Canadian track and field stars to follow on Instagram

Canada's on a bit of a track and field high these days. Our runners, jumpers and throwers are among the best in the world. Of the 51 athletes competing in the 2015 International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships in Beijing, six are world outdoor championship medallists, 12 are Canadian record holders and 14 are ranked in the top 10 on the IAAF performance list.

The athletes are training in Jeju, Korea before they head to Beijing, China for competition from Aug. 22-30. So, here are 7 athletes to follow on Instagram on their #RoadtoRio journey. 

1. Brianne Theisen-Eaton (heptathlon) — @btheiseneaton 

The reigning Canadian champion in heptathlon, Theisen-Eaton offers a great behind-the-scenes snapshot of what goes on in the life of one of the world's best heptathletes. Underwater treadmills? Check. Healthy eating? Check. Shots of coffee? Check.

There are also lots of selfies of Theisen-Eaton with her husband, Olympic decathlon champion Ashton Eaton — in all sorts of places.

The best thing about this account, though, is Theisen-Eaton's willingness to show herself at less than her best, like in this short video, shot first thing in the morning.

Also under the Theisen-Eaton umbrella is the @WeareEaton account; Brianne and Ashton's joint account, which is pretty cute.

2. Lanni Marchant (10,000m) — @lannimarchant

If you'd rather look at photos of marathoners than run a marathon yourself, Marchant's account is for you. 

There is no shortage of action shots in the Canadian record holder's portfolio, including ones from the 10,000-metre race at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, where she finished third; and the marathon of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where she finished fourth.

Also look for some shoe shots, as she's big into #assumingtheposition.

And also this...

3. Alex Genest (3000m steeplechase) — @papag_steeple

Alex Genest made our Pan Am Games Top 10 'Awww" Moments when he posted this family photo after winning the silver medal in the 3000-metre steeplechase at Toronto 2015. 

He makes this list because he's active on Instagram, posting behind-the-scenes pics and videos of training camp in Jeju, Korea; his New Balance gear, and shots with teammate and Pan Am Games steeplechase gold medallist Matt Hughes. But mostly because he's a dad who runs, and he posts photos like this...

4. Melissa Bishop (800m) — @melissacorinneb

​Bishop nabbed gold in the Pan Am Games 800 metres. Along with the requisite cappuccino shots, running pics and Team Canada swag gear selfies, she also has a lot of pics of her coach Dennis Fairall. It's a really candid look at the relationship between coach and top tier athlete, and nice to see her giving credit to those who've helped her get to where she is today. 

And of course there are a lot of pics with her and her teammates, like this one on an off day in Jeju. 

5. Liz Gleadle (Javelin) — @lgjavelin

This list would not be complete without an athlete Instagrammer — Instagrathlete? — who can make us laugh. Gleadle is that Instagrathlete. From ironic duckface selfies to hilarious training camp workouts like the one below, Gleadle makes us smile.

She also has started her own "too cute for words" hashtag #herowshethrows, which she uses when she posts pics of her and her beau, rower Ray Bell. 

6. Kimberley Hyacinthe (100m/200m/4x100m) — @kimhyacinthe

Hyacinthe isn't the most prolific of Instagrammers but she takes the quality over quantity route when posting. She shares training photos and video, behind-the-scenes photo shoot shots, as well as many posts of her and fellow team Canada track and field athletes just goofing around. Our favourite is below, when the women's 4x100-metre relay team found out they punched their ticket to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro!

We are also big fans of her  #TBT photos....

Honourable mention

7. Andre De Grasse (100m) — @De6rasse

De Grasse's Instagram has had a bit of a facelift since we first spoke with him at the Pan Am Games, after his victory in the 100 metres. Back then, his handle was @youngtip94 (seems he looks like an older friend named Tip); now, he goes by @De6rasse. The six is a nod to his hometown of Toronto, which sometimes get tagged as #the6ix on Instagram and Twitter.

His most recent Instagram post directs users to like his new Facebook fan page. Even if he hasn't quite hit his social media stride, we predict he'll ramp up socially as he readies for the Rio Olympics. He had a surge in followers after winning at the Pan Ams; will the same happen after the world track and field championships in China?

Which athletes are you following on Instagram? Let us know via @CBCOlympics using #Beijing2015.