Brent and Vicki McFarlane
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
June 2005

Brent McFarlane was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in1948 and grew up in Sarnia, Ontario. In 1967 he attended the University of Waterloo where he received an Honors Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology.

While attending the university, McFarlane was a member of the Outdoor and Indoor Track and Field Teams in 1968, 1969 and 1970. He was on two University of Waterloo Ontario University Amateur Athletic Championship Track and Field Teams and a member of two varsity record setting relay teams (4x200m and 4x400m relay). The latter stood for twenty years, before it was broken in 1989 by a varsity team coached by McFarlane.

Beginning in 1989, McFarlane was the Head Coach of the University of Waterloo’s Cross Country and Track and Field teams. In his first year of coaching cross country, McFarlane coached the women’s team to a 3rd place finish at the Ontario Women's Interuniversity Athletic Association (OWIAA) and a 3rd place finish at the National Championships (CIAU) in Vancouver (UBC).

In 1996 he coached a nationally unranked University of Waterloo Women’s Cross Country Team to a surprise upset victories at the OWIAA Provincial and the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union (CIAU) championships. The Women’s Cross Country Team was Waterloo’s first national title in twenty years. In 1996 he was named University OWIAA and CIAU Cross Country Coach of the Year - upon which he retired from coaching cross country. In 1997, 1998 and 2000, McFarlane was named OWIAA Women’s Track and Field Coach of the Year. In 1991 and 1997 he was named “Coach of the Year” at the University of Waterloo. Upon his retirement in 2005, the University of Waterloo established the ‘Brent McFarlane Track and Field Endowment’ to support the improvement of the University’s Track & Field program.

In his efforts to keep the K-W community and Canada informed about current world trends in speed, hurdles and strength, he studied and visited coaches in over 50 countries. His knowledge of biomechanics, speed, strength and current world trends resulted in the publications of over 550 articles around the world, as well as, author of Canada's NCCP Level II and III Sprints and Hurdles. He is the author of four hurdle books - "The Science of Hurdling and Speed" which has sold over 12,000 copies world-wide. In 2002 he published “The Science of SAC (Speed – Agility – Conditioning, 2nd Edition)." In 1993, he was awarded the 3M Coaching Award of Excellence by 3M and Athletics Canada for his contribution to education in Canada.

McFarlane has served on more than thirty Canadian national teams, and he has coached on four Canadian Olympic teams, including serving as Canada’s Head Coach for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

McFarlane has been a volunteer coach in Waterloo County for more than 38 years with the K-W Track & Field Association. Athletes from his training groups have established: 22 Canadian Records, 38 Provincial Records, 40 National Champions, 185 Ontario Champions (includes 52 OFSSA High School Champions). 43 Waterloo County athletes have been on Canadian National Teams. In 2002 he received the first annual ‘Special Recognition Award’ from the Big Brothers of Kitchener–Waterloo for his contribution to local sport and athletes in the K-W community. He was honoured in 2004 for his volunteer service with the ‘Waterloo Award’ by the City of Waterloo. In 2006 he was named to the Waterloo County Hall of Fame as a community builder.

In 2002 McFarlane turned his talents to designing and coaching the Laurier Golden Hawks football team, by providing a unique SAC (Speed, Agility and Conditioning) program keying on speed for football. In 2004 this team posted a 11 - 1 record winning the Ontario University Yates cup. 2005 this team had an undefeated season - a 12-0 record, winning the Ontario University Yates Cup for the second year in a row. As huge underdogs this team went on the win the Vanier Cup to become CIS National Champions.