About The Running Diva

 

 

Marilyn Arsenault – BIOGRAPHY

 

Marilyn Arsenault lives and trains in Victoria, British Columbia. She began training and racing competitively in 2003 and since then, Marilyn has emerged as one of Canada’s top competitive runners. Road racing highlights in 2007-2008 have included winning the 2007 Royal Victoria 8km and the following spring, claiming three Master’s champion titles in highly competitive road races, in three consecutive weeks (The Vancouver Sun Run, The Times Colonist 10km and the Bloomsday 12km). In September 2008, Marilyn was accepted into the graduate music program at the University of Victoria to finish a Master’s degree in Voice Performance. She was offered an athletic award to run for the university’s track and cross-country running team. Her first cross-country season with the UVic Vikes  culminated with a 6^thplace finish at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) cross-country championships  earning her First Team All-Canadian status. Marilyn was also the overall female winner at the 2008 BC cross-country championships and went on to represent British Columbia for the third year consecutive year at the Canadian Cross-country Championships in Guelph Ontario where she placed 6^th, earning her a spot on the Canadian National women’s cross-country team.

Marilyn’s 2009 racing season began with the BUPA Great Edinburgh International Cross Country meet in Scotland as well as at the Cross Internacional de Italica in Seville, Spain where she finished in 19th place in a world-class field. In March she placed 7^th in the NACAC Cross-Country Championships in Orlando, Florida, earned a bronze medal the 3000m event in the CIS Indoor Track Championships and competed in the IAAF World Cross-Country Championships in Amman, Jordan.

In June 2009, Marilyn competed in the Scottish 10km Road Race Championships and was the overall female winner. Personal records soon followed in the 5km (Black Press 5000), 10km (Lands End 10km) and half-marathon (Royal Victoria half-marathon) between August and October and defended her title as the overall female winner in the 2009 BC x-country championships.

2010 highlights included a first place finish at the Carlsbad 5000 in California in the Women’s Masters race and a third-place finish (first master) at the Canadian Half-marathon championships in Montreal. A serious and nearly deadly infection side-lined Marilyn in the fall of 2010 post-poning her marathon debut. She is determined to return to competition in 2011. Marilyn is coached by Trent Stellingwerff.

Marilyn is very proud to be sponsored by Saucony Canada.

Marilyn has been featured in several television sports features, radio shows, Canadian newspapers and running magazines including Boulevard Magazine,  Canadian Running and iRun Nation as well as television ads for Thrifty Foods and Sportchek. She was most recently fetaured on the cover of the 2010 September/October issue of Canadian Running magazine. She feels extremely fortunate to be able to inspire women to be active at any age.

Personal Bests

Distance	Time	Competition	Location	Year
1500m outdoor	4:41	Dogwood Track Invitational	Victoria, BC	2007
3000m indoor	9:39	University of Washington	Washington State	2009
3000m outdoor	9:50	Oak Bay Fall Classic	Victoria, BC	2007
5000m outdoor	16:34	Black Press 5000	Victoria, BC	2009
5km	17:09	St. Patrick’s Day 5km	Vancouver, BC	2008
8km	27:33	Harry’s Spring Run Off	Vancouver, BC	2010
10km	34:36	Lands End 10km	Victoria, BC	2009
Half-marathon	1:15:39	Royal Victoria Half-marathon course record	Victoria, BC	2009