Levins

Cameron Levins had one shot left to redefine his legacy. With the Olympic qualifying window closing in a matter of days, he was one race away from missing the Olympic Games. At one time, many even believed he would be the only Canadian man competing in the marathon in Tokyo. So, as one of North America’s best marathoners, how could that even be possible?

Let’s go back to 2016 when Levins’ marathon career officially started. A remarkable 5,000- and 10,000-metre runner, Levins suffered a devasting ankle injury and failed to qualify for the Rio Olympic Games. He was dropped by Nike and discarded from the Oregon Project – the most prestigious training group in the world. Though devasted, he saw a new opportunity and stopped flirting with idea to shift his focus to the marathon. Instead, he changed his entire training regime and started putting in the miles. It was during this time that some predicted that he was destined to become the next Jerome Drayton, Canada’s last truly world-beating marathon talent.

Levins’ dream took shape in October 2018 when he shredded Drayton’s 43-year-old national record of 2:10:09, replacing it with a confident 2:09:25 in his marathon debut in Toronto. But with that accomplishment came a desire to be great, a yearning to not only compete with the best in the world but beat them. Something that almost cost Levins dearly.

After the fall of 2018 when it appeared as if Levins was a shoo-in for the 2020 Olympics, he tried and failed three times to achieve the required 2:11:30 entry standard. First, he failed to defend his title at the 2019 Canadian Marathon Championships, going out hard with the lead pack only to struggle through the final 10 kilometres of the race.

About a year later, he travelled to London to compete in the re-scheduled London Marathon that took place inside a ‘bubble’ due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But somewhere after 35 kilometres, Levins stopped recording splits and did not finish the race. The conditions were terrible, his body was cold, he was exposed to the elements racing in a pace group of three and could not get warm. With about six kilometres to go, he slowed to a walk and threw in the towel.

In this sport, bad days happen. Levins moved on and lined up an opportunity to complete in The Marathon Project in December. Again, he sputtered in the final 10 kilometres and was left stammering towards the finish line, forced to watch 2:11:30 tick away, battling his own failing body and mind.

Was that it for Levins? Three Canadian men (Trevor Hofbauer, Ben Preisner and Tristan Woodfine) had taken bold shots at a Tokyo qualifying time, and each had succeeded since the fall of 2019. Even worse, each of the men qualified in races where Levins failed to do so.

With one shot left, Levins headed to Austria for the S7 Marathon on May 23, looking to deliver his greatest performance yet. The conditions were not the best. He ran in the rain, and all alone for the last 25 kilometres, which is not conducive to a fast time. But nothing was going to stop Levins. Though emotional at the 35-kilometre mark – a point in the race that had haunted him in his previous attempts – he was feeling great and knew he was going to be ok. And ok he was. Levins was the first to the finish line, nearly three minutes ahead of his closest competitor, and dipped under the Olympic Qualifying Standard for the first time since 2018, stopping the clock at 2:10:13, finally securing his place in Tokyo.

Levins is an Olympic and World finalist in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres, a Commonwealth Games bronze medallist (10,000 metres) and NCAA Champion (5,000 metres). He holds the Canadian record in the marathon (2:09:25), 30 kilometres (1:31:44) and 20 kilometres (59:09).