Justin Kent (born 30 April 1992) is a Canadian long-distance runner. In the marathon, he holds personal best of 2:12:17 and represented Canada at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
Athletics career After graduating from Kwantlen Park Secondary School in Surrey, British Columbia, Kent enrolled at the University of British Columbia where he would compete for the UBC Thunderbirds.
As a Thunderbird, Kent specialized in the 3000 metres steeplechase, culminating in a NAIA title in 2014 and a bronze medal performance in 2015.
In 2019, he represented Canada at the World Cross Country Championships in the mixed relay, finishing seventh as part of a team including Kevin Robertson, Regan Yee, and Erica Digby.
Marathon The following year, he made his debut in the marathon, running 2:17:22 at the Marathon Project in Chandler, Arizona. His next marathon came on December 5, 2021, where he finished just off his personal best, running 2:17:29.
In 2022, improved upon that time, finished sixth at the Ottawa Marathon in 2:13:34. The following spring, Kent competed at the 2023 Prague Marathon, running a lifetime best of 2:13:07. These performances qualified Kent to compete in the marathon at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. At worlds, he ran much of the race alongside training partner and fellow Canadian Ben Preisner. Amidst humid conditions, he finished 29th in 2:15:26.
Competition record +Representing and (WCSG and CSG)YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventTime2011Western Canada Summer GamesKamloops, British Columbia8th3000 m9:10.872nd3000 m steeplechase9:37.262013Canada Summer GamesSherbrooke, Quebec3rd3000 m steeplechase9:10.892017Jeux de la FrancophonieAbidjan, Cote d'Ivoire15th (h)1500 m3:58.632019World Cross Country ChampionshipsÅrhus, Denmark7thMixed relay27:572023World ChampionshipsBudapest, Hungary29thMarathon2:15:26World Road Running ChampionshipsRiga, LatviaN/AHalf marathonDNF2025World ChampionshipsTokyo, Japan35thMarathon2:17:12
References