-by Bill Dunphy
Frances MacLeod displays the gold medal she won at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Ottawa last month, racing in the U20 Female 3,000m steeplechase.
Frances MacLeod began running at local road races, like Saturday’s 44th Annual Hugh Arnold Campbell Memorial in Mabou, when she was four years old.
Fourteen years later she is still running at local road races, but this time as a national champion.
MacLeod, who calls Dartmouth home but has spent every summer with her family in Inverness-Port Hood, won the U20 women’s 3,000m steeplechase at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Ottawa on June 17-21.
And despite a fall on one of the hurdles, MacLeod battled back for the win in 10:36.51 – just short of Athletics Canada’s world qualifying standard of 10:31.73.
“I started running steeplechase two years ago, an event I know they held nationals for,” she said Saturday after winning the Hugh Arnold Campbell 5k race in a time of 19:06.
“My goal is to make the national team (and) I’m just a few seconds away from the world standard.”
MacLeod trains with the Athletics East Track and Field Club in Halifax. This past school year she won the Atlantic University Sport championship in cross-country. At Canada Games in St. John’s, NL, last August, she set a personal best of 10:35.12 in the 3,000m steeplechase.
Steeplechase is a unique track and field event where athletes run 3,000 meters while navigating 28 solid barriers and seven water jumps, totaling 35 obstacles over roughly seven and a half laps on a standard 400-meter track. Unlike regular hurdles, the barriers are heavy, immobile, and bolted to the track, allowing runners to step on them or hurdle over them in any manner, provided the trailing leg clears the top of the barrier. The water jump, about 12 feet long, is deepest near the barrier and gradually shallows out, making it the most physically demanding part of the race.
The U20 World Championships are scheduled for Aug. 5-9 at the University of Oregon in Eugene.
MacLeod has two or three more chances to shave those seconds off her PB to qualify before the July 20 deadline, beginning this Sunday at the Legion selection meet in Dartmouth.
But despite her competitive nature, MacLeod said she has learned to take things in stride from her parents. Her mother, Crystal Garrett, and her father, Alexander MacLeod, were both elite runners in their youth and will still enter Inverness County Running Circuit races when the joints say it’s okay.
“My parents are my biggest inspiration,” she said. “Some runners take it too seriously, when it should be something you do for fun.”
*****
Along with MacLeod’s top time in Saturday’s road race in Mabou, Sawyer Nadasdi was a close second to win the Youth Male division in 19:22.
In the Open (19-39) division, Ashley Petrie was the top female (24:15) while Jonathan Brophy turned in the fastest male time (24:07).
The Masters (40-59) division, Lindsay MacDonald was top female (26:56) and Shane Nadasdi was top male (37:35).
And in the Golden Masters (60-over) division, Jean Hayley turned in a time of 40:07 for top female while Lloyd Withers blazed a path to be top male, stopping the clock at 27:32.
In the 10k race, Jason McGuigan won the Open Male title with a time of 40:49 while Katie MacDonald was the Open Female winner in 54:08.
Kate MacInnes laced up the running shoes for the first time since her memorable Boston Marathon experience and won the Masters Female division with a time of 41:19 – good for second place overall.
Matt Swinkels had the best Masters Male time of 44:07.
The following are the complete results of the 44th Hugh Arnold Campbell Memorial road race:
5k
Female (under 18) Frances MacLeod, 19.06; Jayla Andrews, 24.1; Maggie MacDonald, 25.2; Myra MacDonnell, 28.05; Laura Beaton, 30.01; Gabe Murphy, 33.27; Lexi Andrews, 33.28; Kailee Roach, 33.28; Eilidh Leadbetter, 39.04; Chloe Macaueen, 41.34.
Male (under 18) Sawyer Nadasdi, 19.22; Ben Swinkels, 19.43; Hayden Gillies, 20.09; Ethan Gillis, 20.24; Jayden Cameron, 21.43; Jake MacDonald, 23.5; Dawson Burns, 29.4; Jonathon Petrie, 30.15; Kirk Williams, 32.07.
Female (19-39) Ashley Petrie, 24.15; Laura MacMillan, 25.12; Shannon MacLennan; 26.33; Mary Chisholm; 27.36; Seanna Cameron, 28.09; Makayla Nadasdi, 30.01; Shoneth Leadbetter, 30.1; Kathryn MacIntyre, 31.5; Grace MacDonald, 33.51; Emily Cameron, 35.48; Connie Campbell, 36.22; Hannah Nadasdi, 37.35; Ella MacRitchie, 38.54; Keshi Moonian, 39.17; Haley Morrison, 41.07; Lauren Krszwda, 43.17.
Male (19-39) Kirk MacLean, 22.1; John Brophy, 24.07; Campbell MacIntyre, 26.24; Matt Stewart, 27.26; Tonet Dan, 33.37; William Petrie, 38.34.
Female (40-59) Lindsay MacDonald, 26.56; Lindsay MacDonald, 27.57; Deana MacKeil, 29.2; Michelle Andrews, 29.47; Angie MacDonnell, 32.09; Stephanie Swinkels, 41.17.
Male (40-59) Shane Nadasdi, 37.35; Preston Burns, 38.03.
Female (60-over) Jean Haley, 40.07; Marie MacRitchie, 44.06; Andrea Brophy, 44.06.
Male (60-over) Lloyd Withers, 27.32.
10k
Female (19-39) Katie MacDonald, 54.08; Madeline Ferguson, 59.17; Jasmin Cameron, 59.17; Avery MacKinnon, 62.4.
Male (19-39) Jason McGuigan, 40.49; Peter MacInnis, 52.05.
Female (40-59) Kate MacInnes, 41.19.
Male (40-59) Matt Swinkels, 44.07; Jesse Fraser, 46.13.
Fun run
Nolan Beaton, Emerson Cameron, Ivy Beaton, Nathan Swinkels, Elise Gillis, Ainsley Lawless, Freddie Gillis, Reese Lawless, Maggie Leadbetter, Kace Hussey, Mary Catherine Cameron, Arlo MacDonald, Vaeda MacDonald, Avery Cameron.