Moh Ahmed secures spot for cross-country worlds after winning 1st Canadian title

Moh Ahmed, who has won seven senior Canadian titles in track and field over 18 years, claimed his first on grass Saturday.

In his long-awaited return to cross-country, Ahmed took over the men’s 10 kilometer open race About two kilometers he reached the finish line on a partially snow-covered course and won in 29 minutes and 30.4 seconds at Fanshawe Golf Course in London, Ontario.

“I was slipping and sliding out there, so you never know.” [if you’ll maintain a lead]. That’s what makes cross-country different than track, the elements hit you,” Ahmed told Athletics Canada after his first race in the event since finishing second in 2012 at Vancouver’s Jericho Beach Park.

Ahmed and eight others in the top 10 are eligible to be selected by Athletics Canada for the World Athletics Cross-Country Championships on Jan. 10 in Tallahassee, Florida.

Andy Wacker, the initial leader on Saturday, was seventh but is not eligible because he is American.

Saturday was the first race for Ahmed, 34, since Sept. 14, when the St. Catharines, Ont., native exited the 10,000-meter final early at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo after aggravating a left calf strain.

It was also the first time he completed a race since August 30, 2024. in Rome.

“I was very determined and adamant about finishing,” he said. “I didn’t know how my calf was going to hold up [in the minus-5 C temperature] but I think it’s in good condition.

“I didn’t want to underestimate anyone. If I’m the [pre-race] Favorite, I don’t feel comfortable. You never know. People can have a [career-best] day.”

Xavier Peras-Phaneuf of Quebec, who was second at the national cross-country last year in London in the men’s U20 race, finished behind Ahmed in 29:46.1.

Santiago Gaitán of Welland, Ontario, placed third (29:48.2). On October 4, the 24-year-old ran the St. George Half Marathon. in Utah in one hour and 55 seconds, second fastest of all time among Canadian men behind Cam Levins (1:00:18).

Philippe Morneau Cartier of La Pocatiere, Que., who had just won his third consecutive U Sports cross-country title, was sixth (29:56.3).

On a course designed to provide runners with undulating terrain (up and down hills) and technical elements such as jumping over hay bales, Wacker led a field of 123 athletes by 4.7 seconds after the first lap on the two-km loop course, extended his lead to 6.7 seconds at four km, but saw his lead shrink shortly after his third lap.

Ahmed, wearing a dark hat, gloves, shorts and a long-sleeved T-shirt (the latter under a white, orange and yellow T-shirt), soon ran towards Wacker’s outside shoulder and took the lead for good.

“A lot of the guys looked really good,” said Ahmed, who took a practice run on the course Friday. “These guys are young, smart and they’ve been running cross country [for years] and we are used to the elements.”

Canadian runner Kate Van Buskirk, a 2021 Olympian in the 5,000 meters, praised Ahmed for a smart race.

“I think Moh used the first half to get a feel for the course, get a feel for himself and now he’s taking off and showing why he’s the best of all time in Canadian distance running. What a brilliant performance,” Athletics Canada TV analyst Van Buskirk said on Saturday’s broadcast.

At his peak, Ahmed has run 5,000 meters in 12 minutes 47.20 seconds, been the fastest runner in North America over that distance and Canada’s first Olympic medalist in the 5,000 at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. He has also timed 28:22 in 10 km of road.

But the 2025 season was filled with injuries, from an Achilles tendon to an adductor problem, back spasms and hamstring issues.

McCabe dominates after injury

Meanwhile, Vancouver’s Ceili McCabe saw her summer season wiped out by injury, but returned to rule the women’s open 10km competition to claim her second national title in three years after prevailing at Ottawa’s Terry Fox Stadium in 2023.

The 24-year-old’s time of 32:57 was almost a minute faster than Chloe Thomas of Hamilton (33:53.4) and Florence Caron of La Malbaie, Que. (33:55.6).

The cross-country world championships will return to Tallahassee after more than 30 years and will attract hundreds of athletes from more than 60 countries. The races will be held at Apalachee Regional Park, which has hosted more than 75 national, state and local championships since 2012.

The course consists of hills, forests and unique challenges such as sand, water, mud, a roller coaster element and wildlife-inspired obstacles.