Amongst a world-class field, Canadian athletes will compete for a national title Saturday May 27 at the Ottawa 10k. Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend will welcome approximately 48,000 runners across six different races. The Ottawa 10k is the only IAAF Gold Label 10k event in Canada, and one of only four IAAF Gold Label 10K events in the world.
In order to qualify for Canadian championship prize money, athletes must be Canadian citizens, members of Athletics Canada and registered in the event as a professional runner. The following prize purse is available for both the men and women’s field:
1st – $3,000.00
2nd – $1,500.00
3rd – $1,000.00
4th – $750.00
5th – $500.00
6th – $400.00
7th – $300.00
8th – $200.00
If a Canadian citizen in the professional field breaks the Canadian record, they will win a bonus of $2,500. Men: 28:17 - Paul McCloy 1987; Women: 31:44 - Lynn Williams 1989.
Olympian and current Canadian 10,000-metres record holder Natasha Wodak of Vancouver, leads the field of competitors. Wodak, who placed 22nd in the 10,000m in Rio, is recovering well from a foot injury and won the Vancouver Half Marathon earlier this month in 1:12:58. Rachel Cliff of Vancouver ran an impressive 1:12:07 at this year’s NYC Half Marathon and should not be overlooked. Two additional athletes to keep an eye on are Tarah Korir of St. Clements, Ont., who represented Canada at the 2016 World Half Marathon Championships, and Victoria Coates of Hamilton, Ont. Coates was Canada’s second runner across the finish line at this year’s IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
Three-time Olympian and previous Canadian 10km champion Eric Gillis of Antigonish, N.S., leads the list of championship contenders in the men’s field. Gillis had an outstanding Olympic Games finishing 10th in the marathon in Rio. He’s no stranger to the 10km distance, he is the reigning Canadian champion on the track in the 10,000-metres. Looking to challenge Gillis will be 2016 Canadian Half Marathon champion Thomas Toth of Lakefield, Ont. Toth recently achieved the marathon World Championship standard by running 2:17:59 at the Hamburg Marathon. Other contenders for a podium finish include 2016 fourth place finisher Kevin Tree of Tottenham, Ont., and Tristan Woodfine of Guelph, Ont. Woodfine’s 1:05:28 half marathon currently ranks him second in Canada.
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