Reid Coolsaet (born July 29, 1979) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires endurance, stamina as well as mental strength. Within e ...

who competes in the

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of , usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There are also wheelchair div ...

Career

He is a

University of Guelph , mottoeng = "to learn the reasons of realities" , established = May 8, 1964 ()As constituents: OAC: (1874) Macdonald Institute: (1903) OVC: (1922) , type = Public university , chancellor ...

alumnus, having competed as a Gryphon during his time there. He made his first international appearances for Canada at the

IAAF World Cross Country Championships World Athletics Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Formerly held annually and organised by World Athletics (formerly the IAAF), it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the Int ...

, running at the annual in 2002 and then 2004–2006.Coolsaet Reid
IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-10-18. He won the

5000 meters The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a stand ...

at the NACAC U-25 Championships in 2002. On the

track Track or Tracks may refer to: Routes or imprints * Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity * Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across * Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...

, he won the

silver medal A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...

over 5000 meters at the

2005 Summer Universiade The 2005 Summer Universiade, also known as the XXIII Summer Universiade, took place in İzmir, Turkey, in August. Emblem The emblem is the letter “U”, inspired by the bird's-eye view of the Gulf of İzmir. This shape has perfectly fit the lett ...

then represented his country at the

2005 World Championships in Athletics The 10th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland (6 August 2005 – 14 August 2005), the site of the first IAAF ...

. He came thirteenth in the same event at the

2006 Commonwealth Games The 2006 Commonwealth Games, officially the XVIII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Melbourne 2006 (Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm 2006'' or ''Naarm 2006''), was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth held ...

. He is also a four-time national champion in the 5000 meters (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007). Coolsaet moved up to the marathon distance for the first time in 2009 and came eighth in a time of 2:17:10 hours, taking the national title as the first Canadian home. He went on to make his international debut in the event at the

2009 World Championships in Athletics The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics () were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg ...

and finished in 25th place. He returned to the

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

race the following year and knocked over five minutes off his personal best, recording a time of 2:11:22 hours for tenth place. In 2011, he ran the second-fastest marathon by a Canadian athlete, finishing third in the

Toronto Waterfront Marathon The Toronto Waterfront Marathon is an annual marathon held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada in October. The race day also includes a half marathon and 5 km race. The race has quickly become an elite level marathon and is one of just five World A ...

on October 16, 2011, with a time of 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 55 seconds. This time qualified him for the

2012 London Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

, along with fellow Canadian

Eric Gillis Eric Gillis (born March 8, 1980) is a Canadian athlete. He was born and raised in the community of Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He resides in Antigonish, Nova Scotia as the head coach of the St. Francis Xavier University cross country and track teams. ...

, in which he placed 27th. In July 2016, he was named to Canada's Olympic team.

Honours

In 2012 Coolsaet was awarded the

Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (french: Médaille du jubilé de diamant de la reine Elizabeth II) or The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ...

International competitions

References

External links

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Coolsaet, Reid 1979 births Living people Athletes from Hamilton, Ontario Canadian male long-distance runners Canadian male middle-distance runners Canadian male marathon runners Athletes (track and field) at the 2006 Commonwealth Games Olympic track and field athletes of Canada Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics Commonwealth Games competitors for Canada World Athletics Championships athletes for Canada University of Guelph alumni Universiade medalists in athletics (track and field) Universiade silver medalists for Canada Medalists at the 2005 Summer Universiade