Kate Current is targeting the Victoria Track Classic in her quest for a series of all-time bests

By: Christopher Kelsall, Athletics Illustrated

The women’s 800-metre race in Victoria could be a barn burner. Regardless of the field that is assembled, the 800m is just that type of race.

It is one of, if not the most competitive events in athletics and the most difficult to medal in. Often the entire field is full of athletes who could, on the right day, win. Tactics play a big part, but there is little time to think on one’s feet.

The 800m event has a special Victoria connection

The University of Victoria’s Centennial Stadium has a special relationship with the race distance. Former Victoria resident Diane Cummins raced some of her best performances on the University of Victoria track. She is the former national record holder in the event. The current national record holder, Melissa Bishop-Nriagu — also a two-time Olympian — has performed well at Centennial. But there is a long list of middle-distance athletes who came before like Zach Whitmarsh, Deb Scott, Angela Chalmers, Robyn Meagher, and Hilary Stellingwerff to name a few.

Of course, the track is home to the University of Victoria Vikes, who have historically fielded their strongest teams over the two-lap race. It is nearly a sprint, but still considered a distance event, with a caveat: it is the only race where competitors try to run the first half faster than the second half. This results in the most arduous and painful 200m stretch in a runner’s career, from the 600m mark to the finish. If they have anything left, they go, otherwise it is all about the proverbial piano on the back. Parsing out the effort well is a skill of note.

For the 2023 Victoria Track Classic, Kate Current, who competes for the Western University in London, Ontario, the 800m on Sunday, July 16 will be an “under-distance” race. This means she will be focusing on the 1500m for the season. But the hurt of the 800 is a requirement.

It’s probably going to hurt 

The 25-year-old has a special relationship with the Victoria track.  The engineering student’s last time she was in Victoria in 2022, she won the 3000m event in the time of 9:32.52. She improved her time in January with a 9:15.95 performance. Current’s indoor personal best over the distance is now 9:08. She just keeps getting fitter.

The former gymnast grew up in Cobourg, Ontario, which is located east of Toronto and near the shores of Lake Ontario.

She has set three new personal bests already in 2023 in the 1500m, 3000m, and 3000m indoors.

Asked what has precipitated the improvement she said, “Consistency has been the biggest contributing factor for my improvements. My training structure and workouts have stayed very similar to the past few years. My fitness just keeps compounding, leading to personal bests.”

In regard to goals, for her trip out west where she will not only compete in the Victoria Track Classic, but will also race at the Harry Jerome Track Classic in Langley on Friday, the 14th is to get the best out of herself. However, she will also be considering the Pan Am Games qualification standards.

“The Pan Am standard has been on the back of my mind for the 1500 but the main focus for this season was to push myself as far as we can go and if I happen to qualify for a team along the way, that’s a bonus.”

Current competed for the first time for Team Canada at the 2023 Bathurst World Cross Country Championships. It was hot, the course was very challenging, and she ran with the best athletes in the world.

“It was an amazing experience competing on the relay team at Worlds. This was the first national team I competed on, and I had a blast both competing with and getting to know other athletes. The cross-country course was brutal — a combination of hills, sand, mud, and obstacles. But this made it a lot more entertaining as an athlete. Competing against Emma Coburn was a highlight.”

Coburn has thrice represented the U.S. at the Olympics in Tokyo, Rio and London and toed the line five times at the World Athletics Championships. As a 3000m steeplechase specialist with an international level 9:02:35 personal best, she is a talented athlete.  

Bathurst was blasting hot

“The heat was rough. Due to travel disruptions, I only got to Australia three days before the competition which wasn’t much time to acclimatise. Fortunately, the Athletics Canada medical staff prepared us very well and provided ice vests as well as bags of ice we stuck in our shirts during the race.”

Bathurst organisers threw down stacks of truck tires in a staggered formation, which led to an odd weaving pattern for the runners. The section starts with a hairpin turn into an uphill. The tires threw her off “more than expected.” The section of obstacles came late in the leg of her race, which made for some seriously difficult navigation. Although an 800m race is different, the — as the athletes will say — pain cave is very similar. One goes “deep.”

Regarding racing at UVic’s Centennial Stadium, Current seems to enjoy performing there and has had some strong races.

“I’ve had the opportunity to race twice at Centennial and I had a great experience both times. The track is great and the atmosphere at the Vic Classic last year was very energetic which made for a fun time. I spent several months training at Centennial this past winter and I’m excited to come back and race on it again!”

Make no mistake, her focus is indeed on the 1500m event. But as the metric milers well know, the 800m is a necessary evil, preparing the athlete for the pain cave.

“I will continue using the 800m as a tune-up for championship races.”

The time is now, just in case…

“I’m not sure what my running career will look like past this summer, as I hope to pursue a career in my field (wind engineering). I am hoping to race for another year or two so that I can update all my personal bests. I am planning to do more road races in the fall too since cross country isn’t my favourite sport ever.”

Probably after Bathurst. What doesn’t kill you….

And as she has started the season doing — running faster than ever — Current plans to keep hitting new marks.

Asked about her 1500m best and improving the 4:11 mark that is on her CV, she added, “Definitely sub-4:10, I think I have a few more seconds to shave off my personal best still. I have absolutely no clue where my 800 is at right now. We haven’t done a lot of speedwork yet so I’m hesitant to put a number to it, but I’m going for a personal best Sunday in Victoria.”