Meet the Canadian-based pro group rewriting the record book
While many of Canada's top athletes leave the country to train, a small but mighty pro group in Québec City is bucking the trend—earning national records and Olympic appearances along the way
Last year in Paris, only seven of the 17 distance runners on the Canadian Olympic team were training at home. Faced with limited opportunities in Canada, many of the best and brightest track stars decide to move elsewhere in search of better competition, warmer weather, and the chance to make a viable career out of running fast.
Yet, one small program has bucked the trend. Under the guidance of Athletics Québec’s provincial team head coach, Félix-Antoine Lapointe, a small but mighty group in Québec City has ushered in a renaissance for Canadian-based distance running excellence.
While Quebec placed just one athlete on the Olympic team in Tokyo in 2021, the number skyrocketed to seven at Paris 2024. Leading the charge was Coach Félix, and the trio of Charles Philibert-Thiboutot (1,500m), Jean-Simon Desgagnés (3,000m SC) and Thomas Fafard (5,000m), Québec provincial record holders who not only made it to Paris, but advanced out of the qualifying rounds in their respective events.
On the latest episode of The Shakeout Podcast, we sit down with Coach Félix and the athlete who started it all, Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, to discuss the rapid rise of the Quebec athletics program, their unique relationship, and how the model they built together has now shaped the next generation of Canadian distance-running stars.
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