Cameron Levins set to return to Toronto for 2019 Canadian Marathon Championships

OTTAWA – Athletics Canada announced today a four-year contract extension with Canada Running Series (CRS) that will see the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (STWM) continue to serve as the Canadian Marathon Championships through 2022.

“Canada Running Series has been an outstanding supporter of Canadian road running and we’re excited to continue this great partnership,” said David Bedford, Athletics Canada’s Chief Executive Officer. “The team at STWM ensures Canadian athletes are in optimal conditions to achieve greatness, as we saw last year with Cameron Levins breaking the long-standing men’s marathon record. The STWM is the perfect fit for our Marathon Trials, and we look forward to working with the folks at CRS for at least another four years.”

The IAAF Gold Label Certified STWM has grown into one of the most competitive road races in the world, consistently drawing the world’s best marathoners. In 2018, Canadians witnessed history when Cameron Levins raced to a fourth-place finish – first Canadian to cross the finish line – in a time of 2:09:25, breaking the 43-year old Canadian marathon record set by Jerome Drayton in 1975. Not only did Levins re-write the record book, but he walked away from the STWM as Canadian Champion in his marathon debut and $43,000 richer – $1,000 for each year that Drayton’s record stood.

“We enormously appreciate the continued partnership with Athletics Canada. We’re especially thrilled that this year our race will be the Marathon Trials for Tokyo 2020,” said Alan Brooks,Canada Running Series and STWM Race Director. “We look forward to seeing an outstanding field of Canadian men and women on the start line on Oct. 20, supporting them and giving them every chance to succeed. Our joint collaboration is vital if we are to provide the level of incentives, opportunities and support that our Canadian athletes need to compete on the world stage.”

The 2019 Canadian Marathon Championships will serve as the Marathon Trials for Canada’s 2020 Olympic Team. Earlier this year, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) introduced a new qualification system for Tokyo 2020. The system allows athletes to qualify for the Games by achieving an IAAF standard – 2:11:30 for the men and 2:29:30 for the women in the marathon – or based on their position in the new World Rankings points system.

Athletics Canada will nominate six athletes, three men and three women, who have met Olympic standard or find themselves in contention on the IAAF World Rankings list on June 3, 2020, for the marathon. The 2019 Canadian Marathon Champions will have priority and will automatically be nominated if they are on the IAAF lists and are eligible for nomination as outlined in Athletics Canada’s Olympic Selection Criteria.

Eager to secure his spot on the start line in Tokyo, Levins announced today he will return to the Toronto Waterfront and attempt to became a two-time Canadian Champion and to lower his national record even further.

“I was thrilled with how I performed in Toronto in 2018. I will remember crossing the finish line for the rest of my life,” said Levins. “Once Athletics Canada came out with their recent standard for qualifying it seemed the best choice to qualify for the Olympics was Toronto. I really considered competing in the World Championships in Doha, because I felt it would be great preparation for conditions faced in Tokyo, but it just seemed the safest and best choice at this point was Toronto.”

The Olympics arean important target for Levinsasit has been nearly seven years since he ran both the 5,000-metresand 10,000-metresat the 2012 London Olympics. He went on to set a Canadian 10,000-metrerecord (27:07.51) in 2015 (since bettered by Mohammed Ahmed) and was ascending in the world order. But injury and untimely foot surgery ended his hopes of racing in the 2016 Rio Olympics.

When Levins started his comeback in 2017, he changed his focus and starting setting lofty goals. “I think making an OlympicTeamagain would be another way to show myself that I am back in it. I am really hopeful if I continue to improve, I can get a competitive placing in Tokyoin the marathon. I really don’t know where my limits are. I think I can do some good things at the Olympics.”

Canadian road running fans, including Brooks, are beyond excited for Levins’ return to Toronto. “We’re thrilled to have Cameron return and hope he’s the first of many of our current Canadian male and female marathoners who will join us for a true Marathon Trials race, and that they will leave it all out there along Toronto’s Waterfront, staking a claim for Tokyo 2020.”

Registration is now open for the 2019 Canadian Marathon Championships and Marathon Trials (STWM) where Canadian athletes can secure their spot on the #ACRoadToTokyo. Please note, elite athletes must submit an elite application form here no later than July 26, 2019, and will be notified of their elite status one week after the application deadline.

For more information on the 2019 Canadian Marathon Championships and Marathon Trials/STWM, click here.

Important dates for Canadian marathoners:

• Qualification period: Jan. 1, 2019, to May 31, 2020
• Canadian Marathon Trials: Oct. 20, 2019 (2019 Canadian Marathon Championships/Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon)
• Declaration deadline for initial nominations: May 3, 2020
• Initial nomination: May 4, 2020
• Final declaration deadline: May 31, 2020
• IAAF World Rankings published: June 3, 2020
• Final nominations: June 4, 2020

Important links regarding the Olympic Selectin Criteria:

• Athletics Canada Selection Criteria
• Athletics Canada Olympic Selection Criteria Quick Guide
• IAAF Top Lists (top performance during the qualification period)
• IAAF World Rankings (rankings by points score)

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