Jul 18, 2022 - 21:51
By cbc.ca

In national team debut, Sexton places 13th to top Canadian women in world marathon

A stubborn, never give up mentality propelled Canada's Leslie Sexton to a better-than-expected 13th-place finish in the women's marathon on Monday at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Ore.

At 35, the native of Markham, Ont., reached the finish line in two hours 28 minutes 52 seconds, 17-100ths of a second shy of her personal best from the Philadelphia Marathon last Nov. 21.

"It's been a long road to get here," Sexton, who now lives in Vancouver, told Athletics Canada of her first national team appearance. "Don't quit on yourself, be too stubborn to give up. It pays off eventually.

"I thought top 20 was possible with a great day [of racing]. My last two laps, I think, were my fastest."

Sexton said she led a big chase group for a while and gave it her best after the field separated around the 26-kilometre mark of the 42.2 km race.

Leslie Sexton just THREW DOWN one of the best-ever marathons for a Canadian at worlds. 2:28.52 for thirteenth (SB) She just keeps getting better. 2014: 2:50 2015: 2:33 2017: 2:35 2018: 2:36 2019: 2:31 2021: 2:28 2022: 2:28, 13th in the world. <a href="https://t.co/dkSkqYE1s9">pic.twitter.com/dkSkqYE1s9</a>

A month before her victory in Philadelphia, Sexton was awarded the national women's 10K road title in Toronto after elite race winner Sarah Inglis of Scotland was ruled ineligible because the Langley, B.C., resident isn't a Canadian citizen.

Kinsey Middleton, who lives in Idaho but holds dual citizenship as her mother was born in Guelph, Ont., was 26th of 32 finishers on Monday (2:32.56), while Quebec's Elissa Legault was 27th (2:37.35).

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