Running News Daily

Natasha Wodak returns to Ottawa in search of a three-peat

For the past nine years, the last weekend of May has been a significant date on the calendar for many of Canada’s top distance runners, who head to Ottawa to battle it out on the roads for the Canadian 10K Championship. Last year, Moh Ahmed came close to beating Ben Flanagan’s national record on the banks of the Rideau Canal, surging past Canadian record holder Cam Levins in the final kilometre to win his first national 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 would put her in a league of her own and make her the only woman to three-peat in championship history.

Wodak is coming off her third marathon build in the last 12 months. Four weeks ago, she took her final shot at the Paris Olympic standard of 2:26:50 (at the Hamburg Marathon), but came up three and a half minutes shy. After a few days off, Wodak returned to training in hopes of winning her third consecutive 10K title. “It feels like my training for this has been brief,” laughs Wodak. “I’m hoping there’s some residual fitness in the legs.”

The Canadian record holder in the marathon has competed at the last seven editions of the 10K and won on four occasions. “It’s our national championships and I come here every year to compete,” says Wodak. “I have no false expectations of winning, but I know I’ll fight hard for a top-five spot.”

The women’s field this year is deeper than it has been in recent years, with (soon-to-be) three-time Canadian Olympian Malindi Elmore also dropping down in distance to challenge Wodak for the national title. Elmore made it clear at Friday’s press conference that she’ll be racing on a full week’s training load and using the race to kick off the next stage of her Olympic marathon build.

Outside of Elmore and Wodak, former national champion Lanni Marchant returns to Ottawa, coming off a solid performance at the Night of the 10,000m PBs in London last weekend, where she ran 33:24. Marchant last won here in Ottawa in 2016. Eliyah Brawdy of Smithers, B.C., could also be a surprise winner. Two weeks ago in Coquitlam, B.C., Brawdy won her first national title over 10,000m (on the track), clocking an impressive 33:37.

Rory Linkletter vs. Ben Flanagan

Calgary’s Rory Linkletter had two goals for his 2024 season, and he’s already accomplished one of them: punching his ticket to the Paris Olympic Games (his second Olympics). Now, he aims to achieve his second goal: winning his first career Canadian national title. Linkletter came close two weeks ago at the Canadian 10,000m Championships in B.C., finishing second to Toronto’s Andrew Alexander in a wild sprint finish, but now he’ll get that chance once again on Saturday night in Ottawa, with only a few men standing in his way—including one of Canada’s best road racers and the 10K record holder, Ben Flanagan.

These two men know each other very well, having competed against one another for the last 10 years (dating back to their collegiate days in the NCAA). Being just one year apart in age, their careers have taken different paths. Flanagan has racked up several national titles over 5K and 10K and found success on the track over 5,000m. In contrast, Linkletter jumped up to the marathon, lowering his personal best by eight minutes since his debut in 2019. “The Ottawa 10K will be a good test of where I’m at,” says Linkletter. “I look forward to racing more than anything, and I love doing it—I always want to win.”

Flanagan has won the Ottawa 10K in his last two appearances and dominated the race from start to finish when he won two years ago in 28:39. “This is my first road race of the season before gearing up for the Canadian Olympic Trials,” says Flanagan. “I’m excited and eager to see where my fitness is at. I want to put on a show.”