MONTREAL - The 2012 Canadian 10km Wheelchair and Half Marathon Championships take place this Saturday April 28and Sunday April 29in Parc Jean Drapeau in Montreal, Quebec. Saturday's 10km wheelchair championship is being held in conjunction with Défi Sportif, an international event assembling elite and newcomer athletes with all types of disabilities. Sunday's half marathon championship is being held in conjunction with Canada Running Series' Banque Scotia 21k de Montréal.
Canadian 10km Wheelchair Championship
Saturday April 28 - 12:30pm
Reigning champion and newly introduced Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) "Super Athlete" Diane Roy of Sherbrooke, Que., is expected to defend her title. Roy is fresh off a victory at the Rolling Rampage 10km held on Thursday in Ottawa. The double Paralympic Games medalist won gold last summer in the wheelchair 800-metres demonstration event held as part of the IAAF 2011 World Championships in Athletics. More info on the CPC's "Super Athlete" Campaign is available here.
Jean-Paul Compaore of Sherbrooke, Que., and Colin Mathieson of Winnipeg, Man., are expected to challenge for the men's national title. Compaore and Mathieson finished second and third respectively at last year's championship.
Canadian Half Marathon Championship
Sunday April 29 - 10:00am
In the men's elite field all eyes will be on London 2012 Canadian Olympic team nominee Eric Gillis of Antigonish, N.S. Gillis is sure to face stiff competition from Matt Loiselle and Rejean Chiasson, both of Toronto, Ont. Loiselle and Chiasson finished second and third last year to Reid Coolsaet of Hamilton, Ont., who will join Gillis in the marathon event at the 2012 Olympic Games. Loiselle, whose personal best stands at 1:03:47, has won the national half marathon title on two occasions (2009 and 2010).
The women's elite field features Kate Bazeley of St. John's, Nfld., and Leslie Sexton of London, Ont. Bazeley has national team experience placing tenth at the 2011 NACAC Cross Country Championships. Bazeley's half marathon personal best stands at 1:16:11 while Sexton's best over the same distance is 1:20:48.
For more information on each of these events visit Road.Athletics.ca.
Follow our athletes on Twitter: @dianeroy71 (Diane Roy) @Nishrunner (Eric Gillis) @LeslieSexton (Leslie Sexton)
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