An athlete-of-the-year award, a new shoe endorsement deal and a big win in Mexico on Sunday. It’s been a pretty good March for Evan Dunfee.
The 26-year-old Richmond native won his first-ever IAAF Race Walking Challenge race — capturing the 50 km event in Monterrey. Dunfee prevailed in a battle with Ecuador’s Andres Chocho and four-time Olympic medalist Jared Talent of Australia.
He took the lead after 42-km and went on to win the race in 3:46.03, more than a minute ahead of Chocho.
“I am so happy to make my first ever World Challenge podium a victory. Today was about racing smart and getting the work with the time not being so important. But a 3:46 at this time of year bodes well,” said Dunfee who now leads the overall Race Walking Challenge standings and will compete again at the Pan American Cup in Lima, Peru May 13-14.
Dunfee’s victory also completed a Canadian sweep as training mate Ben Thorne captured the 20-km event.
The pair were competing in their New Balance shoes and attire for the very first time after reaching an endorsement deal with the athletic company — along with Inaki Gomez. Earlier in the year, Dunfee tweeted out a photo of his two-week-old training shoes being thoroughly worn. New Balance reached out to him soon after.
Back on March 10, Dunfee was honoured as Male Senior Athlete of the Year at Sport B.C.’s 51st annual Athlete of the Year Awards Banquet.
The award was in recognition of an outstanding 2016, highlighted by his courageous Canadian record breaking fourth place finish in the 50 km event at the Rio Olympic Games.
He edged out finalists Scott Morgan (gymnastics) and Jared du Toit (golf).
Kajaks throwing standout and Grade 12 McMath student Camryn Rogers was a finalist for Female High School Athlete of the Year. The winner was Burnaby’s Zion Corrales-Nelson who Rogers will be teammates with when she launches her collegiate career next fall at the University of California Berkeley.
