Author: Coach DU Smithy

Nike Attempts to Break the 2-Hour Marathon This Weekend

Coach DU Smithy May 3, 2017

This weekend Nike has planned an attempt to break the 2-hour marathon barrier with one of thee three runners: Eliud Kipchoge, Zersenay Tadese, and Lelisa Desis. While the current marathon world record is 2:02:57 set at the Berlin Marathon in 2014, many experts dont expect it will happen.  Nike’s Breaking2 project has come with much controversy surrounding the attempt including: drafting behind the pace vehicle, the legality of Nike’s Vaporify shoes that have a carbon […]

Kids Can Try Track & Field Events at the AO POD Meet March 17

Coach DU Smithy March 2, 2017

Kids interested in joining Lions Valley Athletics can try it all.  Friday March 17th,  Athletics Ontario will team up with Variety Village to let you try it all at the AO Pod Meet.KIDS CAN TRY IT OUT!Lions Valley Athletics Outdoor Season begins Tuesday April 4th and before that kids aged 8-12 can try it out at the AO POD Meet to see if Track & Field really interests them. In a fun and non-competitive way the […]

Make Your Move – Family Day 2017

Coach DU Smithy February 17, 2017

 The Town of Oakville’s Make Your Move – Family Day 2017 is jam packed full of activities for you and your family to enjoy.  Interested in Track and Field, Cross Country, Road Running, Triathlon or Duathlon and want to see what Lions Valley Athletics is like and how it can help you reach your goals? Join us at either Glen Abbey Community Center or Sixteen Mile Sports Complex on Family Day and try it out […]

2016 AO XC Championship Results

Coach DU Smithy November 19, 2016

Lions Valley Athletics sent a team of 6 athletes to the 2016 Athletics Ontario Cross Country Championships in Niagara this past weekend.  Darryl Rowan, our sole Masters competitor ran the Masters 5KM event, the first race of the day.  This was his return to racing after taking some time off due to injury and he was pleased with how he finished. He finished 92nd in 24:18.  Our Senior Mens team of Mike Gill, Eric Labelle, Chad […]

2016 OMA Sunnybrook 8KM XC Results

Coach DU Smithy November 4, 2016

 For the second year in a row, Mike Gill competed in the OMA Sunnybrook 8KM XC race.  This year conditions were less than ideal with the recent rain making the ground, muddy and soft which meanst Mike was unlikely to break the M35 course record he set last year. It was another race where Mike kept things comfortable for the first couple of kilometers with a group then took the lead and never looked back. He just […]

B & O Yorkville Run & Canadian 5KM Road Championship Results

Coach DU Smithy September 21, 2016

Its not often that a 5KM event has the caliber and depth of talent that toed the start line in both the Elite and Masters categories at this Canadian 5KM Road Race Championship. Cynthia O’Halloran competed in the Masters category on this fast downtown Toronto course. The Men’s and Women’s Open Categories were some of the fastest we have seen in Canada. Charles Philibert-Thiboutot and Andrea Seccafien both placed first by mere seconds in the open categories making the […]

Choosing a Headlamp for Night Running

Coach DU Smithy December 5, 2015

The Holidays are almost here and its the end of Cross Country Season, end of 2015 making it a great time to just get out and just go for a run.  Its a chance to reflect on the past year, and recharge the fire before things ramp up in 2016! Just take it all in and enjoy the run, the company and everything around you!  As something fun and different we will be doing some […]

Gender Equality in XC Update

Coach DU Smithy November 28, 2015

This is an update to the original post [Gender Equality in XC  Race Distances…] The original post came from my frustration in learning of the vote against gender equalization of the Mens and Womens Cross Country distances in the CIS Championship from an article that appeared in Canadian Running Magazine. More press and comments have come out since. Don’t forget to sign the petition for OFSAA to make XC distances equal for Girls and Boys… It is important as Canadians and […]