4 Canadian track records broken at Boston season opener
What a day for Canada's rising track stars
Blake Crawford
American track star Josh Hoey might have stolen the global spotlight at Saturday’s Sharon Colyear-Danville season opener at Boston University, smashing the indoor 600m world record in 1:12.84, but it was an unforgettable day for Canada’s rising stars. In the first indoor track meet of the 2025-26 indoor season, four Canadian age-group records fell, thanks to standout runs from Robin Lefebvre (Quebec), Jadyn Keeler (Ontario), Chloe Symon (B.C.) and Xavier Perras-Phaneuf (Quebec).
Robin Lefebvre cracks eight minutes in historic 3,000m
In his first-ever 3,000m race, Montreal’s 18-year-old Lefebvre shattered the men’s U20 indoor national record in a blistering 7:58.22, becoming the first Canadian U20 athlete in history to dip below the elusive eight-minute mark. The former record of 8:04.3, set by Ian Clarke in 1979, had stood untouched for 46 years.
Lefebvre’s performance also ranks as the second-best Canadian U20 mark of all time, including outdoor runs.
Jadyn Keeler sets national mark in fastest NCAA indoor 5,000m ever
In the fastest indoor collegiate women’s 5,000m ever contested, headlined by BYU freshman Jane Hedengren‘s NCAA record of 14:44.79, Barrie, Ont.’s Keeler stamped her name into the Canadian record books. The University of North Dakota (UND) athlete finished eighth in 15:14.76, surpassing the national U23 record of 15:17.47, set last year by Dundas, Ont.’s Chloe Thomas.
Keeler’s run capped a remarkable 2025 trajectory, marking a 13-second personal best and lowering her own UND school record, while ranking as the second-fastest Canadian U23 performance of all-time, including outdoor races.
In the same race, her first run competing for the University of Washington, Thomas also dipped under her former record, setting a school record of 15:16.93.
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Chloe Symon makes stellar NCAA debut
In her NCAA debut, University of Washington freshman Symon put her name on the map. The Vancouver native, 18, clocked 2:04.56 in the women’s 800m, lowering the 18-year-old Canadian U20 women’s indoor record of 2:05.41, set by Caitlin Bailey in 2007.
Symon’s previous personal best stood at 2:05.27. She’s also a two-time NACAC U18 champion, having won gold in the 400m and 4x400m relay at the 2023 championships in San José.
Xavier Perras-Phaneuf takes men’s U23 5000m mark
Also fresh off his runner-up finish at last weekend’s Canadian XC championships, Quebec’s 20-year-old Perras-Phaneuf kept his momentum rolling, clocking 13:33.31 in the men’s 5,000m to break the former Canadian U23 record of 13:38.45, set by Kearney, Ont.’s Evan Burke in 2023.
Voykin narrowly misses U18 record
An honourable mention goes to 17-year-old 2025 OFSAA senior cross-country champion Eleanor Voykin (Toronto), who ran a superb 9:29.83 over 3,000m, slicing more than 20 seconds off her previous best. Her result fell just 0.47 seconds short of the Canadian U18 3,000m record of 9:29.36, set by Canadian legend Emilie Mondor in 1998.
See here for full results from the BU Sharon Colyear-Danville season opener.
