Mathew McInnes is looking to improve on his 10th place finish at last year’s ING Marathon.
Last year, Mathew McInnes’ finish at the ING Ottawa Marathon made him the fastest Canadian to run a marathon.
This year, those bragging rights will give the Glebe runner and resident the right to compete on a whole new level – at the 2009 World Marathon Cup.
“I really want to try and qualify for that team,” said McInnes, who trains in the dome at Louis Riel High School.
“I want to slightly improve my time from last year, defend my national title, and then, I think my chances are good.”
The ING Ottawa Marathon is one of two official marathons in Canada that have agreed to work with Athletics Canada to assemble a Canadian team for the World Marathon Cup in Berlin.
The hope is to re-establish an international reputation for Canada in long-distance running and to raise the bar for Canadian long-distance runners.
“It’s something that’s been an ongoing dialogue with our partners,” said Martin Goulet, chief high performance officer for Athletics Canada.
“It’s really a test concept, but it’s getting us to go in the right direction, to be competitive, which is ultimately our goal," he said.
The World Marathon Cup is the equivalent of the world championships in long-distance running and Canada usually does not send a team. Canada competed in 2001, when the world championships were in Edmonton, but placed poorly.
For 2009, the plan is to gather a team of 10 men and 10 women to compete internationally. Members of the team will be approved based on their running times, which can be recorded at different key events, like this May’s ING marathon.
Goulet said there is momentum in Canada to improve the reputation of long-distance running. Over the last few years, there has been a running boom, in part because of marathon competitions that provide encouragement through media coverage and incentives like prize money.
But, Goulet said Canada still has a long way to go.
“Essentially right now our athletes are competing against each other, but we have a chance to change that,” Goulet said. “Look at what the Kenyans are doing right now, it’s quite amazing.”
Overall, eight of the top 10 runners from last year’s ING marathon were from Kenya. McInnes took the 10th spot overall, completing the run with a time of 2:18:06.
John Halvorsen, race director for the ING marathon and a former long-distance Olympian, said there are a few Canadians expected to make the world championship team. He mentioned specifically Welsh emigrant Jon Brown, who is already a three-time Olympian.
Halvorsen also said there is a lot of up-and-coming talent from places like the Ottawa Lions Track and Field club.
“The Ottawa Lions is one of the best clubs in the country,” he said. “There are a lot of young talented athletes out there.”
Many amateur runners are also attempting to improve their timing and technique.
John Welsh runs a marathon clinic through the running retail shop, the Running Room.
He gets a lot of people looking to socialize and improve their running. He said the key to improvement is biomechanics and attitude.
“Everyone knows how to run, you put one foot in front of the other,” he said.
“But the key to marathon running is energy levels. And how do you carry yourself 42 km? With lots of hydration, nutrition, and a lot of self speak to keep things positive.”
McInnes said his relatively late start as a runner has helped him improve his abilities.
“I think it was a bit of a bonus, being a late starter,” he said. “I was never the young kid who had to accomplish a certain amount by a certain age. Instead I’m always motivated to compete and do the best I can.”