Canada was proudly represented at the 5th IAU World Championships (WC) on March 14th 2026 by two men, Sergio Raez Villaneuva and Robert Brouillette. Both men, strong marathon runners, were new to Team Canada and set to complete their first official measured road 50km race. The event, originally scheduled for December 2025, was postponed two weeks prior to race day, due to air quality issues in the host city, New Delhi. The difficulties created by the change in date resulted in the loss of two members of our team, one woman and one man. Robert and Sergio successfully negotiated all the challenges in order to toe the line fit and in strong spirits. Given the postponement, some nations were unable to send their teams. 17 national federations were represented, bringing together the best "sprint ultra" runners in the world.
The temperature at the 4am start was 19 degrees and somewhat humid. Sergio set a blistering pace from the start, and led the race until after the 30km mark, with the GBR team closing in from behind. Robert set a steady pace and moved up through the field gradually from 30th position at the start. The two person crew (Lauren Negrazis and Team Manager Bernadette Benson) were ready with fuel bottles, water for cooling, and loud encouragement at the end of each 5km lap. Air quality declined a few hours into the race, but our men continued to come through the crew tent at the JLN Stadium with focused, strong mindsets.
Sergio finished in 9th place, in a time of 2:54:47. This is the strongest male performance ever in the 50k WC (fastest and first top 10). The Canadian flag was the fourth to be held aloft, after finishes by GBR, LTU, and JPN. Robert finished in a well-paced, strong 26th position, with a time of 3:14:21. Both men finished with qualifying standard times for the next World Championships, despite the challenging race conditions. The depth of Canada's potential in this event is apparent and we are excited for 2027!