Athletes Cliff, Labeaud, Bruchet, Wiebe and Team Staff Johnson and Napier Named to Canada's Ekiden Relay Team
October 8, 2014
OTTAWA - Athletics Canada named eight athletes today who will travel to Chiba City in Japan for the 2014 Chiba Ekiden Road Race on November 24. The event is a mixed gender relay where men and women alternate legs to cover the marathon distance of 42.195-kilometres. The race comprises of a men's 5km, women's 5km, men's 10km, women's 5km, men's 10km and finally a women's 7.195km.
Lanni Marchant of London, Ont., Jessica O’Connell of Calgary, Alb., Rachel Cliff, Vancouver, B.C., and Natasha Labeaud of Kelowna, B.C., lead the way for the women. Marchant finished fourth in the marathon at this year’s Commonwealth Games and is the current Canadian record holder in the event. O’Connell has had a stellar season representing the Americas at the IAAF Continental Cup and won Canadian titles in both the 5000-metres at the Canadian Track & Field Championships and the Canadian 5km Road Race Championships. Cliff was runner-up to O’Connell in the 5000-metres and represented Canada at the 2013 World Cross Country Championships. Labeaud finished on the podium with a third place at this year’s Canadian 10km Road Race Championships.
Canada's male competitors are Lucas Bruchet of White Rock, B.C., Pier-Olivier Laflamme of L’Ancienne-Lorette, Que., Sami Jibril of Toronto, Ont., and Kelly Wiebe of Swift Current, Sask. Over the past year Bruchet has shown range winning the senior title at the 2013 Canadian Cross Country Championships and breaking four minutes in the mile. Laflamme stood atop the podium at the 2014 Canadian 5km Championships. Jibril has been very consistent on the roads placing third at both the 5km and 10km Canadian Championships. Wiebe represented Canada at the last two IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
Team Canada - 2014 Chiba Ekiden
WOMEN
Rachel Cliff - Vancouver Thunderbirds TFC - Coach: Chris Johnson - AC Branch: BC Athletics
Natasha Labeaud - Claremont California - Coach: Marco Anzures - AC Branch: BC Athletics
Lanni Marchant - London, ON - Coach: Dave Mills
Jessica O’Connell - Clagary, AB - Coach: Mike Van Tighem
MEN
Lucas Bruchet - Pt Grey TFC / BC Endurance Project - Coach: Richard Lee - AC Branch: BC Athletics
Sami Jibril - Toronto, ON
Pier-Olivier Laflamme - L’Ancienne-Lorette, Que
Kelly Wiebe - Swift Current, Saskatchewan / BC Endurance Project - Coach: Richard Lee
Team Staff
Eddie Raposo - Head Coach - Athletics Toronto
Chris Johnson - Assistant Coach - Vancouver Thunderbirds TFC - AC Branch: BC Athletics
Chris Napier - Physio - Fortius Athlete Development Ctre / BC Endurance Project - AC Branch: BC Athletics
-AC-
Jim McDannald
Communications Coordinator
Athletics Canada
