Canada’s marathon and half-marathon report holder Cam Levins has chosen to race near house on the Royal Victoria half-marathon on Oct. 8, in his preparations for the 2023 TCS New York Metropolis Marathon on Nov. 5.
Final week, Levins pulled out of the half-marathon on the 2023 World Athletics Street Operating Championships in Riga, Latvia. Levins mentioned he underestimated how important the journey and restoration could be to and from the occasion. The championships could be a 20-hour journey for Levins every means with two layovers if he flew from Portland, Ore. Levins and his coach Jim Finlayson determined the lengthy journey wouldn’t be excellent in his construct for New York.
In line with Occasions Colonist, Levins goals to focus on the Royal Victoria half-marathon report of 62:32, which is at present held by British Olympian Jon Brown, who was fourth within the marathon at Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Olympics. Levins has a private greatest time of 60:18 for the half-marathon, set on the Vancouver’s First Half earlier this 12 months.
The half-marathon will probably be near house for Levins, who grew up three hours north of Victoria in Black Creek, B.C., the place his mother and father, Gus and Barb nonetheless reside.
The Royal Victoria Marathon weekend is experiencing a resurgence after being disrupted by the pandemic. Final 12 months noticed the long-awaited return of the marathon, with 7,934 individuals coming again after the pandemic hiatus. This 12 months, organizers are optimistic concerning the occasion’s progress, aiming to succeed in 10,000 individuals.
In March, the 34-year-old broke his Canadian marathon report for the second time in lower than a 12 months, clocking a formidable 2:05:36 for fifth place on the 2023 Tokyo Marathon. This was additionally the quickest time ever recorded by a North American, surpassing American Khalid Khannouchi’s 2:05.38 from the 2002 London Marathon.
His outstanding run in Tokyo not solely met the Olympic commonplace of two:08:10 but additionally secured his spot on Workforce Canada’s marathon squad for the 2024 Paris Olympics subsequent July. Levins’ journey to the 2023 New York Marathon in November is all in preparation for his pursuit of Olympic glory in Paris, which is anticipated to be one of the troublesome Olympic marathon programs so far.
