Best Canadian high school runners of all time

I believe Marc Oleson did with his 3:58, and most recently Mike Woods, but think Marc may still hold that record

Bekele Fan wrote:

Let's not forget Marc Oleson. I saw him run an 8:15 3K on an indoor 125M banked track at the age of 16. I believe he was also a multiple OFSAA champion over 1500 and 3000 in consecutive years, he ran a 3:58 mile and had a decent stint at Stanford with a PAC10 XC championship to his name. Also believe he got into the 13;30's in the 5K and likely would have accomplished much more if not for his many injuries throughout college - I think Mike Woods eclipsed his Canadian Junior mile record of 3:58 or perhpas not and Marc still holds that record, forget and too lazy to check...?

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Let's keep the Grade 13 Ontario guys out of it. There have been many good times run by other runners as freshman in university that would challenge all the Grade 13 Ontario guys.

Hands down, the two best legitimate high school runners ever were Glenda Reiser and Brandon McBride.

Glenda Reiser

2.03.17 800m and 4:06.17 1500m in 1972

Brandon McBride

1:46.07 800m and 46.25 400m in 2012

Both legit 17 yr olds

Let's keep the Grade 13 Ontario guys out of it. There have been many good times run by other runners as freshman in university that would challenge all the Grade 13 Ontario guys.

The thread says 'best Canadian high school runners of all time' Marc was in high school when he ran his 3:58 - this is not a thread about University freshmen

Not sure why you are making it more confusing than it has to be? You can read English, can't you?

Even without his 3:58, Marc cannot be denied a spot on this list, he excelled throughout high school.

greg anderson 8 FLAT 3K

renewed marathoner wrote:

How was Ben Johnson in hs? I doubt he doped in hs. Isn't cam Levins from Canada? How was he?

Ben Johnson wasn't doped in HS, but he wasn't oustanding.

Cam Levins was good but not great. He didn't win any BC Highschool Titles.

Oleson ran sub 4 on a Saturday am @ Foothill College Open Meet fter an Olseon like evening of drinking the night before. Pretty impressive.

Those that I can think of (male) who jump immediately to mind:

Kevin Sullivan

Nate Brannen

Mike Woods

Bruce Kidd

Mark Oleson

Brandon McBride

Alain Boucher

Northern Runner wrote:

Yves Sikowabo came on the scene with a bang his grade 11 year as a refugee from Rwanda winning OFSAA XC and the 1500m and 3000m in 2010/2011. He later went on to defend his title in the 1500m and XC however, he would take second to Jeremy Coughler in the 3000m in 2012. High School PBs: 1:52 800m, 2:28 1000m, 3:50 1500m and 8:18 3000m. He went to University of Guelph and so far has run 3:48 in the 1500m as well as 8:17 in the 3000m.

Yves went sub-1:50 at Canadian Juniors about a month after his graduation ceremony - personally I'd count that, seeing as postseason meets count for Amercians.

Also, Sikubwabo*.

My era...thanks form the memories!

nn wrote:

Great post. Additions are Tom Lobsinger, Don Heughen, Ian Clark, Robbie Sametz, Dennis Stark, Steve Snell, Rob Earl, Kevin Dillon, Roland Brack. Jim Groves, Terry Goodenough, Glen Dupont, Aldo Bartolini, Bob Graham, Rob Livingston etc

Olesen, not Oleson.

You're welcome. Additional greats - Bruce Deacon, Kevin Waller, Steve Boyd, Andy Bethune, Keith Moore, Mark Randall, Kent Thexton, Kevin Waller, Ray Paulins, Tony Hatherly, Sean Fitzgerald. Too many to name. Many great Canadian HS runners in the last 40 years.

Galen Rupp Number on Fan wrote:

Sorry Yves Xixbakow (or however you spell it) isn't Canadian.

Well, technically neither are Bairu or Ahmed, if you want to get all butthurt about it.

I would still include these three athletes on this list. They attended high school in Canada, and were mainly developed by Canadian coaches, on Canadian soil.

True, Bairu and Ahmed came to Canada when they were relatively young (and before they were runners), but Sikuwabu did improve a great deal after immigrating (under the coaching of Mike Woods and later Dave Scott-Thomas).

Besides this, I think that the story of his immigration and subsequent success is representative of the "Canadian Dream" if you will, and makes him as rightful a Canadian as anyone else.

I still wouldn't say Sikubwabo, Bairu, or Ahmed (although you could make a case for him) were among the best Canadian High School runners of all time.

how about okabay high's zach whitmarsh. 2xjunior 800m champ ran 1:49 low and 3:47 in grade 11 with pretty much sprint training. 2000 Olympian.

sdfgsdfgsdfgsdfgsdfg wrote:

I still wouldn't say Sikubwabo, Bairu, or Ahmed (although you could make a case for him) were among the best Canadian High School runners of all time.

Generally agree. No one was making photoshopped cheetah race photos of those guys in HS!

I just felt the need to call out that guy for being a racist jerk. He probably thinks Yves came to Canada so he could steal the justly deserved medals of [white] Canadian-born kids like himself. Because as we all know, the Ofsaa medal is more important than the Olympic medal.

Off the Grid wrote:

no one wrote:

reg enq nailed it :

17-18 yr old Canadian Bruce Kidd ran 2Miles in the 8:30s and a 13:17 3 mile in early 60s.

He was Gerry Lindgren just before Gerry Lindgren, without the eccentricities.

spot on. won '62 Commonwealth 6 mile, bronze in 3 mile at 19.

Agree. The list begins and ends with Kidd.

Agree on Reiser....but note this last year Kailee Sawyer beat Glenda's national record for 15 yr Olds at 2:05.94...best ever? We will see.