On June 20, the 36th edition of the Vancouver Sun Harry Jerome International Track Classic will bring Canada’s top athletics athletes to Burnaby’s Swangard Stadium to face competitors from more than a dozen countries around the world. For the sixth time, Special Olympics sprinters will take the track alongside Olympic champions, world record holders, Canadian stars, and other young hopefuls.

And Special Olympics BC Locals are hosting awesome meets around the province this month! SOBC – Burnaby had an extremely successful meet on June 8, Nanaimo will be hosting their meet on June 15, and the weekend of June 22 will see meets in Kelowna and Smithers. We're cheering for all the competitors and sincerely thanking all the coaches, volunteers, families, and supporters who make these exciting and empowering opportunities possible. Check out the calendar for event details

At the Harry Jerome Track Classic, there will be two Special Olympics 100m races (female and male), starring ace sprinters including World and National Games medallists and up-and-comers who have been posting excellent times in recent races.

We’ve very thankful to the Harry Jerome organizers for their ongoing inclusion of Special Olympics events in this high-profile event. Thank you for choosing to include and helping outstanding Special Olympics athletes show their skills alongside their elite peers in the athletics world!

This year’s Special Olympics contingent includes SOBC – Burnaby’s April Armstrong and SOBC – Nanaimo’s Arianna Phillips, fresh off their strong performances in the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and SOBC – Surrey’s Ryland Mallari, who posted terrific times racing in the recent BC High School Track and Field Championships. 

The field includes a number of athletes who have raced in previous editions of the Harry Jerome Track Classic, who are hungry to heat up the track here again, and several members of Special Olympics Team BC 2018 who posted strong showings in the 2018 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games in Antigonish.

Meet the SOBC racers ready to take the lanes at the Harry Jerome Track Classic: