The mountains are calling, and Team Canada is ready to climb. Athletics Canada has officially announced the first 28 athletes who will represent Canada at the 2025 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Canfranc-Pirineos, Spain, in September. With familiar faces and rising stars on the roster, the team looks poised for a strong showing in the Pyrenees.

Canada’s strongest team yet

According to Athletics Canada, this is the most competitive mountain and trail team the country has ever assembled for the world championships. Key returners include Anne-Marie Comeau, who finished 15th in the vertical race in 2023, and Alexandre Ricard, who landed 16th in the mountain classic. Both will suit up again this year, bringing valuable experience to the international stage.

“I have big goals for both of the events I’ll be racing in, aiming for a top 10 finish in the Vertical and a top five in the Short Trail,” said Ricard. He’s excited about the steep, technical nature of the courses, noting that the vertical race looks especially well-suited to his strengths. “I’m lucky to have ideal training terrain here in Squamish to help prepare.”

New faces, big ambitions

The squad also features fresh talent like Jade Belzberg, who dominated at last year’s Canadian Mountain Running Championships. She’ll compete in both the vertical and short trail races this fall. “I feel grateful for the opportunity to race against the best in the world,” said Belzberg. “It’s an incredible honour to represent Canada and to be joining such an impressive team.”

On the men’s side, Canadian 50K record holder (on the road) Chris Balestrini and Marcus Ribi will lead the long trail contingent, while the women’s long trail squad includes familiar names like Jazmine Lowther and Sara Bergen, both known for their grit on technical courses.

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The challenge ahead

The World Championships, set in the rugged Pyrenees, will test Canada’s best against the steep climbs, sharp descents and thin air of high-altitude mountain running. “Some of the climbs and descents will be quite long, and the altitude will be a big factor,” said Team Canada’s coach Bernadette Benson. “For athletes who’ve prepared well, the reward will be racing through the stunning, exposed alpine terrain the Pyrenees are known for.”

Around 1,700 athletes from roughly 70 countries are expected to race across five disciplines: uphill-only mountain running, classic up-and-down mountain running, short trail, long trail and U20 classic events.

The team

Classic Up-and-Down (Women)

Claudine Soucie

Classic Up-and-Down (Men)

Remi Leroux

Classic Up-and-Down (U20)

Maxime Corbeil

Vertical (Women)

Anne-Marie Comeau

Vertical (Men)

Alexandre Ricard

Short Trail (Women)

Stephanie Ryall
Kalie McCrystal
Nicole Lacis
Carol-Ann Rolle
Laurie Proulx

Short Trail (Men)

Alexandre Ricard
Joshua Potvin
Samuel Hendry
Marc Fawcett-Atkinson
Dany Racine
Brendan Morden&nbsp

Long Trail (Women)

Sara Bergen
Robyn Mildren
Jazmine Lowther
Geneviève Asselin-Demers
Caitlin Schindel
Mylène Sansoucy

Long Trail (Men)

Marcus Ribi
Chris Balestrini
Jean-Philippe Thibodeau
Christian Meier
Brandon Miller
Elliot Cardin

More to come

The final selections for Canada’s team will be announced later this month. For now, the initial squad signals a deep and versatile group, poised to take on one of the world’s toughest mountain championships. In the words of Ricard: “Competing at Worlds for the third time means a lot to me. Wearing the maple leaf on a global stage will always be a huge honour.”