Barrie, Ont.’s NCAA star Jadyn Keeler has put collectively a closing collegiate season most runners may solely dream of, stacking private bests, program information and even nationwide marks. Now, she’s including a model deal to the listing.
On Saturday, the 22-year-old, who competes for the College of North Dakota (UND), turned the newest Canadian runner to earn an NIL (Identify, Picture, Likeness) deal, partnering with Adidas.
“It means a lot to me,” Keeler instructed Canadian Operating. “Though it doesn’t change my coaching, being backed by a world-renowned model like Adidas will give me confidence and momentum in races.”
A shocking resume
Keeler appears to decrease a private finest each time she hits the observe. In December, she set the U23 Canadian 5,000m document of 15:14.76, which additionally lands at No. 4 on the Canadian all-time listing. She additionally owns the U23 document within the 10,000m, working 32:06.70 in her debut on the distance.
Final week, in her out of doors season opener on the Stanford Invitational, she threw down a 31:56.03 private finest within the 10,000m–marking one other college document, the No. 20 time in NCAA historical past and No. 7 all-time in Canada. Throughout the 2026 indoor season, she swept the mile, 3,000m and 5,000m at her Summit League convention championships, incomes MVP honours. She went on to put twelfth within the 5,000m on the NCAA Championships.
Her favorite occasion? The ten,000m. “You’ll be able to simply hop on the practice and match strikes,” she mentioned. “It’s so enjoyable.”
Success at a smaller college
Keeler has been vocal about how a smaller college can provide simply as many, if no more, alternatives than a powerhouse program. She dedicated to UND throughout the pandemic with out ever visiting campus, whereas feeling drawn to the staff tradition she skilled over Zoom. “They’ve top-notch services and nice teachers,” Keeler mentioned. “I nonetheless needed to get journey alternatives, to go to massive meets and compete, as a result of that’s the easiest way to maintain getting higher.”
Shifting on to the subsequent chapter is each thrilling and unhappy, she says, however she’s prepared to maneuver ahead. “Better issues are forward.”
A dream-big mentality
Whereas her enhancements over the previous 18 months appear extraordinary, Keeler says she’s at all times believed she was succesful. “I’ve at all times been somebody with a dream-big mentality and excessive requirements,” she admitted.
One among her secrets and techniques to turning into a stronger runner has been attending to know herself higher. “It’s widespread to see on social media what different persons are doing,” she mentioned. “However I dialled in on what works finest for me: fuelling, timing meals, what meals I eat, my bedtime routine, how a lot sleep I want and specializing in restoration, which incorporates mobility, muscle-scraping and rolling out.
“With consistency and the smaller issues, all the things clicked and took me to the subsequent stage.”
Proudest moments
One among Keeler’s largest breakthroughs and proudest moments got here within the 5,000m on the 2025 BU Valentine Invitational. “I got here in off a 40-second private finest, then chopped off one other 30 seconds,” she mentioned. The 15:28.29 efficiency certified her for her first-ever nationwide championships. “I had no thought if I used to be able to working sub-15:30,” she mentioned. “That was among the best races of my life, and confirmed me that generally it’s essential to take a swing.”
One other standout second got here on the 2025 Junior Pan American Video games in Paraguay, the place she represented Canada for the primary time–successful 10,000m gold in a championship document, and doubling again for five,000m silver.
A possible half-marathon debut?
This yr, Keeler is aiming to qualify for the NCAA out of doors championships in each the 5,000m and 10,000m, and crack the highest eight for first-team all-American honours. She additionally plans to race the 5,000m on the Canadian championships, only one week after NCAAs, and hopes to qualify for the Commonwealth Video games, which might mark her first senior nationwide staff. Past the observe, Keeler says she would additionally like to finally transfer up in distance, with a half-marathon debut doubtlessly on the horizon.
Her subsequent race shall be on the Bryan Clay Invitational 5,000m in Azusa, Calif., on April 17.
