard Abel Anton who was the winner of the previous marathon championship. Anton completed the course in 2:13:36 and was cheered by a crowd of 70,000 in the packed stadium of the Spanish city of Seville. He was followed by Vincenzo Modica of Italy in 2:14:03 and Nobuyuki Sato of Japan in 2:14:07.

In the women's marathon event, there were no Canadian runners, but the race was an exciting one as a Korean runner battled with a Japanese runner and won in a time of 2:26:59 vs. 2:27:02. Lidia Simon of Romania, one of the world's top runners came in 3^rd in 2:27:41, followed by the Boston marathon reigning champion Fatuma Roba of Ethiopia in 2:28:08. Fifty-one runners participated in the women's marathon.

Other events of distinction for the long distance crowd were the 5,000 and 10,000 meter events. In the 5000 m women's event, Gabriela Szabo (ROM) won in a time of 14:42, followed closely by Zahra Ouaziz (MAR) in 14:43 and Ayelech Worku (ETH) in 14:44. Kathy Butler of Canada unfortunately did not finish her race. In the women's 10,000 m event, Gete Wami (ETH) won in a time of 30:25, followed by Paula ratcliffe (GBR) in 30:27. Marathon world record holder Tegla Loroupe finished 3^rd in a time of 30:32. In the men's 5000m, Salah Hissou (MAR) out-kicked Benjemin Limo (KEN) and Mohammed Mourhit (BEL) to win in a time of 12:58 vs. 12:59 and 12:59 respectively. In the men's 10,000 m, world renowned Haile Gebrsilassie (ETH) won again in a time of 27:57 over world cross country champion Paul Tergat (KEN) in 27:59 and Assefa Mezzebu (ETH) in 27:59. Sean Kaley from Ottawa represented Canada by finishing 26^th in a time of 29:52.

This was the second running of this marathon set in the capital of the Province of Quebec, Quebec City. In its 2 short years, it has shown that it belongs in the major events in Canadian marathons. The course is very scenic as you follow the St-Lawrence. The race starts in Levis, on the other side of the river from Quebec City. It crosses the longest cantilevered bridge in the world and ends in charming old Quebec. The race organization is second to none with loads of volunteers. This year the temperature was near perfection with temperatures below 20C under blue skies and low humidity. The course though is not conducive to fast times as the rolling hills can take its toll.

Veronique Vandermissen repeated her performance of last year by winning the race. This year she focused on improving her performance and that she did. She completed the course in 2:39:02, over 4 minutes faster than last year. She dominated the course from start to finish as the second place finisher, Laurel Kjorlien finished in 2:58:25. Veronique ran in a pack at the beginning, then she was paced by a member of her club, Club Boreal. Veronique has been doing well and progressing in the last couple of year, bringing her marathon times below the 2:40 mark. In May, she won the National Capital Marathon in under 2:40.

In the men's race, last year's second place finisher ended up this year's victor. Miguel Sanchez won in a time of 2:29:54. This was the more remarkable considering the fact that in June he was hit by a car while cycling. Through physiotherapy, he recovered well enough to win his first marathon. The Quebec City marathon was only his third attempt at the event. Miguel has been evident on the road racing scene in Quebec in the last few years where he won quite a few races. This year, he has already won the 20 K of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and a half-marathon in Yamachiche, QC.

At the World Track and Field Championship this year, Bruce Deacon represented Canada as he competed in the Marathon event. He finished in 27^th place in a time of 2:20:25. This is the best marathon time for a Canadian this year. In the past few years, Bruce has been at the top of the Canadian rankings in the marathon with times ranging from 2:13:35 to 2:19:56. His marathon best was set in the 1994 London Marathon when he finished in a time of 2:13:35. Bruce has been competing in marathons since 1993 when he ran the Chicago Marathon in 2:15:51. Since then, he has run over 12 marathons. His most famous accomplishments has been his two wins at the California International Marathon in Sacramento, California. His past performances include a 13:54 5000m and a 28:46 10000m.

Canadians are now getting quite familiar with Bruce as he has represented Canada in many major events. He has run the Commonwealth Games in 1994, and the past 3 World Championships with a best placing of 11^th in 1995 in Goteborg in a time of 2:16:58. Bruce has also represented Canada at the Olympic Games in 1996 in Atlanta. In preparation for Atlanta, Bruce trained for hours running on the spot in a sauna so as to simulate the environment in Atlanta. He ended up 39^th in a time of 2:19:56. During interviews, his quiet personality and his religious beliefs are quite evident. Presently, one can read articles by Bruce Deacon in Athletics Canada's magazine and he is heading their Alumni program.

This year, at 33, Bruce is running well with performances of 28:55 in the Toronto 10K in May and 1:05:57 for the half-marathon in Vancouver. These performances bode well for Bruce as he attempts to qualify for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Past Performances

Kenyans and Canadian challengers descended on Montreal in early September to test their mettle at the 10K distance. This race is part of the Canada Running Series organized by Runner's Choice. The race was held on Ile Sainte Helene in Montreal on Saturday September 11. The course is quite scenic as it runs along water and passes close to La Ronde and the Biosphere. With $6,100 in prize money, the competition was fierce as is evident by the results. Two Kenyans took the male top 2 honours while Steve Boyd was just seconds behind. In the women's race, Michelle King showed her form again as she out-distanced a class field.

M1 - Tim Luchinske - 1:11:06

M2 - Alex Coffin - 1:11:46

M3 - James Gardner - 1:12:14

M1(40+) - Charles Desjardins - 1:17:43

F1 - Nurten Tasdemir - 1:19:19

F2 (40+) - Nancy Tinari -1:21:28

F3 - Gillian Pereira - 1:24:40

5 KM

15 KM

Half Marathon

MARATHON

Karen Harvey-Sullivan placed 6^th female overall in this classic American race. She completed the course in 56:33.

Half Marathon

MARATHON

F1 - Victoria Seay - 39:22

F2 - Colleen Hopkins - 39:52

F3 - Sharon Crawford - 40:01

M1 - Nick Tsioros - 31:57

M2 - Manuel Salvati - 32:23

M3 - Christopher Holden - 35:10