Kieran Halliday didn’t have to clear any water on his way to a Yukon 5K Championships title last Tuesday.

The UBC Thunderbird steeplechase athlete, who just finished his third year in computer engineering, topped the field in 16 minutes and 58 seconds.

“I’ve raced this course for so many years, I’m pretty used to it,” said Halliday. “I know all the turns.”

On a 5K loop around the Millennium Trail from F.H. Collins Secondary School and back through residential streets, Halliday and Joe Parker, who just finished Grade 12, kept pace for about the first three kilometres.

“Tonight was great,” said Parker. “Kieran was really fast, so it was nice to run off his speed.”

Halliday lept ahead and continued to pick up the pace over the final one kilometre. Eyeballing the last 400 metres, he transitioned into his finishing kick.

The 5K, though not a 3,000-metre steeplechase can be similar, said Halliday. Having to clear the hurdles and water pits in steeplechase make the event feel longer.

He was using the 5K as a fitness test to gauge his time going into Canada Summer Games.

“It went really well,” he said. “I felt pretty good about it all things considered.”

While the Canada Summer Games track and field team has not yet been announced, Halliday is expecting to run the 3,000-metre steeplechase at the event.

Parker too, is expecting to run the 1,500-metre and 5,000-metre, in which he is fresh off a first-place and personal best at the Jack Brow Invitational in B.C.

As their season picks up, open female winner Emily Wale’s race season is winding down.

She posted a time of 23:04 to claim the title.

Fresh off a weekend of trail running on Vancouver Island, she said she was a little slower than normal.

“It’s totally different trail running versus concrete,” said Wale. “I really enjoy road though.”

The Athletics Yukon Sports Experts 5K Fun Run/Walks continues Tuesday nights at 6 p.m. until the end of September.