Never Settle

Never Settle.

That’s Mizuno’s philosophy, and runners like Dylan Wykes demonstrate it in everything they do. Wykes, who has been sponsored by Mizuno since 2008 and just signed another four year contract, says that Mizuno’s been good to him over the years, and he’s excited that they’re willing to invest the time and energy in him over the next four years.

Upon re-signing Dylan, Mizuno’s President, John Stacey, had this to say: “Dylan is a dedicated and talented runner who embodies Mizuno’s corporate message of “Never Settle.” We are thrilled to have Dylan represent Mizuno for the next 4 years as he devotes himself to training and qualifying for Rio 2016. As a member of Mizuno’s International Racing Team our support for Dylan stretches beyond Canada and we look forward to standing behind him, cheering him on, in his on-going evolution as a professional runner.”

2012 had a lot of ups and downs for Wykes – from pulling out of the Lake Biwa Marathon, to qualifying for the Olympic team at Rotterdam, to running in London. “2012 was a whirlwind of a year, and after taking time to reflect, it was a very special year,” he says. “I managed to achieve a lot of things – things you hope to do over an entire running career – and I managed to do them in about six months.”

Wykes admits that at first, he was a tad disappointed in his performance at the London Olympic Marathon – he was hoping to run about a minute faster and place higher. However, after some time and reflection, he felt pleased. “I think it is a good sign that I wanted more, but performing on that stage is tough,” he says. He’s also very modest about the swell of pride among Canadians following the Games. “It’s nice to know that people can be inspired by what we’ve achieved. It’s great if it motivates them to get out on the road for that next run.”

Wykes plans to spend the first part of 2013 getting back to his old self. “I have had a lot of little injuries that pretty much made the fall a write off. I want to get back to the level I was at when I qualified for, and ran, in the London Olympics,” he says, adding, “I would like to go to the World Championships – it would be great to represent Canada there.”

And of course, he’s planning ahead, with the goal of getting to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. “In some ways it seems like it’s a long way off, but in others, it is also creeping up. The plan is to focus on qualifying – I don’t expect it to be easy. I think the standard will be tougher this time, and I am going to need to be a better athlete.”