By: Jonathan Yue
Genevieve Lalonde has put in the miles this year, from competing in Denmark for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in March to the numerous stops on the Diamond League circuit in the summer, to the Doha World Championships. Her next stop, and most likely last major competition of the year, will be in Abbotsford, BC., as she looks to defend her Canadian Cross Country title.
Although she enters the competition as the reigning women’s champion, Lalonde doesn’t believe it adds any pressure. She is excited for what should be a competitive women’s 10-kilometre race.
“We have such a talented group of women on the Canadian distance scene that it can be anyone’s day,” Lalonde said. “The long season has given me a more relaxed outlook on cross country. I really just look forward to racing against all the Canadian Ladies and pushing through 10 kilometres.”
“I was very happy to take the win last year and my build into cross country was excellent. The course is different and in British Columbia, so it will be a whole different race. That is the joy of cross country.”
The itch to race is matched in Lucas Bruchet, the reigning men’s Canadian cross country champion, as the Vancouver native will be racing in front of friends and family, looking to capture his third consecutive Canadian title.
“I’m really excited to get after it this year,” Bruchet said. “I definitely felt the pressure last year to defend my title, however this year I feel like I’m coming in with more of a laidback attitude. That being said, I know I’m fit and I’ll be coming in trying to win a third title in a row.”
Fresh from travelling to Japan last month, the trip inspired Bruchet to work even harder as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics get closer. Adding another level of motivation for the 28-year-old, this year’s Canadian Cross Country Championships will also be the trials for the 2020 Pan American Cross Country Cup, to be held in Victoria next February.
Never taking the opportunity to represent Canada lightly, Bruchet wants to make the most of his hometown advantage, in hopes to compete in front of his friends and family more often.
“With the race so close to home, I definitely think it has advantages. Being able to sleep in my own bed and prepare my own meals goes a long way to reducing stress,” explains Bruchet. “With Victoria hosting the Pan American Cup adds motivation to place well. The fact that a National team event like that is so close to home only adds to the excitement.”
Lalonde won’t have the advantage of competing at home but says she took advantage of the time between coming back from the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar, and before the Cross Country Championships to decompress from all the training and competitions. She used that time to visit family and organized the Women’s Running Summit with Athletics New Brunswick before heading back west for cross country preparations.
The reigning champions will be joined on the start line by Natasha Wodak (2019 10,000-metre and 10K champion), Sasha Gollish (2016 Canadian cross country champion), and Lalonde’s event teammates Maria Bernard-Galea and Regan Yee.
Bruchet will be joined by the likes of Chris Balestrini (third at Canadian Half-Marathon Championships), Connor Black (2018 U Sports champion), Robin Watson (2013 Canadian Marathon champion) and university standouts Mitchell Ubene (2019 U Sport silver medallist) and Jean-Simon Desgagnes (2019 RSEQ champion) who are looking to put on a strong showing.
Race day action gets underway on November 30 from Clearbrook Park, Abbotsford, BC. With only days to go until the final Canadian Championship of the 2019 season, all Bruchet and Lalonde can do now is wait for the sound of the gun and put their best performance through to the finish line.
“It is a great time to get a really great effort in, but also to go back to the roots of running and just enjoy racing,” said Lalonde.
“It's going to be a very fun day with lots of mud and guts. Hopefully some of the young guns will be ready to battle,” Bruchet added. “It's not very often national championships are so close to home so I'll have to put on a show.”
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