Cam Levins appears to be unstoppable.
The Black Creek runner who broke the Canadian A+ Olympic standard last weekend in the 5,000 metres matched his dominance Sunday by crushing the field on the final lap at the Payton Jordan Invitational 10,000 metre race at Stanford University. He covered the distance in 27:27.96, again running under Olympic standard.
Levins, who attends Southern Utah University, also claimed the quickest 10k time to date in the world, according to the International Association of Athletics Federations. He is second all-time in NCAA history in the event.
His time was four seconds off the Canadian national 10k record, and broke a 30-year-old school record in the event by about a minute-and-a-half.
“To run at a world stage like this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Cam,” SUU head track coach Eric Houle said in a Sports Information press release. “His accomplishment really speaks of all the hard work he has put into this sport.”
Levins placed nearly two seconds faster than Sam Chelanga (27:29.82), who was running professionally, and finished nearly four seconds ahead of Stanford’s Chris Derrick (27:31:36), who was the second-fastest collegiate runner in the race.
Levins remained a top-five cluster for the majority of the race, but he, Chelanga and Derrick pulled away from the pack in the final laps. Levins then broke away from both Chelanga and Derrick in the backstretch on the final lap to win the race with ease.
It was the first time Levins has ever competed in the 10,000-meter race.
With the time, Levins will have the option of choosing which event he would like to run in the 2012 London Olympics. The Canadian Olympic trials are June 28-30.
Levins said he would not race both events in London. He won’t decide until the NCAA season is over.
-Southern Utah University
