2017 U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships
I decided late in the day after photographing rowing the past three weekends to attend the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships at Beacon Hill Park in Victoria. I had never been to a cross-country event before and had no idea what to expect and what occurred was completely different than what I envisioned. The access to the athletes was great and I didn’t realize it would be possible to run to different locations on the course during the same lap. I should have worn way less clothes.
The finish was crazy with athletes sprinting through the line only to collapse into the arms of teammates and volunteers trying to move them out of the way of incoming runners who would also collapse.
As you look though the images it easy to see the progression in terms of my understanding of what was going to happen and what I could to photographically from the Women’s race to the Mens race.
Cross Country has quickly become one of my favourite events to shoot although I have no idea when I will get another chance to photograph one.
Fans line a hill in Beacon Hill Park in the rain during the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. (Kevin Light)
Catherine Gagne from the Universite Laval sets into her pace during the second lap of the four loop 8km course course in Beacon Hill Park during the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. (Kevin Light)
Ember Large from the University of Alberta runs along a flat portion of the four loop 8km course course in Beacon Hill Park during the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. (Kevin Light)
Kamylle Frenette from the Universite de Moncton goes for the pass on Katie Robinson from Acadia University during the second lap of the four loop 8km course in Beacon Hill Park during the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. (Kevin Light)
Rachel Francois cheers on members of the Uvic team during the second lap of the four loop 8km course course in Beacon Hill Park during the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. (Kevin Light)
Sasha Gollish of the University of TorontoÕs Cross-Country team pushes her way to the finish line during the final lap of the four loop 8km course in Beacon Hill Park to win the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. Gollish posted a time of 27:36.27 running an average of 3:28 per kilometre. The 35 year old Gollish won the bronze medal for Canada at the 2015 Pan Am Games in the 1500 metre and won what was then the CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) Cross-Country Rookie of the Year in 2000 using her fifth, and final, year of eligibility to compete in this years championship. (Kevin Light)
Sasha Gollish bends over after winning the 2017 Women’s Cross Country Nationals.
Lucia Stafford from the University of Toronto is helped move past the finish line following the four loop 8km course in Beacon Hill Park during the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. (Kevin Light)
Chloe Hegland from the University of Victoria pushes to the finish line during the final lap of the four loop 8km course in Beacon Hill Park during the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. (Kevin Light)
Chloe Hewitt from the University of Victoria moves through the finish line following the four loop 8km course in Beacon Hill Park during the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. (Kevin Light)
Emma Bibault of the University of Victoria is greeted by a supporter following the final lap of the four loop 8km course in Beacon Hill Park during the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. (Kevin Light)
Julia Zrinyi and Rebekah Sass carry University of Manitoba teammate Nicole Balzer after completing the four loop 8km course in Beacon Hill Park during the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. (Kevin Light)
Isaiah Frielink leads a pack of runners from Universities across Canada as they funnel their way into the skinny trail section of the five loop 10km course in Beacon Hill Park during the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. (Kevin Light)
Adam Strueby from the University of Regina, Russell Pennock from the University of Calgary and Dany Racine from the Universite Laval push their way up a hill during the first lap of the five loop 10km course in Beacon Hill Park during the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. Pennock finished 4th, Racine 6th and Strueby 23rd. (Kevin Light)
Cal Dewolfe from Dalhousie University rounds one of the first uphill corners during the five loop 10km course in Beacon Hill Park during the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. (Kevin Light)
Joshua Ogilvie from Thompson Rivers University is consoled by Head Coach, Carmin Mazzotta during first lap of the five loop 10km course in Beacon Hill Park during the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. (Kevin Light)
Santiago Bessai from McGill University sprints up one of the first uphill sections of the five loop 10km course in Beacon Hill Park during the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. (Kevin Light)
Fans cheer as the lead runners tear through the trail section of the five loop 10km course in Beacon Hill Park during the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. (Kevin Light)
Yves Sikubwabo from the Universite Laval pulls away from Connor Black of the University of Guelph in the final sprint of the five lap 10km course in Beacon Hill Park to win the the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. Sikubwabo finished with a time of 31:14.54 running an average of 3:08 per kilometre. (Kevin Light)
Connor Black from the University of Guelph sprints to the line during the five lap 10km course in Beacon Hill Park to win the the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. (Kevin Light)
Nicolas Morin from the Universite Laval collides with Adam Strueby from the University of Regina after sprinting through the finish line in Beacon Hill Park at the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017.
Brandon Vail of the University of Victoria Cross-Country team following the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. Vail led the way for the Vikes finishing 21st overall posting a time of 32:01 an average of 3:13 per kilometre. (Kevin Light)
Joshua McGillivray checks on McMaster teammate John Christian MacGillivray following the five lap 10km course in Beacon Hill Park to win the the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. (Kevin Light)
Joshua Kellier from the University of Guelph receives a hug following the five lap 10km course in Beacon Hill Park to win the the U SPORTS Cross-Country Championships in Victoria, BC, Canada on November 12, 2017. (Kevin Light)
Link to the Archive of photos from the entire event below.
Great photos Kevin. Correction to the caption on one photo. That is Carmin Mazzotta consoling one of his athletes, but he’s the head coach of Thompson Rivers University (not Trinity Western), and the athlete is Joshua Ogilvie (not Nic Colyn)