Athletics Canada 2018 XC Championships

A cautionary tale. Lead runner for the Men U20 suffered a complete shoe self-destruction, which cost him not only the win, but an opportunity to run the World's for Canada. This Nike shoe came apart 2km from the finish, forcing the runner to take the time to remove it, then run with one barefoot.

A cautionary tale. Lead runner for the Men U20 Race suffered a complete shoe self-destruction, which cost him a Top 10 finish. This Nike shoe came apart 2km from the finish, forcing the runner to take the time to remove it, then run with one barefoot.

All good things must come to an end. Here in Kingston, four years of hosting the XC Nationals have concluded. Each year, the event got larger and more exiting. Runners and spectators endured every imaginable kind of weather. This final year, attendees experienced a considerable range of weather, all in one day. What started out as a snowy, frozen day with subzero temperatures and even colder wind-chills, changed to almost a mild sunny day. However, after noon the weather changed again to grey and cold, finally setting on windy, rainy and as mucky as the four years had seen. The final outdoor awards were enjoyed by only a fraction of diehard spectators and top finishers.

Notable elite runners who participated in this final year were Natasha Wodak, Claire Sumner, Brogan and Branna MacDougall, Lucas Bruchet, Geneviève Lalonde, and Kingston’s own veteran, former Olympian Dylan Wykes.

Each race has been separated into individual galleries. The goal of each gallery is to tell the story of that specific race. Follow the photos as they present the leaders, the gainers and the strongest finishers.

Congratulations to Physi-Kult for bringing the Nationals to Kingston for the four years. The XC National Championships will be moving to Abbotsford BC in 2019.