The mountains are calling, and Group Canada is able to climb. Athletics Canada has formally introduced the primary 28 athletes who will signify Canada on the 2025 World Mountain and Path Operating Championships in Canfranc-Pirineos, Spain, in September. With acquainted faces and rising stars on the roster, the workforce appears to be like poised for a powerful exhibiting within the Pyrenees.
Canada’s strongest workforce but
In keeping with Athletics Canada, that is probably the most aggressive mountain and path workforce the nation has ever assembled for the world championships. Key returners embody Anne-Marie Comeau, who completed fifteenth within the vertical race in 2023, and Alexandre Ricard, who landed sixteenth within the mountain basic. Each will go well with up once more this yr, bringing helpful expertise to the worldwide stage.
“I’ve large objectives for each of the occasions I’ll be racing in, aiming for a prime 10 end within the Vertical and a prime 5 within the Quick Path,” mentioned Ricard. He’s excited concerning the steep, technical nature of the programs, noting that the vertical race appears to be like particularly well-suited to his strengths. “I’m fortunate to have ultimate coaching terrain right here in Squamish to assist put together.”
New faces, large ambitions
The squad additionally options recent expertise like Jade Belzberg, who dominated eventually yr’s Canadian Mountain Operating Championships. She’ll compete in each the vertical and brief path races this fall. “I really feel grateful for the chance to race towards the perfect on the planet,” mentioned Belzberg. “It’s an unimaginable honour to signify Canada and to be becoming a member of such a powerful workforce.”
On the lads’s facet, Canadian 50K report holder (on the street) Chris Balestrini and Marcus Ribi will lead the lengthy path contingent, whereas the ladies’s lengthy path squad contains acquainted names like Jazmine Lowther and Sara Bergen, each identified for his or her grit on technical programs.
How this Canadian trail-running star prepares for races (and life)
The problem forward
The World Championships, set within the rugged Pyrenees, will take a look at Canada’s finest towards the steep climbs, sharp descents and skinny air of high-altitude mountain operating. “Among the climbs and descents can be fairly lengthy, and the altitude can be an enormous issue,” mentioned Group Canada’s coach Bernadette Benson. “For athletes who’ve ready nicely, the reward can be racing by way of the beautiful, uncovered alpine terrain the Pyrenees are identified for.”
Round 1,700 athletes from roughly 70 international locations are anticipated to race throughout 5 disciplines: uphill-only mountain operating, basic up-and-down mountain operating, brief path, lengthy path and U20 basic occasions.
The workforce
Basic Up-and-Down (Girls)
Claudine Soucie
Basic Up-and-Down (Males)
Remi Leroux
Basic Up-and-Down (U20)
Maxime Corbeil
Vertical (Girls)
Anne-Marie Comeau
Vertical (Males)
Alexandre Ricard
Quick Path (Girls)
Stephanie Ryall
Kalie McCrystal
Nicole Lacis
Carol-Ann Rolle
Laurie Proulx
Quick Path (Males)
Alexandre Ricard
Joshua Potvin
Samuel Hendry
Marc Fawcett-Atkinson
Dany Racine
Brendan Morden 
Lengthy Path (Girls)
Sara Bergen
Robyn Mildren
Jazmine Lowther
Geneviève Asselin-Demers
Caitlin Schindel
Mylène Sansoucy
Lengthy Path (Males)
Marcus Ribi
Chris Balestrini
Jean-Philippe Thibodeau
Christian Meier
Brandon Miller
Elliot Cardin
Extra to come back
The ultimate alternatives for Canada’s workforce can be introduced later this month. For now, the preliminary squad alerts a deep and versatile group, poised to tackle one of many world’s hardest mountain championships. Within the phrases of Ricard: “Competing at Worlds for the third time means loads to me. Sporting the maple leaf on a worldwide stage will all the time be an enormous honour.”
