Charles Philibert-Thiboutot | A return home before the last lap

With a smile on his face, Charles Philibert-Thiboutot crosses the last few metres of the Mile, the first race of the Montreal Marathon weekend. He knows that soon, he will benefit from a long period of rest. One last one, on the eve of his final running season.

Looking at just one photo of the finish line, one might think that Philibert-Thiboutot was the only participant in the Mile, a 1,600-meter race through Maisonneuve Park. The Quebec City runner easily snatched away his opponents, finishing the race more than 5 seconds ahead.

Despite his resounding victory, Philibert-Thiboutot finished 8 seconds short of his goal of going under 4 minutes. He maintained the right pace to achieve this after the first kilometer.

“I took a turn with the wind in my face, it made me slow down a little bit,” he says, without seeming bothered in the least. “At the end, seeing the crowd gathered near the finish line gave me the energy to finish quite strongly.”

Burn the candle at both ends

For Philibert-Thiboutot, participating in the Montreal Marathon weekend was an opportunity to reconnect with Quebec. It is the last event on his calendar before the end of the season.

Charles Philibert-Thiboutot made it to the semi-finals of the 1500m at the Paris Olympics, a phase in which he recorded his best time of the season. Proud of his performance, he nevertheless admits to having to deal with an “emotional blues”.

“I’ve been living out of a suitcase for a few years now. I chose this lifestyle […]but it’s a bit like burning the candle at both ends not having a place where I can sit and tell myself that I’m at home.”

Rather than resting at home, the runner took part in a few competitions in Europe. His journey was punctuated by bronchitis, which sidelined him for six days.

The last year has allowed the 33-year-old athlete to realize the limits of his body. To reach his form, eight months of training were necessary. He estimates that at 24, a runner can reach this level in just two or three months.

Charles Philibert-Thiboutot may not have reached the final, but he achieved something else, for the first time in his life: the feeling of duty accomplished.

“At the Olympics, I felt for the first time that I had given my all. Before, I always had this kind of fire that told me that if I had prepared better, I could have done more. That’s not the case anymore.”

One last lap

Philibert-Thiboutot’s motivation has its limits, however. He considers that the next racing season “is the last [qu’il a en lui] “, and that he wants to end it on “a good note”. This good note would be achieved if he manages to run under the 13-minute mark in the 5000 meters, and to qualify for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in the 1500 meters and the 5000 meters.

Charles Philibert-Thiboutot even has the ambition of “getting closer to the Quebec half-marathon record”, which is 1 hour 02 minutes.

“I know I can do great things physically, but it’s the mental side that will dictate a little bit what will happen,” he predicts.

Faced with his “expiration date”, Philibert-Thiboutot is also thinking about his future. After his running career, he would like to work in the world of sport or events, whether as an agent or coach.

Before thinking about all that, Philibert-Thiboutot must prepare for his next race, which will take place Saturday in Montreal. He will participate in the 5000 m event, just like Canadian distance runner Tristan Woodfine. The race should be the scene of a duel between these two protagonists.

“I’m going to rely on my superior speed to try to make him drop out, because I know his endurance is very strong,” he predicts.

On Sunday, Philibert-Thiboutot will participate in the half-marathon, this time for fun, and as an official ambassador of the Montreal Marathon.