Looking for something fun and “a little twist” to his marathon training, Ben Preisner returns to the Canadian Cross Country Championships for the first time since 2019 this weekend in London, Ontario.
He’s bracing for the cold, the snow and ready to jump into battle with three-time U Sports champion Philippe Morneau-Cartier, along with local favorites Phil Parrot-Migas and Connor Black, the 2022 national champion.
Also catching Preisner’s attention was last-minute entrant Moh Ahmed, Canada’s most decorated distance runner. His 2025 track season ended with him withdrawing from the 5,000 meters at the World Athletics Championships following an early exit in the 10,000 after aggravating a left calf strain.
“It’s definitely fun to see some of the best athletes come back for a cross-country championship,” Preisner said of Ahmed, who last competed in the national event in 2012 when he placed second behind Cam Levins, the Canadian record holder in the men’s marathon and half marathon.
“As a competitor, I have full faith that he will be there giving it his all.”
Ahmed, 34, will put his calf to the test in Saturday’s men’s open 10K race, scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET at Fanshawe Golf Course. The two kilometer loop course is a predominantly grass surface designed to provide runners with undulating terrain (uphill and downhill) and technical elements such as jumping over hay bales.
At his peak, Ahmed covered 5,000 meters in 12 minutes 47.20 seconds, was the fastest runner in North America over that distance and became Canada’s first Olympic medalist in the event at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. He has also timed 28:22 More than 10 km on the road but running on grass is harder work.
“The elements of cross-country level the playing field,” said Preisner, who made his marathon debut in 2020 after running on the track in the steeplechase, 5,000 and 10,000. “Sometimes a 14-minute 5K runner who is good at running on grass and mud can get close to a 12:50 runner. [like Ahmed]. “Some of [his] “High-level track speed doesn’t necessarily translate to running fast on grass.”
But, as Preisner half-jokingly said in an interview with CBC Sports, perhaps the four-time Olympian has been doing fartlek races and getting used to a grass surface. Fartlek training involves running at faster efforts for short periods of time followed by easier recovery paces..
Cross-country world championships on January 10 in Florida
“No matter how fit or healthy Moh is, he is going to command a lot of respect on the field,” added Preisner, who made his Olympic debut in 2021.
A top 10 finish for Ahmed and others will make them eligible for the 46th World Cross-Country Athletics Championships on Jan. 10 in Tallahassee, Florida, and Athletics Canada selected up to six athletes to compete.
Preisner anticipates a very close race on Saturday, at least for the first half, and fighting for position on the third lap.
“I guess lap four will be unforgettable,” said Preisner, who was fourth at the 2019 nationals in Abbotsford, BC, a year after placing sixth in Kingston, Ont. “It will be interesting what Moh decides to do. If he is happy to sit with the group and feels confident that he can overtake anyone in the last kilometre, it will be up to others to guide when that effort is made. It will be interesting how the tactics develop.”
Ahmed has not completed a race in 15 months since running the 5,000 meters in Rome on August 30, 2024, and his long-awaited half marathon debut has been delayed almost two years due to injuries and scheduling.
The St. Catharines, Ontario native is also in a new training environment, having left coach Jerry Schumacher. He has recently been seen training with the Nike-sponsored Swoosh Track Club (Swoosh TC) based in Flagstaff, Arizona.
“I’m sure Moh will do what he does best on Saturday,” Toronto’s Justyn Knight, Ahmed’s former teammate at the disbanded Bowerman Track Club in Portland, Oregon, told CBC Sports. “He’s very talented and if he’s healthy, there’s not a race in Canada he shouldn’t win. I’m excited for him to run cross country.”
For Preisner, a 29-year-old Vancouver resident, he has had five weeks of proper training since his third marathon appearance at the World Athletics Championships in September. He completed a solid season, highlighted by a personal best of 1:02:24 in the half marathon and 21.1 km victories in Manitoba and Vancouver, the latter for the third time.
“It’s a quick change. [from worlds] but I’m entering [Saturday] without much pressure. I try to enjoy a different style of racing and it’s also an excuse to come home,” said Preisner, who grew up in Milton, 135 kilometers east of London.
He competed in cross-country world championships in 2015 (Guiyang, China) and 2019 (Aarhus, Denmark), so returning in six weeks would be a “beautiful complement” to the season.
“If things line up [and I’m selected] then perfect. If not, I have more important things to do in the spring,” said Preisner, who finished a “disappointing” 36th out of 66 finishers at this year’s world marathon championships in two hours, 17 minutes and 32 seconds.
The 2021 Olympian is considering his first major marathon in Tokyo (March 1), Boston (April 20) or London, England (April 26).
“I want to get more into marathon running instead of having to run specific times to qualify for world championships and the Olympics,” he said. “My body feels good and I’m looking forward to a slightly slower race. [Saturday] to see where my strength is.”
