VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds kicked off the 2025 Cross Country season with a combined five top ten finishes at the Vancouver Spirit Run Sunday at Jericho Park.
Maximilien Filion claimed second in the men's eight kilometre race while
Mackenzie Campbell and
Katelyn Cotterell ran an identical 26:47 to finish fifth and sixth, respectively, in the women's event.
"The Vancouver Spirit Run once again offered a great opportunity for our Cross Country teams to open their season locally at a very well-organized event and a picturesque venue," said UBC lead endurance coach,
Steve Weiler. "This meet helps our athletes assess where they're at early in the season as we build towards November."
Filion's time of 23:21 had the third-year Thunderbird take home silver from the field of 96 total competitors.
Second years
Steven Brittain and
Kai Martland crossed the finish line just four seconds apart to claim 25
th and 26
th, respectively while rookie T-Bird
Andrew Corbeil completed the course in 24:47 for 30
th overall in the open event.
UBC's solid women's results saw
Elysse Fleming and
Amelia Pfohl both post a finishing time of 26:51 to claim eighth and ninth place.
Fourth-year
Sarah MacGillivray's 27:11 was good for 11
th out of 58 total entrants.
Mazy McFarling led UBC's freshmen on the women's side with a 14
th place time of 27:23, an impressive first competition in the blue and gold.
"Today was a reminder of the impact that health issues, both injuries and illness, can have on a team," Weiler added. "Our men are currently showing to be a relatively young squad with a lot of potential for the future, while our women demonstrated that they are once again one of the strongest teams in Canada."
The Thunderbirds head across the Rockies next weekend for the Stewart Cup race in Calgary on Saturday, October 4. The 2025 Canada West Championship is set for Victoria on October 25 while the U SPORTS National Championships take place two weeks later on November 8 in Sherbrooke, Quebec.
FULL RESULTS
