© Copyright – 2025 – Athletics Illustrated
The 2025 TC10K will be taking place on Sunday, April 27, on the streets of downtown Victoria, and the elite fields are nearly settled.
Of course, the order of the finish remains to be seen; however, race organizers have an idea who will be at the front of the field along the stunning Dallas Road waterfront.
Men’s race
Liam Donnelly, a member of the national triathlon team, will be racing Sunday morning. He will be looking for the win after finishing in second place to Thomas Nobbs in 2024. Donnelly brings a 30:49 personal best to the start line. The 25-year-old Campeville, Ontario, native looks to approach his international triathlon season with a win on the roads.
But former Edmonton native, Brandon Vail, will likely have something to say about that. He has been winning races on Vancouver Island over the past two-plus years and getting faster nearly every time. The former UVic Vike is now running for the Speedfarm Racing squad. Vail is the 2025 BC 10K champion from the Cobble Hill 10K in January, where he ran a new personal best of 30:54.
During the Vancouver Island Race Series, Vail won the Harriers Pioneer 8K in 24:16, Cobble Hill 10K in 30:54, Comox Valley RV Half Marathon in 1:08:31. His best performance may have been the Bazan Bay 5K in 14:31. All are personal bests.
David Mutai of Greater Vancouver and Daniel Mulushet-Zewdu will give Vail and Donnelly a run for their money. They both sport faster 10K performances at 30:13 and 30:23, respectively. If all four are in top form on race day, any of them could win. Martin Sobey ran the St. Patrick’s Day 5K in Vancouver, finishing in 14:33. The course and field are fast, but there are a few minor hills on the Stanley Park route in Vancouver. His debut over the 10K could put him in contention.
Former Vike Gabe Van Hesjewick sports a 14:48 personal best. He should have company in the second pack with Liam Dwyer (31:57), Chris Gregor (31:15), Jaxon Kuchar (31:05), Andrew Russell (31:54) and Dusty Spiller (31:30). Russell may win the masters 40-plus category. The Harrier club member from Saanich has raced well this season, winning four of five races in the masters division during the 2025 Vancouver Island Race Series. For two consecutive Bazan Bay 5K races, he has run exactly 15:19.
Women’s race
Tokyo Olympic marathon runner Dayna Pidhoresky from Vancouver will toe the line. She won the TC10K in 2018 with a 33:20 finish.
Pidhoresky ran a 5km race a few weeks prior in a time of 16:40. She told Athletics Illustrated that she followed that up with “a good workout,” which demonstrated 33-something fitness.
Katelyn Ayers will be giving Pidhoresky some competition. Her 5000m personal best is 15:37.51 from the 2024 Portland Track Festival. Two years ago, Ayers ran the 10,000m in 33:11.72 at the national championships and a 10km road race in 33:38 in Ottawa.
UVic Vike Marisha Thompson has had a strong cross-country season and clocked a 16:39 at the Bazan Bay 5K two weeks ago. Rounding out the top athletes, Elise Coates brings a Portland Track Festival 5000m performance of 16:29.77 to the start line. There is also George Ginther (17:31), Julia Tschanz, Heidi Ohrling and Christin Bant. Melanie McQuaid continues to run well in the master’s division. She is a multi-time world XTerra Triathlon champion.
Organizers expect approximately 9,500 runners to start the race on Sunday on a partially new route.
