Guiyang, China – Rachel Hannah and Justyn Knight each finished in twenty-fifth place at today’s International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Cross Country Championships in Guiyang, China. The senior women’s team placed tenth, the junior women placed thirteenth, the junior men placed sixteenth, and the senior men’s team placed seventeenth.
In the women’s 8km race Rachel Hannah of Toronto, Ont., led the Canadian senior team to a tenth place finish. Hannah, who was 58th at the same competition in 2011, crossed the line in 28:34 to place 25 overall. A couple of weeks removed from a half marathon personal best, Natasha Wodak of Vancouver, B.C., finished nine seconds behind her teammate in 27th.
The tight, narrow corners on the Guiyang course proved treacherous as Justyn Knight took a tumble on the first lap of the junior men’s race. The Vaughan, Ont., native got up quickly and did well finishing in the 25 spot. Knight’s finish represents the best individual placing by a Canadian junior male in over a decade. Henok Lechebo finished 22nd at the 2004 IAAF World XC Championships in Brussels, Belgium. Led by Knight, the junior men finished 16th in the team competition.
In the junior women’s 6km race the team finished thirteenth. Branna MacDougall of Kingston, Ont., led the women finishing in 42nd with a time of 22:20. Hannah Woodhouse of Clarksburg, Ont., ran 22:57 to place 60th.
In the senior men’s 12km race Kelly Wiebe of Swift Current, Sask., was Canada’s top finisher running 38:14 to place 49th. The senior men finished seventeenth in the team competition.