For the previous 9 years, the final weekend of Might has been a major date on the calendar for a lot of of Canada’s high distance runners, who head to Ottawa to battle it out on the roads for the Canadian 10K Championship. Final yr, Moh Ahmed got here near beating Ben Flanagan’s nationwide document on the banks of the Rideau Canal, surging previous Canadian document holder Cam Levins within the last kilometre to win his first nationwide title on the roads. Two-time Olympian Natasha Wodak dominated from gun to tape to win her second consecutive title on the ladies’s aspect. Now, Wodak is aiming for a 3rd straight Canadian 10K title, which might put her in a league of her personal and make her the one lady to three-peat in championship historical past.
Wodak is coming off her third marathon construct within the final 12 months. 4 weeks in the past, she took her last shot on the Paris Olympic customary of two:26:50 (on the Hamburg Marathon), however got here up three and a half minutes shy. After a number of days off, Wodak returned to coaching in hopes of successful her third consecutive 10K title. “It looks like my coaching for this has been temporary,” laughs Wodak. “I’m hoping there’s some residual health within the legs.”
The Canadian document holder within the marathon has competed on the final seven editions of the 10K and gained on 4 events. “It’s our nationwide championships and I come right here yearly to compete,” says Wodak. “I’ve no false expectations of successful, however I do know I’ll battle onerous for a top-five spot.”
The ladies’s subject this yr is deeper than it has been lately, with (soon-to-be) three-time Canadian Olympian Malindi Elmore additionally dropping down in distance to problem Wodak for the nationwide title. Elmore made it clear at Friday’s press convention that she’ll be racing on a full week’s coaching load and utilizing the race to kick off the following stage of her Olympic marathon construct.
Outdoors of Elmore and Wodak, former nationwide champion Lanni Marchant returns to Ottawa, coming off a strong efficiency on the Evening of the ten,000m PBs in London final weekend, the place she ran 33:24. Marchant final gained right here in Ottawa in 2016. Eliyah Brawdy of Smithers, B.C., is also a shock winner. Two weeks in the past in Coquitlam, B.C., Brawdy gained her first nationwide title over 10,000m (on the observe), clocking a powerful 33:37.
Rory Linkletter vs. Ben Flanagan
Calgary’s Rory Linkletter had two objectives for his 2024 season, and he’s already completed certainly one of them: punching his ticket to the Paris Olympic Video games (his second Olympics). Now, he goals to attain his second objective: successful his first profession Canadian nationwide title. Linkletter got here shut two weeks in the past on the Canadian 10,000m Championships in B.C., ending second to Toronto’s Andrew Alexander in a wild dash end, however now he’ll get that probability as soon as once more on Saturday night time in Ottawa, with only some males standing in his method—together with certainly one of Canada’s greatest highway racers and the 10K document holder, Ben Flanagan.
These two males know one another very effectively, having competed in opposition to each other for the final 10 years (relationship again to their collegiate days within the NCAA). Being only one yr aside in age, their careers have taken totally different paths. Flanagan has racked up a number of nationwide titles over 5K and 10K and located success on the observe over 5,000m. In distinction, Linkletter jumped as much as the marathon, decreasing his private greatest by eight minutes since his debut in 2019. “The Ottawa 10K can be an excellent take a look at of the place I’m at,” says Linkletter. “I look ahead to racing greater than something, and I really like doing it—I at all times need to win.”
Flanagan has gained the Ottawa 10K in his final two appearances and dominated the race from begin to end when he gained two years in the past in 28:39. “That is my first highway race of the season earlier than gearing up for the Canadian Olympic Trials,” says Flanagan. “I’m excited and desperate to see the place my health is at. I need to placed on a present.”
The way to watch
You possibly can stream Saturday’s Ottawa 10K (Canadian 10K Championships) reside on YouTube. Protection begins at 6:15 p.m. E.T., with the ladies’s race up first, and the lads’s race to observe at 6:30 p.m. Comply with Canadian Operating on Twitter and Instagram for up-to-date protection.
