2025 Tokyo World Athletics Championships: Meet some of Team Canada

May 16, 2025

Athletics Canada announced on Friday eight athletes who will make up the contingent heading to the 2025 Tokyo World Athletics Championships. The below names will compete in the marathon, 10,000 metres, and 35 km race walk events.

The marathon qualification period concluded on May 4; therefore, the full complement of six marathon athletes is now final. Additional athletes may be added in the 10,000 metres and 35 km race walk when the remainder of the World Championships team is announced on August 28.

Cameron Levins is competing for Canada in the marathon. Photo source: Athletics Canada

“The group that we have selected today have a lot of experience. We’re looking for them to perform at their very best, and be prepared to go after personal bests, season’s bests, top 8 finishes and even the podium,” said Athletics Canada head coach Glenroy Gilbert. “The athletes will have everything that they need by way of support. The team around them are there to provide an environment of high performance.

Meet the team

Featuring four members of the team that represented Canada at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, there is plenty of talent on the squad. Five members are returning from the 2023 Budapest World Athletics Championships.

First Name	Last Name	Event(s)	Hometown	Club	Coach	Branch
Natasha	Wodak	Women’s Marathon	North Vancouver, BC	Prairie Inn Harriers	Trent Stellingwerff	BC
Malindi	Elmore	Women’s Marathon	Kelowna, BC	UBCO	Graham Hood	BC
Leslie	Sexton	Women’s Marathon	Vancouver, BC	Vancouver Thunderbirds	Steve Weiler	BC
Benjamin	Preisner	Men’s Marathon	Milton, ON	Unattached	Richard Lee	BC
Justin	Kent	Men’s Marathon	Burnaby, BC	Mile2Marathon	Richard Lee	BC
Cameron	Levins	Men’s Marathon	Black Creek	Unattached	Jim Finlayson	BC
Mohammed	Ahmed	Men’s 10,000m	St. Catharines, ON	Bowerman Track Club	Jerry Schumacher	ON
Evan	Dunfee	Men’s 35km RW	Richmond, BC	Kajaks Track and Field Club	Gerry Dragomir	BC

“This will be my 7th World Championship representing Canada and the program continues to build towards one of the top athletics nations in the world,” said Evan Dunfee. “It’s really exciting to be heading back to Tokyo for another major championship. With the 2020 Olympics happening without fans and the race walk and marathons taking place 800km away in Sapporo, it is going to be great getting out on the streets of Tokyo. Japan fully embraces the endurance events so we know the crowds will be lining the streets to cheer us on. This for me is maybe one of the first times I’m heading into a global championship as a favourite. In the past I have thrived on being the underdog so I am looking forward to taking on this new challenge and navigating in these new uncharted waters for myself.”