Dawson City’s Jack Amos was in Coquitlam, B.C., for the B.C. Athletics Championships Jamboree from July 13 to 15.
Building off a bronze in the under-20 5,000 metres at the Canadian Track and Field Championships the previous week, Amos won gold in the under-18 3,000 m and silver in the under-18 1,500 m.
Amos finished with a personal best in the 3,000 m and less than two seconds behind the winner in the 1,500 m.
“I was hoping to win the 1,500,” said Amos. “Fraser Van Allen is very, very quick, so I knew it would be pretty close between him and I.”
Van Allen won the race with a time of four minutes, 1.39 seconds and Amos wound up with a time of four minutes and 3.21 seconds.
In the 3,000 m, Amos had a time of eight minutes, 50.35 seconds.
“I’m definitely better at the longer distances,” said Amos. “The 1,500 m isn’t really my distance — it’s kind of too short — but its still a fun race.”
Amos said this is likely his last major meet of the season.
“I’m pretty happy with the way the season has ended,” said Amos. “I wish my times were a little bit better because I was very close to going under four minutes in the 1,500. And then for the 3,000, I only had the opportunity to run two and I think I could have gone a lot faster.”
This is likely the best form he has had and he’s already working toward his next goal, Amos explained.
“My dream is to make a national team, which is hopefully in the future some time,” said Amos. “It’s definitely the fittest I’ve ever been.”
Largely training alone while in the Yukon, Amos’s training regime is a mix of hard intervals and easy runs — with some snowshoeing thrown in during the winter.
“My normal regime three days a week is intervals and weight training sometimes. The other three days are just easy runs — usually 45- to 80- minute runs — and I have one off day a week,” said Amos. “I just keep running or move over to snowshoeing in the winter — nothing really changes.”
Amos now trains with a group of runners in Victoria, so winter snowshoe sessions aren’t required.
Contact John Hopkins-Hill at john.hopkinshill@yukon-news.com
