Friendship between Canadian runners Philibert-Thiboutot, Desgagnés extends beyond track

On Aug. 16, 2023, Quebec runners Charles Philibert-Thiboutot and Jean-Simon Desgagnés arrived in Hungary, three days before they opened competition at the World Athletics Championships in separate events.

After completing their workouts, the Canadians chose not to return to their hotel to relax or nap. Instead, they hopped on scooters, rode around Budapest, visited historical buildings, filmed each other and shared many laughs.

"Jean-Simon's got endless energy and likes to be adventurous. Sometimes, I'm a bit lazy and don't mind staying in my room to chill and read, especially leading into races," Philibert-Thiboutot shared over a video call Wednesday from Stockholm, where he and Desgagnes will compete Sunday at the BAUHAUS gala Diamond League meet.

"He's a good influence and made me realize when you're travelling around the world, it's good to explore and see things."

On Wednesday, Philibert-Thiboutot and Desgagnés walked around the Täby Centrum shopping mall and ate dinner with their longtime coach, Félix-Antoine Lapointe, a rare companion on the road who has two athletes at the same Diamond League for the first time.

The friends, who first met at a 2018 training camp, planned to explore more of Stockholm on Thursday before shifting focus to Sunday's event at the Olympic Stadium.

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The 33-year-old Philibert-Thiboutot stopped short of saying he and his good friend, eight years his junior, are inseparable. While he spends much of the year training in Vancouver, Desgagnés, the medical student and aspiring internal medicine specialist, is based in Quebec. But they often attend altitude training camps together in Flagstaff, Ariz.

"There's something magical about sharing daily life in training with someone from your group that's also successful," said Philibert-Thiboutot, who also shares a love of skiing and frequenting coffee shops with Desgagnés. "Last year, I was disappointed with what I did at worlds [10th in his 1,500-metre semifinal heat], he [Desgagnés] was eighth [in the 3,000m steeplechase final] and this year is hungry for more.

"I think it's my turn to step up. We build on that positive energy, desire to get better and feed off each other. We [hold] each other accountable and want the best for each other in our respective distances."

In Sunday's 1,500 at 11:31 a.m. ET, Philibert-Thiboutot expects better competition than Tuesday at the Ostrava Golden Spike, where he placed fourth in a season-best three minutes 34.50 seconds after pushing the pace and taking the lead on the final lap before he was overtaken in the last 100 metres.

WATCH | Philibert-Thiboutot posts season-best 1,500m in Ostrava:

Philibert-Thiboutot, who qualified for this summer's Paris Olympics last July — his first since 2016 — is in an important phase of experimenting with race tactics to determine the best way to win or position himself for a top three or five finish necessary to advance through rounds at the Summer Games.

"I don't have an A-plus race this year," he said, "but each has been a learning curve. In Paris, there's not going to be any room for error."