Canadian 10K Championships preview: Natasha Wodak returns to Ottawa within the hunt for a three-peat

For the earlier 9 years, the ultimate weekend of May has been a serious date on the calendar for lots of of Canada’s excessive distance runners, who head to Ottawa to battle it out on the roads for the Canadian 10K Championship. Remaining yr, Moh Ahmed obtained right here close to beating Ben Flanagan’s nationwide doc on the banks of the Rideau Canal, surging earlier Canadian doc holder Cam Levins throughout the final 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 women’s side. Now, Wodak is aiming for a third straight Canadian 10K title, which could put her in a league of her private and make her the one girl to three-peat in championship historic previous.

Wodak is coming off her third marathon assemble throughout the remaining 12 months. 4 weeks prior to now, she took her final shot on the Paris Olympic customary of two:26:50 (on the Hamburg Marathon), nevertheless obtained right here up three and a half minutes shy. After a lot of days off, Wodak returned to teaching in hopes of profitable her third consecutive 10K title. “It seems like my teaching for this has been non permanent,” laughs Wodak. “I’m hoping there’s some residual well being throughout the legs.”

The Canadian doc holder throughout the marathon has competed on the ultimate seven editions of the 10K and gained on 4 occasions. “It’s our nationwide championships and I come proper right here yearly to compete,” says Wodak. “I’ve no false expectations of profitable, nevertheless I do know I’ll battle onerous for a top-five spot.”

The women’s topic this yr is deeper than it has been recently, with (soon-to-be) three-time Canadian Olympian Malindi Elmore moreover dropping down in distance to drawback Wodak for the nationwide title. Elmore made it clear at Friday’s press conference that she’ll be racing on a full week’s teaching load and using the race to kick off the next stage of her Olympic marathon assemble.

Outdoor of Elmore and Wodak, former nationwide champion Lanni Marchant returns to Ottawa, coming off a powerful effectivity on the Night of the ten,000m PBs in London remaining weekend, the place she ran 33:24. Marchant remaining gained proper right here in Ottawa in 2016. Eliyah Brawdy of Smithers, B.C., can be a shock winner. Two weeks prior to now in Coquitlam, B.C., Brawdy gained her first nationwide title over 10,000m (on the observe), clocking a strong 33:37.

Rory Linkletter vs. Ben Flanagan

Calgary’s Rory Linkletter had two aims for his 2024 season, and he’s already accomplished actually one in all them: punching his ticket to the Paris Olympic Video video games (his second Olympics). Now, he objectives to realize his second goal: profitable his first occupation Canadian nationwide title. Linkletter obtained right here shut two weeks prior to now on the Canadian 10,000m Championships in B.C., ending second to Toronto’s Andrew Alexander in a wild sprint finish, nevertheless now he’ll get that likelihood as quickly as as soon as extra on Saturday night time time in Ottawa, with just some males standing in his technique—along with actually one in all Canada’s biggest freeway racers and the 10K doc holder, Ben Flanagan.

These two males know each other very successfully, having competed in opposition to one another for the ultimate 10 years (relationship once more to their collegiate days throughout the NCAA). Being just one yr apart in age, their careers have taken completely completely different paths. Flanagan has racked up a lot of nationwide titles over 5K and 10K and situated success on the observe over 5,000m. In distinction, Linkletter jumped as a lot because the marathon, lowering his non-public biggest by eight minutes since his debut in 2019. “The Ottawa 10K may be a wonderful check out of the place I’m at,” says Linkletter. “I look forward to racing larger than one thing, and I actually like doing it—I always must win.”

Flanagan has gained the Ottawa 10K in his remaining two appearances and dominated the race from start to finish when he gained two years prior to now in 28:39. “That’s my first freeway race of the season sooner than gearing up for the Canadian Olympic Trials,” says Flanagan. “I’m excited and determined to see the place my well being is at. I must positioned on a gift.”

The way in which to observe

You probably can stream Saturday’s Ottawa 10K (Canadian 10K Championships) reside on YouTube. Safety begins at 6:15 p.m. E.T., with the women’s race up first, and the lads’s race to watch at 6:30 p.m. Adjust to Canadian Working on Twitter and Instagram for up-to-date safety.