Bruny Surin will run once again - this time for a spot on Laval's city council

Canadian athlete Bruny Surin, poses for a photo prior to competing in the the men's 50-metre event at the McGill track and field open in Montreal on Dec., 5, 2009. (Graham Hughes / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

MONTREAL -- Sprinter Bruny Surin, who won an Olympic gold medal for Canada in 1996, has turned his attention to running of a different sort.

Surin announced Tuesday that he will be vying for a spot on Laval's city council.

The 52-year-old will run for Laval Mayor Marc Demers's Mouvement Lavallois party in a Nov. 24 by-election in the Marc-Aurele-Fortin district.

Surin and his family moved to Laval five years ago. He says he quickly fell in love with the city and decided to focus his attention on running for public office in the hopes of encouraging his fellow citizens to lead more active and happy lives.

"Bruny Surin is an inspiring athlete, entrepreneur and philanthropist," Mayor Demers said in a statement Tuesday. "His personality and experience make him a great candidate who will contribute to the growth of our wonderful city."

The by-election is being held to replace Gilbert Dumas, the previous councillor in the district who died in August.

Surin, who retired from sprinting in 2002, competed in four Summer Olympics. In 1996, he won a gold medal as part of Canada's 4x100 relay team. He was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 2010 and was named to the Ordre national du Quebec in 2016.