Natasha Wodak and Moh Ahmed win top spots at Canadian 10K Championships

More than 6,400 runners took part in the 2023 Ottawa 10K, presented by Otto’s Ottawa. The race attracted some of the best professional runners in Canada as well as thousands of participants from across the National Capital Region and the country. Once again this year, Ottawa played host to the Canadian 10K Championships. 

In the women’s category, 41-year-old Natasha Wodak of Vancouver completed the 10K in 32:51, winning the Canadian Championship for the third year in a row. Wodak took an early lead, leaving Leslie Sexton to take 2nd place, in 33:13. Montreal’s Caroline Pomerleau captured 3rd in 33:16.

Mohammed Ahmed took first place in the men’s category, with a time of 28:21. For most of the race, the St. Catherine’s runner ran neck and neck with Cam Levins, of Black Creek, British Columbia. But Ahmed was able to pull away in the final stretch, leaving Levins to take second in a time of 28:39. Jeremy Coughler, of London, Ontario, took third place in 29:31. 

Starting at Ottawa City Hall, the 10K course took runners along the famous Rideau Canal before heading across the Pretoria Bridge to an exciting finish in front of thousands of cheering spectators on Queen Elizabeth Drive. But the heat posed a challenge for many runners, as it was 28 degrees Celsius when the race started. 

posted Sunday May 28th