Marc Duncan competed for Canada at the 1991 World Championship in Australia. He was an enthusiastic and committed athlete who, tragically, died in a house fire in the spring of 1993. He was 20 years old.
Marc, whose heritage was Cree, was born in Winnipeg and, after a short time in Montreal with his adoptive family, moved with them to Vancouver, where he attended Lord Byng High School, and would spend the rest of his life.
A natural athlete, Marc excelled in cross-country running before he moved into triathlon training.
Marc will be remembered for his humour, his love of cats, and for stenciling the words “See the Cree Flee” on his competition bike.
Following his death, Marc’s coach and mentor, Todd Clark, along with many of his training partners, friends and Triathlon BC, established a fund in his name to assist junior athletes pursue their goals. He would have been pleased that, as applications are entered, preference be given to indigenous athletes.
The Marc Duncan Bursary was increased in 2025.
The guidelines for application are as follows:
After extensive review with critical stakeholders, including Marc’s Father, the following guidelines have been established for the Marc Duncan Fund:
- Triathlon BC will disburse $500.00 each year. At its discretion, Triathlon BC can choose to award multiple candidate(s) with a one-time payment. Alternatively, Triathlon BC may elect not to disburse funds in any given year if applicants are deemed suitably unqualified.
- No disbursement will be less than $250.00
- The Review Committee will consist of, at minimum, the Executive Director, one Board member and one member of the triathlon community at large.
Eligible athletes must meet the following criteria:
- 15 to 23 years of age as of December 31 of the year of the Award.
- Be a member in good standing of Triathlon BC for more than one year.
- Be a resident of BC for the past year.
- Be a Canadian Citizen or Landed Immigrant.
- Show a combination of volunteerism and a commitment to education.
- Show dedication to the sport through participation in current year Triathlon BC sanctioned events, or in the case of performance pathway athletes, World Triathlon sanctioned events.
Preference will be given to those athletes with demonstrated Indigenous ancestry. References attesting ancestry may be requested.
Interested applicants are encouraged to submit a letter of application to Triathlon BC, identifying how each of the established criteria are met.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 11:59pm, SUNDAY, JANUARY 19th, 2025.
Applications can be submitted electronically to info@TriBC.org with the subject line: Marc Duncan Fund