The Brooks Men’s Mile was billed as the marquee event of the inaugural La Classique de Québec—and it delivered. On Friday night at Université Laval, nine men broke the four-minute mile barrier, the most ever in a single race on Canadian soil.
Toronto middle-distance runner Max Davies made the trip from the big city to Québec City to chase a fast time—and it was worth the trip. Davies surged to victory in 3:53.90, closing with a blistering 55-second final lap to outkick Canadian Olympians Charles Philibert-Thiboutot and Jean-Simon Desgagnés on their home track. His winning time is the fastest mile ever run by a Canadian on Canadian soil and ranks him 10th all-time among Canadians.
Davies told Canadian Running he was thrilled to get the win and run a personal best ahead of next weekend’s Canadian Track and Field Championships in Ottawa, where he’ll line up in the men’s 1,500m. “I’ll have a good shot against the top guys at nationals next week,” he said. “I’m going in with an open mind and telling myself I can be there when it matters.”
Hometown favourite Philibert-Thiboutot finished second in 3:56.41, with Aaron Ahl close behind in third at 3:56.48. But the strong results didn’t end there—Davies, Philibert-Thiboutot, and Ahl were just three of nine Canadian men to break four minutes on the night.
Canadian Olympian and Brooks athlete Thomas Fafard was among the new additions to Canada’s sub-four club, running 3:58.10. Québecois runners Émile Toupin (3:57.26) and high school phenom Robin Lefebvre (3:58.65) also joined the elite group, becoming part of the exclusive list of just 80 Canadian men to ever accomplish the feat.
Lefebvre’s performance was particularly notable: at 18 years and 229 days old, he became the second-youngest Canadian to break four minutes, behind only Justyn Knight, who did so at 18 years and 196 days. Other under-20 Canadians in the club include Michael Woods, Nate Brannen, and Marc Olsen.
“When I saw 3:00-flat at 1,200m, I knew I needed a big last lap,” Lefebvre told Canadian Running. “Running sub-four has been a goal of mine for the last two years. Doing it as a high schooler—it’s amazing.”
Meet director Félix-Antoine Lapointe called it one of the best single-day meets he’s seen in Canada. With an energetic crowd and high-calibre performances, the first edition of La Classique de Québec could quickly become a signature stop for athletes in future seasons.
In addition to the historic men’s mile, the meet featured other standout performances: Rikko Brathwaite clocked a wind-legal 10.11 to win the men’s 100m, and Jamaica’s Nia Robinson took the women’s long jump with a leap of 6.54 metres.
For full results from La Classique de Québec, see here.
