Tara Jeffrey
In a gruelling race that saw harsh weather on what’s being called the ‘toughest ever’ course, Sarnia’s Andrew Davies finished an impressive 68th place at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia, Saturday.
Davies (33:21) competed in the Senior Men’s race — forced to start ahead of schedule due to looming thunderstorms — along with 109 finishers including Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo who took the top spot (29:17).
Runners battled stormy conditions and wicked winds through a 10km course that included a mud patch, sand pit, steep inclines and tight turns.
Davies, a 22-year-old Northern Collegiate grad, helped push the Canadian men’s team to a tenth place finish, despite only four of the six runners competing.
Connor Black of Forest, and Tecumseh’s Mitch Ubene were both listed as DNS (did not start) due to illness.