Canada's Cam Levins will make his marathon debut at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

The 29-year-old from Black Creek, B.C., has battled a serious foot injury that required surgery for a couple of seasons, but believes he's finally healthy enough to become a force on the global running scene once again. Marathon fans have eagerly anticipated Levins' marathon debut, but he said he's not worried about lofty expectations. "I think there is a part of me that is a little bit anxious of the unknown," Levins said in a release. "But I feel pretty comfortable that what I am doing will prepare me well. More than anything I am excited to do it at this point, however it goes. "I am ready to go out there and have a good experience, and learn from it whether I knock it out of the park or if it goes very far south. But I feel confident at this point. I think it will go well." Levins won both the 5,000 and 10,000 metres at the NCAA championships in 2012. He went on to win bronze in the 10,000 at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, and then broke the Canadian record in that distance a year later. But a freak accident at the Canadian championships — he fell across the finish line in the 1,500 metres and injured his foot — wiped out much of the 2016 and '17 seasons. This past March, he raced for Canada at the world half-marathon championships in Valencia, finishing in a personal best 62 minutes 15 seconds.

posted Wednesday September 5th