Ben Flanagan maintained composure early on in his inaugural 42.2-kilometer race, a pivotal factor in his clinching the Canadian men’s championship at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon on Sunday. Despite being satisfied with his race strategy, Flanagan acknowledged the need for further learning and expressed plans to approach the course differently in the future.
He confessed to feeling overly eager in his successful bid to distance himself from Andrew Alexander of Toronto around the 25 km mark, which made the final 15 km particularly arduous as Flanagan ran solo. Reflecting on the toll of such a move in the latter stages of the race, the Kitchener, Ont., native shared his insights with CBC Sports, stating, “The last 3K everything felt like it was shutting down. At that point, I just wanted to make it across the finish line and was lucky I had a big enough gap [on my Canadian competitors] to still get the win.”
Clocking in at two hours 15 minutes 39 seconds, the 30-year-old Flanagan outpaced Phil Parrot-Migas (2:17:15) of London, Ont., and Alexander (2:18:15) to secure the victory. He crossed the finish line in 10th place, trailing winner Leonard Langat by 7:35, who led a Kenyan sweep of the top three positions in 2:08:04.
Flanagan highlighted the potential benefits of racing alongside others over the final stretch, particularly in challenging conditions with winds reaching 25 km/h and gusting up to 53 km/h on a warm Sunday. Amidst the race’s difficulties, Flanagan employed mental cues to stay focused, emphasizing maintaining body looseness, proper form, arm focus, and taking one step at a time.
Looking ahead, Flanagan expressed his desire to continue improving and aims to represent Canada in the 2028 Olympic marathon in Los Angeles. Despite the physical toll of the race, Flanagan’s determination was evident as he waved to the crowd and crossed the finish line with a mix of apparent smiles and pain.
As Flanagan reflected on the experience and his future goals, he emphasized the importance of consistent injury prevention, strength training, and rehabilitation in his upcoming training cycles. With his sights set on achieving faster marathon times and competing alongside elite Canadian runners like Rory Linkletter and Cam Levins, Flanagan is motivated to elevate his performance and make strides towards his Olympic aspirations.
In a separate triumph, Rachel Hannah of Port Elgin, Ont., emerged as the top Canadian woman at the event, clocking 2:33:47 to outpace her competitors. Hannah expressed her elation at winning the Canadian championship, a longstanding aspiration since she ventured into marathoning a decade ago.
Both Flanagan and Hannah will be awarded $8,000 each as Canadian champions, while the overall winners will receive $25,000. Shure Demise of Ethiopia claimed the women’s overall title for the third time, finishing in 2:21:04, with Kenya’s Betty Chepkorir securing the second spot in 2:23:46.