Canada 8th in 15-team mixed relay run at cross-country world championships

Matthew Beaudet, Kate Current, Perry MacKinnon and Erin Teschuk of Canada combined for a running time of 24 minutes 55 seconds to place eighth in the mixed relay on Saturday at the World Athletics cross-country championships in Bathurst, Australia.

Winnipeg's Teschuk warmed up for the event with a fifth-place finish (eight minutes 46.46 seconds) in the women's indoor 3,000 metres last weekend at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston.

A week earlier in New York, the New Balance athlete and 2016 Olympian clocked a personal-best 4:31.21 in the indoor mile.

In 2019, the last time the world event was contested due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada finished seventh in mixed relay in Aarhus, Denmark.

Kenya won Saturday's race in 23:14, followed by Ethiopia (23:21) and Australia (23:26).

Later, Regan Yee of South Hazelton, B.C., and Natalia Allen of Bracebridge, Ont., crossed the finish line at the same time in 34th (36:43) to lead Canada's six-women contingent in the senior 10-kilometre race.

On Jan. 21, the 27-year-old Yee opened her indoor season with a two-second PB and world-leading time of 4:30.46 in the women's mile.

The 2020 Olympian captured the indoor 3,000 (8:48.53 PB) on Jan. 28 at the Boston University Terrier Classic following a tough end to her 2022 campaign in which Yee didn't advance to the 3,000 steeplechase final at the world championships. She also placed fourth at the Canadian 5K Championships in Moncton, N.B.

Julie Ann Staehli of Goderich, Ont., was 40th on Saturday (37:03) following up her sixth-place performance in the women's 3,000 two weeks at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix in Boston.

Katelyn Ayers (Orillia, Ont., 43rd, 37:09), Maria Bernard-Galea (Calgary, 46th, 37:23) and Kate Bazeley