Cam Levins was in strong running form Friday night and nearly picked up his sixth Canadian record on the road.
Levins covered the men’s 10-kilometre race at the Asics Festival of Running, stopping the clock in 28 minutes 11 seconds for sixth place in Paris.
The 35-year-old from Black Creek, B.C., matched Ben Flanagan’s national mark from the B.A.A 10K event in Boston on June 26, 2022. The previous record was 28:17 set by Paul McCloy in 1987.
The 2.5 km loop course started and finished at Palais-Royal in the shadow of The Louvre.
“Really great atmosphere getting to race on the streets of Paris,” Levins wrote in an Instagram post on Saturday. “Can’t wait to be back here this summer for the [Paris] Olympics.”
Jemal Yimer won Friday in 27:43 after the 27-year-old Ethiopian was victorious in the March 17 Seoul Marathon, clocking 2:06:08. On March 5, 2023, Levins set a Canadian and North American record of 2:05:36, finishing fifth in the Tokyo Marathon.
He is also the top men’s runner in Canada over 15 km (42:53), 20 km (57:54, tied with Flanagan), half marathon (1:00:18) and 30 km (1:31:10).
2nd Olympic marathon in August
Before Friday, Levins hadn’t raced since Nov. 5 when he exited his first New York City Marathon in Brooklyn before the halfway mark after feeling unwell since the start of the 42.2 km race.
Earlier that week, Levins admitted in an interview with CBC Sports it was a “difficult adjustment” adding hill training to his ninth marathon build.
Levins chose to race the hilly New York course in preparation for his second Olympic marathon on Aug. 10 in France, where the near-loop course will vary in elevation from a low point of 27 metres and high point of 183, gaining 438m in elevation and descending 436m to the finish.
Levins also ran under the 2:08:10 automatic Olympic entry standard on that March day in Tokyo 13 months ago. Calgary-born Rory Linkletter is the only other Canadian male to do, setting a personal-best 2:08:01 in February at the Sevilla Marathon in Spain.
Levins is scheduled to race a half marathon on April 28 in Istanbul.
The Olympic athletics events will be held Aug. 2-11.
The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic trials, scheduled for June 26-30 in Montreal, serve as the primary team selection competition for track and field events.