Saturday’s wet and windy weather didn’t put a damper on Boston’s race weekend kick-off, with strong performances from three Canadians. Kitchener, Ont.’s Foster Malleck took third in the B.A.A. men’s mile, Lucklow, Ont.’s Julie-Anne Staehli placed fourth in the B.A.A. women’s mile, and Tom Fafard of Repentigny, Que., finished eighth in the B.A.A. 5K.
Men’s mile
Malleck came around the final corner with five other runners, all in the mix for the top spots. Eric Holt, a two-time Olympic Trials semifinalist at 1,500 metres, squeezed ahead to win in 4:06, with Isaac Basten given the same time for the second and Malleck one second behind, in third. In 2025, Malleck made his professional and road mile debut at the B.A.A. Mile, placing seventh in 4:10, only a day after signing with Under Armour Baltimore.
Malleck has been on a tear this indoor season, setting four Canadian records and lowering the 1,500m record twice. He first broke the record in early February, running 3:34.99 en route to an indoor national mile record of 3:51.39, just a week after setting a Canadian best of 4:54.08 over 2,000m.
Foster Malleck at the 2026 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. Photo: Photo: Kevin Morris
Women’s Mile
Staehli captured fourth for the second year in a row, finishing in a speedy 4:39.56 to better her 2025 time of 4:45. Kenya’s Dorcus Ewoi took top honours, also for the second year in a row, and set a new course record in 4:29.73. Americans Rachel McArthur and Taryn Parks finished second (4:34.36) and third (4:35.05), respectively.
Last May, 2020 Olympian Staehli helped lead a team to a new women’s course record at the 276-kilometre Cabot Trail Relay in Nova Scotia, finishing in 18:18:39—36 minutes faster than the previous record, which had only been set the year before. In September, Staehli successfully defended her Canadian 5K in Montreal.
Bank of America Boston Marathon 5K, 2026. Photo: Kevin Morris
Fafard cracks top 10 in the B.A.A. 5K
Ethiopia’s Addison Yihune won the B.A.A. 5K on Saturday in 13:14, closing with a fast final mile to take control of the race. Fellow Ethiopian Mezgebu Sime finished second, with Kenya’s Edwin Kurgat third.
Fafard was the top Canadian, finishing eighth in 13: 36, bettering last year’s 13:56, which secured him seventh place. In December, Fafard stepped up to the marathon distance at The Marathon Project, where he ran 2:10:29 to finish sixth and break a long-standing Quebec record. His performance was also the third-fastest marathon debut in Canadian history.
Women’s B.A.A. 5K
Ethiopia’s Gela Hambese defended her title in the women’s race, winning in 15:28 ahead of U.S. runners Rachel Smith and Katie Izzo, who both clocked 15:33.
Allie Sandluck was the top Canadian woman, finishing 20th in 17:15.
For full results of the B.A.A. Mile and B.A.A. 5K, click here.