Epi. 138-Taking Risks With Eric Gillis

The Terminal Mile

“I don’t think I would have reached the level I did in the marathon without Eric and I being so closely lined up for all those years.” I was chatting with Reid Coolsaet, Olympian and 3rd fastest Canadian Marathoner of all time the other day, and that’s what he had to say about his long time Speed River training partner, Eric Gillis. The two of them, both rightfully the faces of the event in this country for many years trained side by side on the back roads just outside of Guelph, Ontario, building the legend that will be fodder for running junkies for years to come. While both, each multi-time Olympians, had many memorable moments racing, the pinnacle for Eric came in 2016 at the Rio Olympics when he, in his typical style, started off in the back half of the field, picking runners one by one through the race to move from 70th to 10th. From there Eric spent another year in Guelph, but opportunity called back home in Antigonish, and from there, he took on coaching duties at his Alma Mater, St. Francis Xavier University, where he has been ever since. His results have been rare ever since, with the last high profile one coming from a start in Boston in 2018. This week on the Terminal Mile, we catch up with Eric Gillis, 3 time Olympian, 10th place in the Rio Olympic Marathon and national record holder. We also hear from other important members of Eric’s career, including Trevor Hofbauer and Alex Cyr.