70-year-old Saskatoon runner basking in new Canadian record

Saskatoon’s Lynne Wawryk-Epp never set out to become a Canadian record holder when she picked up running nearly 50 years ago.

It’s a path however which has landed her in the national record books for track and field athletes in her age group.

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Competing at the Sanderson Classic meet at the Saskatoon Field House on Jan. 10, the 70-year-old Wawryk-Epp smashed the national indoor mile mark for women racing in the 70-age bracket.

Crossing the finish line with a time of 7:12.28 to beat Jean Horne’s record of 7:20.40 which stood untouched for nearly two decades.

“Since the race I just can’t believe how much interest there has been in it,” Wawryk-Epp said. “It’s been really exciting for me.”

Along with her record set for an indoor mile, Wawryk-Epp’s time was also good enough to beat the Canadian W70 mark for an outdoor mile of 7:15.68.

It’s a record she’s had her eye on for years training with the Running Wild Athletics Club, but was never a guarantee.

Lynne Wawryk-Epp (R) with the Running Wild Athletics Club. (Lynne Wawryk-Epp/Submitted)

“I was pretty sure I could get it,” Wawryk-Epp said. “But every race is so different and you never know if you’re going to be able to repeat that. I was thankful that I was able to hold the pace and actually accomplish my goal of getting that record.”

Wawryk-Epp’s lifelong journey with running began as a distraction more than anything in her early twenties, looking for a new habit to pick up while she quit smoking.

Indoor running has been a new endeavour though, primarily calling herself a cross-country or road racer for decades before searching for a new challenge indoors.

Wawryk-Epp’s time was also good enough to beat the Canadian W70 mark for an outdoor mile of 7:15.68. (Lynne Wawryk-Epp/Submitted)

“Running track is new to me,” Wawryk-Epp said. “I was a road runner for many years and switched to track running in 2020. It’s just such a different ball game than running a road race, a 10 [kilometre] half-marathon or a marathon.”

That move has paid off in spades, as her new path has not only led to a new Canadian record but the chance to represent the country at World Masters Athletic Championships in Poland in 2023 and in Sweden in 2024.

She said the opportunity to compete with racers from across the world has energized her running, even five decades after first picking up the sport.

“I want to race as much as I possibly can, while I can,” Wawryk-Epp said. “At this stage of the game you just never know. After every race I just think, ‘Oh thank goodness I’m not injured.’”

Canadian Masters Athletics Indoor Championships are up next for Wawryk-Epp in Toronto in early March, as her eyes are also turned towards World Masters Outdoor Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea this August.

Chasing her love at the start line in her golden years, she’s hopeful her record-breaking story will encourage others to find their passion and sprint after it.

“Life is short so have fun,” Wawryk-Epp.