Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

“McKay-Korir Aiming for Victory at Toronto Yonge Street 10K,” by Paul Gains

Tarah McKay-Korir lines up for the 2012 Toronto Yonge Street 10km on Sunday determined to make it three victories in three weekends for her household. Toronto Yonge Street 10K is event #3 in the prestigious Canada Running Series 2012.

The 25 year old from Elmira, Ontario won the Harry’s Spring Run Off 8km on April 7th in impressive fashion. Next, her husband, Wesley Korir, overcame a world class field and oppressive weather conditions to win the Boston Marathon this past Monday.

Although McKay-Korir and their infant daughter McKayla stayed behind while Wesley ran himself into the history books, the family will all be on site during the Toronto race.

“He has a really distinctive cheer so it’s always really motivating to hear him out along the course,” McKay-Korir says of her husband’s presence on race day. “Also his running is really motivational too and inspiring. He helps me a lot with my running. He often goes for his easy runs with me, like when we were in Kenya. Definitely having him there is motivational.”

The couple met while both were student-athletes at the University of Louisville. Her obligations to the university prevented her from accomplishing more than a 2nd place finish at the 2008 Canadian Cross Country Championships. However, she is now actively pursuing her running career with the help and support of her husband.

The inspiration flows both ways. In Boston, Wesley’s special hydration bottles bore the names of Tarah and McKayla and he also taped Canadian flags to them so they were distinguishable on the cluttered water tables. Korir might one day apply for Canadian citizenship she says.

At present the couple are splitting their time between Elmira, Ontario where they live in Tarah’s parents basement apartment and a home they have just built in the village of Chepkanga high up in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley.

Three months of high altitude training in Kenya has certainly worked wonders for McKay-Korir’s conditioning and so it is with confidence that she tackles her first 10km race of the season. Standing between her and victory is a competitive women’s field led by 24 year old Kate Van Buskirk, who graduated from Duke University a year ago.

The Toronto Yonge Street 10km represents Van Buskirk’s debut at the distance. She is best known for her middle distance prowess having finished 2nd in the 2011 NCAA indoor mile and 3rd in the 2011 NCAA outdoor 1,500m final. A member of Athletics Toronto she is now coached by former Canadian 1,500m record holder Dave Reid.

Two weeks ago she chased McKay-Korir to the finish of the Harry’s race placing second in 27:27.4 behind the winning time of 27:11.8. This performance followed a warm weather training camp in Clermont, Florida which provided the right environment for some strength endurance training. The race in High Park, where her club often trains, was an enormous confidence booster. [see post-race VIDEO interview with Tarah and Kate after Harry's Spring Run Off Toronto 8K]. 

“I am always excited to try new races and to test my limits outside of my primary event,” she reveals. “So I am psyched to see what I can muster over 10km. I understand that the Yonge Street race is a very fast course, and with the forecasted tail wind, it will be exciting to see what I can do pushing myself with the other elite women on Sunday.

“I will run the 1500m at the Canadian Olympic Trials and am going after the world championship standards (‘A’ and ‘B’), although I will also race a few 800m’s, and will hope to “p.b.” over that distance as well.”

The Toronto Yonge Street 10km course record was set in 2007 by Kenya’s Florence Jepkoskei 31:42. Neither McKay-Korir nor Van Buskirk seem concerned with an attempt to break it. Instead, they see this as renewal of their long rivalry.

“I always look forward to racing her,” says McKay-Korir. “There’s a bit of a rivalry but it’s a friendly rivalry. We have been competing against each other since grade 9. We have been competitors but we have also been teammates (on the 2005 Canadian junior world cross country team). I have been friends with her for a long time but when we race we are competitive and you never know how it’s going to turn out.”

With the Boston Marathon champion offering encouragement no doubt she will have an incredible source of inspiration come Sunday.

-30-

For More Information and Entry: www.toronto10k.ca

TORONTO. April 17th. Wow… first Rotterdam on Sunday, with the tremendous performances of Dylan Wykes (2:10:47 Olympic Qualifier), Rob Watson (2:13:35 a BIG PB), plus Lanni Marachant (2:31:52) & Krista DuChene (2:32:08), both with HUGE, breakthough PBs. Then Boston yesterday with Oakville’s Josh Cassidy racing to a new Wheelchair World Record (1:18:25); STWM 2010 Champion Sharon Cherop becoming Boston Women’s Champion; and Wesley Korir, husband of Tarah McKay-Korir, who is currently living and training with the McKay family in Waterloo County, becoming the Boston Men’s Champion. Tarah, you’ll recall, was our Harry’s Spring Run off Toronto 8K winner, and will be favourite going into this Sunday’s Toronto Yonge Street 10K. Incidentally, Wesley will be on babysitting duty this Sunday, holding daughter Mckayla and cheering Tarah on at TYS10K. TOO much! The “8 days that shook the marathon world” continues…

Paul Gains lovely feature on Tarah and her family is well worth a re-read, and a rumour tells me he has more coming out later this week.

Today, enjoy this fine piece from Paul on Lethbridge’s KIP KANGOGO, who will battle London 2012-bound Reid Coolsaet for the Men’s title at Toronto Yonge Street 10K, in a re-match from last Spring.  

ENJOY! 

Kip Kangogo – Aiming For Victory at Toronto Yonge Street 10km, by Paul Gains

Kip Kangogo returns to the Toronto Yonge Street 10km this week in the best shape of his life and with something of a score to settle.

A year ago the Kenyan born resident of Lethbridge, Alberta finished steps behind Canadian Olympians Reid Coolsaet and Eric Gillis in Toronto with a time of 28:09.4. Coolsaet won the race in 28:08.0.

“I think this year the Toronto Yonge Street 10k will be exciting to watch,” he says. “Last year I never had the chance to see the course, I just ran it. Reid Coolsaet and Eric Gillis knew the course. I never really calculated the last 800m. I never knew where the finish was. With Reid and myself, and other runners, it’s going to be very exciting.” [see VIDEO of last 800m last year].

Lest one think Kangogo is a sore loser it must be remembered that he is a three time Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon champion and has twice beaten Coolsaet over 10,000m at the Canadian Track and Field Championships (in 2011 and 2010). On both of those occasions he had to watch the victory ceremony from the stands. Kangogo, you see, is a ‘permanent resident’ who is seeking Canadian citizenship. His name therefore appears on the results with an asterisk, which is a source of frustration.

“You know you won the championship and somebody who was second gets to obtain the title,” he explains. “I don’t think it’s fair for the person who is second either. Whoever is going to be first is not going to feel good. At the same time I look at it in a positive way. I contributed to that race, I was there and made the race exciting. I gained something from the other runners with me. I still feel in a positive way, I am improving my time, I am winning championships.

“You see when I ran the 2010 Canadian championships I was 2nd in the 10,000m wednesday night to Simon Bairu (Coolsaet was 3rd). I never got to go to the podium because I am a permanent resident. Then on friday I decided to run the 5000m. I ended up winning the 5000m. My winning keeps me smiling.”

Kangogo’s 2012 season is off to a great start with a victory in the Vancouver Harry’s Spring Run Off 8km (March 25th) and a close, second place finish at the Vancouver Sun Run (April 15th). Gillis was 4th that day. He and his wife, Florida, hope to obtain Canadian citizenship this year or perhaps in 2013. They were married at Kabernet AIC Church in Kenya on August 6th, 2011.

Kangogo was born in the village of Kitura in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, the middle of seven children born to farmers.

“Life was very good,” he recalls. “I lived a simple life. My parents came from humble beginnings. I enjoyed the company of my brothers and sisters and I used to look after my father’s goats as a young boy. I had fun doing it.”

He remembers the villagers all talking about the exploits of five time world cross country champion Paul Tergat who lived nearby. Although Kangogo was inspired by Tergat’s accomplishments it wasn’t until he arrived in Canada to study at Lethbridge Community College in 2001 that he took running seriously. He says his father had always encouraged his children to take advantage of a good education and that had been his focus.

“I came to Lethbridge College in 2001,” he recalls. “I attended the Canadian national championships in Edmonton and I ended up being 2nd in the 1,500m and then, because I was running pretty good, I started applying to U.S. universities. So in the fall of 2002 I went to Brigham Young University.”

He found the winter less than agreeable in Utah and, after a prolonged chest infection, he started looking for a warmer climate and transferred to Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. Kangogo graduated with a kinesiology degree from TCU in 2005.

Two of his younger siblings, Ed and Florence, currently live with Kangogo and his wife. It is Ed who fulfills the role of training partner to his older brother.

“Yes my brother Ed is always running with me,”he adds. “I kind of like my younger brother. He is always giving me advice. He is my younger brother but he knows what I need too. He is always telling me this and that. We motivate each other.

I go on long runs and do intervals and tempo runs with him. He is a great brother and I am glad to have him.”

 Kangogo laughs at his choice of words. But he is sincere in his love for his family. And he also points out that Flaman Fitness western Canada’s largest fitness equipment retailer for whom he works part time is clearly behind him all the way.

“Flaman Fitness has been a great supporter of mine. I work for them,” he explains. “They came up with a new idea this year. They told me ‘Kip we are going to support you and at the same time we would like to support a charity. So every time you win a race this year we are going to donate $1,000 to a charity in that city.’ It’s good.”

The 33 year old is a keen advocate of the Canada Running Series which keeps him motivated to race all across the country. Last October he made his marathon debut finishing 11th at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. His time was 2:20:45. Although many would consider it a disappointment, given his impressive road race credentials, he had achieved what he wanted.

“To be honest with you I was very happy to finish the race,” he reveals. “At the back of my mind I was kind of scared in the beginning, I had never run a marathon. It’s not like a half marathon or 10k. At the same time I gave myself the morale I want to finish the race no matter what. I said I will do what I can. Crossing the finish line I was smiling.

“I took a lot of lessons from the STWM last year. When I came back and rested from the race all these experiences came back in my head. I am looking forward to coming back to STWM this year to improve my time and all the lessons I took last year were a good experience for me. I will put that into practice in my training and make sure I come back this year and run a good time.”

But first, there’s the matter of exacting a revenge on his friend and rival Reid Coolsaet in the Toronto Yonge Street 10km this sunday morning.

“I think I am in good shape,” he declares, “My coach is Patrick Cunniff he coached me at TCU and now lives in California. He is a good coach and I like the way he approaches training. I think I am coming around with my knowledge of the Canada Running Series, and with my races in Vancouver last month, I think I am on a good schedule.”

For More Information and entry: www.toronto10K.ca

“Reid Coolsaet to Race Toronto Yonge Street 10km,” by Paul Gains

Canada’s leading marathoner, Reid Coolsaet, will defend his Toronto Yonge Street 10km title on Sunday April 22nd. The Toronto event is one of the country’s premier road races and will be the final opportunity for local runners to toe the line with Coolsaet before he runs in the London Olympic marathon August 12th. The 32 year old Hamiltonian jets in from a high altitude training camp in Flagstaff, Arizona just four days before the Toronto race and will tackle an elite field. A year ago he held off Kenyan born Albertan Kip Kangogo and his training partner – and fellow Olympian Eric Gillis – to win the race in an impressive time of 28:08.0 [see VIDEO of last 800m]. Gillis and Kangogo were just steps behind on that occasion with Gillis taking 2nd. Coolsaet and Gillis both qualified for the Canadian Olympic team by virtue of their performances at the 2011 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, though wicked environmental conditions conspired against their attempt at Jerome Drayton’s Canadian record of 2:10:09. Nevertheless, Coolsaet still managed a personal best of 2:10:55 for third place. That race also locked up the 2011 Canada Running Series overall men’s title for him. The Toronto Yonge Street 10km is also a CRS race. “The Yonge Street 10km obviously is a downhill race and it’s nice to feel fast and get a fast time and kind of carry that 10k speed into the marathon buildup,” Coolsaet explains. “My plan is hopefully to feel fresh and healthy going into the marathon training phase. I will be cutting back the mileage a little bit to feel a little quicker. Hopefully it works.”

The race is expected to attract roughly 7,500 runners and has long been the traditional spring 10km in Toronto. This year the start time is one hour later, at 9:00 a.m. affording competitors an extra hour of kip the night before. While the race has a decidedly party atmosphere, where beginners and Olympians can share the road and entertainment along the route, Coolsaet will use the race to further measure his Olympic preparation. He will face Kangogo (3rd last year in 28:09.4), Kenya’s Nelson Ndereva a 2:10:58 marathoner with Canadian landed immigrant status as well as Terrence Attema and Giitah Macharia.

Coolsaet himself spent six weeks in Iten, Kenya during the winter months training with some of that country’s talented marathoners. He stayed at a hotel owned and operated by Kenyan born Dutch superstar Lorna Kiplagat and would each day jog down to a meeting point where scores of world class runners waited to go training. Among the group he ran with were several who had run 2:06 or 2:07 for the marathon though he never knew their names. Upon returning to his home in Hamilton he raced at the Around the Bay 30km (March 25th) winning handily despite a minor complication. “It was a great test for my training going into London,” he says of the ATB race. “Obviously I was happy with the win but not with the way I raced. I was a minute slower than I wanted to be. That minute came between 21k and 25km, I got a really bad side stitch after 21km and that really slowed me down drastically. By the time I got to 25km I kind of knew the course record was out. “I lowered my mileage for it I had to because I injured my hamstring the week before. The only way I was going to heal before the race was to take it easy. So it wasn’t ideal going in. The sixteen weeks prior had gone really really well. The last two weeks (before Around the Bay) were a bit of a challenge. I felt good going in and I gave it a shot.” Coolsaet says one of his gluteus maximus muscles “wasn’t firing properly” and his hamstring was bearing the strain. The injury might have sent most runners into a panic but Coolsaet, as is his custom, simply viewed it as a minor nuisance. He used massage and other physical therapy to recover. One thing is very clear: there are many more weeks of marathon type training in his legs than a year ago. “Before I got injured I was right exactly where I needed to be,” he confirms. “Everything was going perfectly I was feeling healthy. Workouts have been going as well as I could expect them to go I am really happy. Obviously this was a bit of a setback. Now that the 30km is done I had some time to heal before the real marathon training starts.” The day after winning Around the Bay Coolsaet joined his Speed River Track Club teammates and personal coach, Dave Scott-Thomas, in Flagstaff where they resumed the mileage necessary for the Olympics. “Training in Flagstaff has been good,” he said from Flagstaff earlier this week. “I’ll be on the track Thursday running kilometre repeats with (1,500m runners Taylor) Milne and (Kyle) Boorsma. That should be interesting. We’ve been playing a lot of pool lately, the marathoners, me and Gillis, versus the track guys (Milne and Boorsma). We haven’t won a game yet.” Stephen Koskei’s course record of 27:47 might have to wait but Coolsaet will certainly be in form to approach the 28 minute mark in Toronto. And, once the race is over he plans to hand the medal he won at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon to the winner of a draw. People can gain an entry to this draw with $25 donations which help offset Coolsaet’s Olympic training expenses. Commitment to the Olympics and commitment to the Toronto Yonge Street 10km. Reid Coolsaet is truly the ‘people’s runner.’

-30-

For More Information and entry: www.toronto10K.ca

TORONTO. April 7th. It was an absolutely magnificent morning in High Park for the 34th annual Harry’s Spring Run Off 8K & 5K to fight prostate cancer. Bright blue skies, sunshine, temperatures around 8 degrees, low humidity and no wind welcomed the sold-out crowd of almost 5,000 in the two events. It was “Opening Day” for Canada Running Series in the East, and a fine launch for the inaugural “Run Canada Month”. There was a buzz in the air, a sense of occassion. And the races, especially the competitive 8K did not disappoint. Thirty-seconds of silence was observed immediately before the 10am Start to remember Jack Layton, a great supporter of Harry’s Spring Run Off, the Canada Running Series and the cause. Councillors Mike Layton, Mary Fragedakis, Sarah Doucette, MP Peggy Nash and MPP Cheri DiNovo were all on hand to add to the sense of occassion (with Layton & Fragedakis also running the 5K).  By the time the running was done, Athletics Toronto’s Matt Loiselle (23:55) and St.Clements, Ontario’s Tarah McKay-Korir (27:12) were crowned as new Champions, and the Prostate Centre at Princess Margaret Hospital went home $300,000 better off. Over the 7 years of Harry Rosen Inc.’s title sponsorship of the Spring Run Off, over $2 million has now been raised to fight prostate cancer.

 “It was a perfect day for racing,” said Loiselle. “I love running in High Park, and there was good competition for the first race of the year.” Canada’s 4th ranked Men’s marathoner had initially hoped to be taking a final run at the Canadian Olympic standard at Rotterdam Marathon next weekend, but a minor injury setback earlier in the year derailed those plans. Yet it was clear today that the 27 year-old who trains regularly in High Park with Coach Hugh Cameron, is coming back into strong form. “Josephat (Ongeri of Hamilton) took it out pretty quick. We were about 2:50 at the K,” said Loiselle. “There was a pack of us until between 3k and 4k. I just wanted to make a move on the (Centre Road) hill there, and push hard to the end.” After halfway, the lead group was down to three, with Loiselle, Kenya’s Kibet Rutto and Kitchener’s Derek Nakluski. By 5k Loiselle was out ahead and the battle was for second. Ongeri paid for his early aggression and dropped well back to leave Nakluski and Rutto to sprint up the last, gut-wrenching 600m Spring Road Hill. Nakluski finally broke the Kenyan over the last 200m, to take a 7 second advantage 24:11 to 24:18. “I fell back after 5k,” said Nakluski. “But I battled and was able to get him on THE hill!” (see the post-race VIDEO interview with Matt Loiselle).

The Women’s contest was perhaps even more absorbing, as both Tarah McKay-Korir and 1500m track star, Kate Van Buskirk of Athletics Toronto, made their Canada Running Series debut’s this morning, bringing exciting new talent to the roads. McKay-Korir’s winning Women’s time was the fastest in a decade at Harry’s, since Lioudmila Kortchaguina ran 26:51 in 2002. Van Buskirk is coached by former Canadian 1500m record-holder Dave Reid, whose family, along with the Dyons and the Camerons, founded the Spring Run Off in 1979 as the first “money-race” in Canada. She was effusive about the experience:

Great morning at Harry’s Spring Run Off; gorgeous weather, solid competition, amazing energy, and a course that feels like home! I thought that 8km would put me a little out of my element, but I guess all those 10-milers in the hills of Clermont (Florida) have kicked the strength up a notch. Thank you Alan Brookes & CRS for a wonderful first experience at the Canada Running Series…so proud to be racing on Canadian soil again!!

But it was Tarah who stole the show! “It was a lot hillier than I expected,” she said. “But I managed to conquer the hills and come out on top. I took it out hard with the downhill. I wasn’t planning on going out that fast, but because of the downhill (at 1.5k) I found myself in front”. It was a lead she never relinquished. “She’s a tough runner and maintained that gap,” said Van Buskirk. Despite coming home third, defending race and CRS Champion, Dayna Pidhoresky of Tecumseh, was also happy with the morning’s work. “I was off for a while in the winter (with an injury), and recovering from the Around the Bay 30K two weeks ago. This was just a good race to get in, and I look forward to progressing as the season goes on.” (see the post-race VIDEO interview with Tarah, Kate and Dayna).

Perhaps the best race of the morning fell to the Masters’ Men. Terry Gehl of St-Charles, QC and Ottawa’s Rich Minichiello battled each other all through CRS 2011, and they picked up where they left off. “It was a tight race to the line,” said Gehl. “I was dead on THE (final Spring Road) hill. He was coming on me, and I was just trying to hang on to the end. I didn’t know I was going to win ‘til I crossed the line.” Gehl ran 26:05 to take the title by a second. Brockville’s Paula Wiltse took the Women’s Masters’ crown in 29:34, and it was great to see Lioudmila Kortchaguina second in 30:11 – just three months after the birth of her son, Anton. (see post-race VIDEO interview with Terry Gehl).

Most of the top finishers will continue to celebrate Run Canada Month with the Canada Running Series by moving onto compete in the Toronto Yonge Street 10K (formerly Sporting Life Toronto 10K) on April 22nd and the Athletics Canada National Half-marathon Championships at Banque Scotia 21K de Montreal on April 29th. Van Buskirk will return to the track with hopes of an Olympic 1500m berth.

Complete Results available at http://www.canadarunningseries.com/springrunoff/csroRESULT.htm  

For further information and entry to upcoming Canada Running Series events see www.RunCRS.ca