{"id":153169,"date":"2025-12-22T11:30:58","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T16:30:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/runningmagazine.ca\/?p=153169"},"modified":"2025-12-23T11:35:49","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T16:35:49","slug":"canadian-olympian-breaks-41-year-old-quebec-marathon-record-in-debut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runningmagazine.ca\/sections\/runs-races\/canadian-olympian-breaks-41-year-old-quebec-marathon-record-in-debut\/","title":{"rendered":"Canadian Olympian breaks 41-year-old Quebec marathon record in debut"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Sunday in Chandler, Ariz., The Marathon Project returned for its second edition after a four-year hiatus, and Canadian 5,000m Olympian Thomas Fafard<\/strong><\/a>, making his marathon debut, took full advantage of the flat, fast course. The Repentigny, Que., native placed sixth in an outstanding 2:10:29, smashing the 41-year-old Quebec provincial marathon record by nearly four minutes.<\/p>\n

The former record of 2:14:19 was set by Alain Bordeleau<\/strong><\/a> in 1984.<\/p>\n

\"thomas
Thomas Fafard at The Marathon Project 2025.
Photo: Kevin Morris<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fafard’s performance ranks as the third-fastest marathon debut by a Canadian<\/a>; only national record holder Cam Levins<\/strong> <\/a>and Canada’s third-fastest marathoner, Ben Preisner,<\/strong><\/a> have achieved a faster debut. (Preisner debuted in 2:10:17 at the 2020 Marathon Project.) The result also ties Fafard with two-time Olympian Reid Coolsaet<\/strong> <\/a>as the seventh-fastest Canadian marathoner in history. Coincidentally, Fafard is also tied for seventh on the Canadian all-time list for the half-marathon, at 62:17.<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n

 <\/p>\n

\n
 <\/div>\n
\n
 <\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n
\n
View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n
\n
\n
 <\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
 <\/div>\n
 <\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

A post shared by Thomas Fafard (@thomas.fafard)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n