Dyck Chasing records and wont be stopping just yet!

Late August, Canadian masters runner Jim Dyck of Richmond Hill, Ont., ran a national 800m record of 2:04.2 in the M55 category at a race in Bolton, Ont. Just a few weeks after his record run, Dyck was back on the track at a meet in St. Catharines, Ont., where he set another record, this time in the M55 1,500m. Dyck ran a 4:22.25 to beat the previous record of 4:25.70.

 

Another big run

Dyck’s run in August was not only a Canadian record, but it was also very close to the M55 world record of 2:02.92, which was set in 2016 by German runner Peter Oberliessen. Dyck ran just 1.3 seconds shy of Oberliessen’s time, and after putting his tremendous fitness on display once again on Saturday, it’s fair to say he could compete for a world record.

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Dyck not only beat the previous M55 Canadian record, which was set by David Guss in B.C. in 2019 — he smashed it. He still has a long way to go to come close to beating the M55 world record of 4:12.35, which has stood for nine years, but his three-second improvement on the Canadian mark is impressive enough.

Jim Dyck (centre) after running his 800m national record in Bolton, Ont.

Despite having very few racing opportunities this year, Dyck has still had a great season, and he has made his few races count. In addition to his two record-breaking runs, he ran in the 800m at the Ontario Masters Athletics Indoor Championships. Still 54 at the time, he won the M50 event with a time of 2:11.95, adding to his impressive season.