Bayne commits to UNB
Elijah Bayne is making up for lost time.
Despite only running seriously for the last year and a half, the 17-year-old Virgil resident recently committed to the University of New Brunswick.
The Grade 12 student at Eden, who transferred from Niagara Christian Collegiate in Grade 11, was a double medalist at the recent Athletics Ontario under-20 indoor championships. He garnered bronze in the 3000 metres with a personal best time of 8:42.89 and earned silver in the 1500 metres with a personal best of 4:01.32.
“Elijah has really developed as a runner and an athlete over the last two years,” said Steven Fife, who coaches Bayne at the Thorold Elite Track Club. “When we met him in Grade 10, he ran about a 4:52 1500 and a 10:30 3000, but I could see that he had a lot of determination and a lot of potential.”
That potential wasn’t able to translate into results in Bayne’s Grade 11 year because he had to sit out the year because of transferring schools.
“During that time, he really locked in as a runner, fully embracing what it would take to perform at the level he wanted and he first broke nine minutes in the 3000 last May,” Fife said. “He has put in a lot of work and mileage to achieve these results and is going into his final school season fit and strong. What he has accomplished this winter is really impressive.”
Bayne, who finished 26th last fall at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations’ cross country championships, started running at the start of Grade 11 after Fife reached out to him.
“I didn’t even know that I could do running as a sport. I ran for fun a little bit but I didn’t realize this many doors would open,” he said. “I realized I was actually pretty good at it and I could go to university, continue running and get a cheaper education.”
Before running, he played house league baseball and single A travel hockey. He isn’t kicking himself for starting running so late.
“I am happy with the progression and I know that I still have a lot of potential. I know I am still improving quickly.”
He attributes his rapid progress in the sport to a number of things.
“I think I do the little things right. I try to eat well and recover and I put in the work when I have to. I get up early most mornings and hop on the bike and then I work hard at these (Thorold Elite) workouts. And before that I worked on a farm which built up good endurance.”
Fife describes Bayne as a smart athlete and very intuitive.
“He pushes himself in his training but also knows when to listen to his body and when to pull back.”
Bayne also had offers from Windsor, Laurentian and Brock and had talked to a few coaches in the States before deciding on New Brunswick.
“I really liked their coach, the way he treats everything and the way he has taken runners and developed them into top U SPORTS runners,” he said. “The team culture is very driven and they seem ready to win.”
His desire to attend the UNB was solidified after visiting the school in February and going on a run with some of his future teammates.
“You could tell that they were driven and they weren’t messing around. We talked on the run but the main focus was getting the run done and afterwards we went and hung out. They are focused on winning but they also have fun.”
The future kinesiology major would love to help his team win a medal this fall at the under-20 championships.
He is confident he can make an impact with the team.
“The coach has a plan for me to fit in even in my first year. It will hopefully work out that I am on the U SPORTS roster.”
He loves the sport.
“It clears my head and helps me focus and it has gotten to the point now where if I don’t run I feel bad. I force myself to do it now and working out with the guys is always super fun.”
He’s motivated to continually get better.
“I think back to when I started running and there was no way I thought I would be running in university. And now I have a shot.”
Fife feels New Brunswick is a great fit for Bayne.
“He will be a huge asset to a cross country team that might be vying for a championship title.”
