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UPDATE 7/16/14: Cameron Levins and Mohammed Ahmed have both been added to the 5,000m race in the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Since competing at the highest level during the 2012 London Olympic Games and the 2013 IAAF Moscow World Track and Field Championships are two of Canada’s fastest all-time 10,000m runners ready to break out at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games? Representing Canada  in the distance are Cameron Levins of Black Creek, BC and Mohammed Ahmed of St. Catherines, Ontario.

Levins is the second-fastest active Canadian at both the 5,000m and 10,000m distances as he owns a personal best time of  27:27.96, which is the second-fastest all-time in Canadian history as his 5,000 performance of 13:15.19. The fastest in the 10,000m is Simon Bairu who recorded a 27:23.63 from his 2010 result from the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational. The Canadian record in the 5,000m distance was set by Jeff Scheibler who set the standard in 1998 with his 13:13.96, which he ran in Berlin, Germany.

Ahmed recorded the best ever finish by a Canadian at the World Championships in the men’s 10,000m with his ninth place finish in 27:35.76 in 2013. He also owns the third fastest all-time Canadian result of 27:34.64. During the London Olympic Games 5,000m event Levins finish in 14th position in the time of 13:51.87, while in the 10,000m event he ended up in 11th position in the time of 27:40.68; he was under the weather for both races.

To qualify for the Commonwealth Games 5,000m Levins would have needed to run the 5,000m qualifying time by June 1st and would have needed to be at least as fast as 13:15 to meet the “A” standard while the “B” standard is 13:20. Interestingly the second-fastest all-time result, would not be as fast as Canada’s “A” standard. So he is not participating in that event.

The Canadian standards to qualify for the 10,000m even are 27:40 and 28:05 for the “A” and “B” standards.

During the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, the 10,000m was won by Ugandan Moses Kipsiro in the time of 27:57.39. The second place finisher was Daniel Lemashon Salel of Kenya who recorded a 27:57.57 and the third place finisher was countryman Joseph Kiptoo Birech in 27:58.58. These times are well within Ahmed’s and Levins’s ability, but as with most any championship race, the two Canadians will likely have to deal with great changes in pace in a tactical racing style, as opposed to seeking a fast finishing time, exclusively.

Below are the top-10 all-time results accomplished by five different athletes, four times by Kenenisa Bekele and two entries by Haile Gebrsellassie, both from Ethiopia.

26:17.53   Kenenisa Bekele                ETH     13.06.82    1      Bruxelles                26.08.2005
26:20.31   Kenenisa Bekele                ETH     13.06.82    1      Ostrava                  08.06.2004
 26:22.75   Haile Gebrselassie             ETH     18.04.73    1      Hengelo                  01.06.1998
26:25.97   Kenenisa Bekele                ETH     13.06.82    1      Eugene                   08.06.2008
26:27.85   Paul Tergat                    KEN     17.06.69    1      Bruxelles                22.08.1997
 26:28.72   Kenenisa Bekele                ETH     13.06.82    1      Hengelo                  29.05.2005
26:29.22   Haile Gebrselassie             ETH     18.04.73    1      Bruxelles                05.09.2003
 26:30.03   Nicholas Kemboi                KEN     25.11.83    2      Bruxelles                05.09.2003
 26:30.74   Abebe Dinkesa Negera           ETH     06.03.84    2      Hengelo                  29.05.2005
 26:31.32   Haile Gebrselassie             ETH     18.04.73    1      Oslo                     04.07.1997