Canadian runner Gabriela DeBues-Stafford continues to make her mark in the Athletics Canada record book. She set a new record at the Jarrow 10-kilometre road race in northeastern England, finishing in 31 minutes 37.8 seconds on Sunday. This time was six seconds faster than the previous record set by Lynn Williams (now Kanuka) in 1989 at the Red Lobster 10K Classic in Orlando, Florida.
DeBues-Stafford, 31, not only broke the race record but also set a new course record for the Jarrow 10K, surpassing Sophie Hicks’ time of 34:08 set in 2025. She outpaced her closest competitor, Rose Harvey of Great Britain, who finished second with a time of 34:10.
Prior to this achievement, DeBues-Stafford’s most recent Canadian record was in the indoor 5,000 meters on February 11, 2022, at the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston University. She holds multiple Canadian indoor and outdoor track records in events such as the 1,500 meters, mile, 5,000 meters, and indoor 3,000 meters.
The race took place on a flat, two-lap course in Jarrow, ending at Monkton Stadium. Earlier in June, she secured her third consecutive 5,000m title at the Canadian track and field championships in Ottawa. At the Commonwealth Games in Scotland, she finished 14th in the 5,000 meters event.
DeBues-Stafford wrapped up her track season with a fifth-place finish in the 1,500 meters at the British Milers Club Grand Prix in Twickenham on August 9. She then shifted focus to the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, where she placed ninth in the mile with a time of 4:30.59.
Looking ahead, DeBues-Stafford is set to compete in two 10K road races in November and December organized by RunThrough UK, with potential races lined up for February and March as well. She expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to compete at the world championship level and reflected on the unique experience of participating in a road mile event for the first time.