Running News Daily

More than a decade after her husband etched his name into the history books of the Ottawa Marathon, Ethiopian-born star Yemane Tsegay has another reason to celebrate — this time through the remarkable triumph of his wife, Abeba Aregawi.

Back in 2014, Yemane produced one of the finest performances ever witnessed on the streets of Ottawa, storming to victory in a course-record time of 2:06:54. His dominant run remains one of the most memorable moments in the history of the race and established his legacy as one of the marathon’s great champions.

Now, in a beautiful continuation of that family legacy, Abeba Aregawi has written her own chapter in Ottawa’s rich distance-running history.

Competing in the women’s race at the 2026 Ottawa Marathon, the Ethiopian-born athlete delivered a composed and world-class performance to cross the finish line in 2:22:55, securing a brilliant victory and adding another golden moment to the family’s remarkable résumé.

Her victory was more than just another marathon win. It was a story of endurance, partnership, resilience and shared greatness — a rare moment where husband and wife have both stood atop the podium at the same prestigious marathon, years apart.

Aregawi, widely respected for her success on the track before transitioning to longer distances, showed exceptional strength and tactical maturity throughout the race. As the kilometers unfolded through the Canadian capital, she gradually separated herself from the field before powering home to a memorable triumph.

For athletics fans, the emotional connection between the two victories makes the story even more special. Yemane’s course-record heroics in 2014 inspired many East African athletes, and now Abeba has ensured the family name once again echoes proudly across Ottawa’s marathon history.

Their achievements underline not only individual brilliance, but also the extraordinary bond shared by two elite athletes who continue to inspire the global running community.

From Yemane’s unforgettable course record to Abeba’s commanding victory, Ottawa has become more than just another marathon destination for the family — it has become part of their legacy.

The 2026 Ottawa International Marathon is shaping up to be one of the most competitive women’s races on the global calendar, with Ethiopia’s Meseret Belete leading a breathtaking elite field packed with proven champions, national record holders, and rising stars.

Scheduled for Sunday, May 24 in Canada’s capital city, the race has assembled an extraordinary lineup that promises speed, drama, and a possible course record battle on the streets of Ottawa.

At the center of the spotlight stands Meseret Belete, the Ethiopian marathon star whose blistering personal best of 2:18:21 makes her the fastest woman in the field. Known for her fearless front-running style and relentless closing strength, Belete arrives in Ottawa carrying the weight of expectation as one of the premier marathoners in the world.

But victory will be far from guaranteed.

Fellow Ethiopians Rahma Tusa (2:19:33) and Meskerem Assefa (2:20:36) bring equally dangerous credentials into the race, creating what could become a tactical and high-paced Ethiopian showdown from the opening kilometers. With multiple athletes under 2:23, the margin for error will be razor thin.

The depth of the field is what truly elevates this edition of the Ottawa Marathon into something special.

Kidsan Alema, Tahir Kuftu, Meseret Gebre, Birke Debele, Elfinesh Demise, and Abebech Afework all enter with elite-level performances capable of producing a breakthrough victory on the right day. Kenya’s Betty Chepkorir also adds further firepower to the international contest, ensuring East Africa’s dominance will once again headline the event.

Adding even more intrigue is the presence of Canadian marathon record holder Natasha Wodak, who returns to race on home soil carrying the hopes of the local crowd. Wodak, who owns a national record of 2:23:12, remains one of the most respected distance runners in Canadian history and will be eager to challenge the deep international field in front of passionate home support.

Meanwhile, Swedish-Ethiopian star Abeba Aregawi is set to make her marathon debut — one of the most fascinating storylines heading into the race. A former world-class middle-distance runner with exceptional track credentials, Aregawi’s transition to the marathon will attract enormous attention from athletics fans worldwide.

Canadian debutant Jade Bérubé and compatriot Élissa Legault complete a field that blends experience, ambition, and emerging talent, giving the race a unique international flavor.

With Ottawa known for its fast course and excellent racing conditions, the ingredients are perfectly in place for a historic afternoon. If the pace is aggressive early, spectators could witness one of the quickest marathon performances ever recorded on Canadian soil.

More than just a race, the 2026 Ottawa International Marathon is rapidly becoming a global stage for women’s distance running excellence — and with Meseret Belete leading a field this deep, the battle for the crown could produce one of the defining marathon moments of the season.

The 2006 Commonwealth Games 1500m champion explained how competing in the dirtiest race in history forced her into early retirement.

Retired English middle-distance runner Lisa Dobriskey has detailed how having to compete against runners who cheat fueled her desire to retire before she was ready.

The former Commonwealth Games champion recounted the 1500m final race at the London 2012 Olympic Games where almost every runner was banned for doping. The winner of the race, Asli Cakir Alptekin was banned in 2017, for a third-time offence, this time for life.

The second-place finisher, Gamze Bulut was also banned for four years in 2016, meaning the athlete who finished third at the time, Maryam Yusuf Jamal, was elevated to first place. Tatyana Tomashova who finished fourth was banned for two years in 2008.

Abeba Aregawi who finished fifth was suspended in 2016 but that was lifted. Shannon Rowbury was elevated to third place in the race. Natallia Kareiva was also banned for two years in 2014 while Lucia Klocova was since elevated to fourth. Ekaterina Kostetskaya was also banned for two years in 2014 with Lisa Dobriskey now elevated to fifth-place. Laura Weightman, Hellen Obiri and Morgan Uceny were also in that race.

Lisa Dobriskey revealed that athletes constantly cheating impacted her career and she opted to leave other than having to constantly fight for justice and nothing right seemed to be happening.

“Trying to get back I thought, ‘What’s the point?’ I lost my heart and it played a big part of my decision to walk away. I have never, ever got over it. There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t think about it. It kills me inside,” Dobriskey said as per The Times.

“I’m not someone who makes that sort of comment lightly. I knew my sport so well and I knew what I was saying was grounded and true. It was a case of, ‘I’m telling you these people are cheating,’ but my voice just got crushed and I was made to look foolish and bitter. From the outside I can understand I looked spoilt, but it took courage to speak out, and that got trampled on.”

The doping menace hurt her so bad that she admitted she could not watch the Paris Olympic Games. Dobriskey disclosed that she never wanted to stop running but her body had had enough and was not going to condone that.

Even after a series of attempts, she could not get herself to get back on track since it was mentally draining. She has lost a lot of faith in what the future holds when it comes to track and field as she believes the game is rigged.

“I just can’t. It hurts so much. I didn’t want to stop running but my body gave up. I tried to get back to watching but it’s just too painful and makes me spiral and get in a mess mentally. Now 2012 feels almost comical. I was fifth but never finished fifth,” she said.

“I just don’t know. It’s hard to trust a system that let you down so many times. I’m detached from it now. I’ve moved on.”

Though out of the public limelight, the history-making Pamela Jelimo is still winning.

Jelimo, the first Kenyan woman to win an Olympic gold medal with her exploits in 800m at the 2008 Beijing Summers Games, is set to receive yet another medal.

Jelimo, the 2008 Africa 800m and 2012 World Indoor 800m champion, who finished fourth in one minute and 57.59 second set to benefit after race winner Mariya Savinova from Russia, was stripped of the gold medal for doping.

Jelimo, who celebrated her 32nd birthday on December 5, is set to receive her bronze medal from the 2012 London Olympic Games on Wednesday at the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K) office, Gallant House, Nairobi.

Legendary Kipchoge Keino, who is an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member alongside NOC-K president, Paul Tergat, will preside over the presentation ceremony.   

South Africa’s Caster Semenya and another Russian Ekaterina Poistogova, who had settled for silver and bronze, were scaled to gold and silver with their times of 1:57.23 and 1:57.53 respectively.

Kenya’s 2007 World 800m champion Janeth Jepkosgei, who had settled eighth in the race in 2:00.19 and Hellen Obiri, who came eighth in women’s 1,500m at the same Olympics, will receive their certificates.

Another Russian Elena Arzhakova, who finished sixth in 1:59.21 in the same race was also banned for having doped too.

With Savinova and Arzhakova banned, Jepkosgei, who had settled eighth in the race in 2:00.19 was upgraded to sixth.

On November 9, 2015, the Independent Commission Investigation of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) asked for a lifetime ban for doping for Savinova, who had won gold and Poistogova, who had won bronze.

In February 2017, it was announced that Savinova was stripped of her gold medal but Poistogova was suspended in 2017 for two years, backdated to October 2014. Her London result, though, was not affected.

Alysia Johnson Montaño (1:57.93) from the United States of America and Burundi’s Francine Niyonsaba (1:59.63) finished fourth and fifth in the women’s 800m final.

A record four athletes that finished ahead of Obiri, who had settled 12th, were suspended for doping- Aslı Çakır Alptekin and Gamze Bulut from Turkey, who had won gold and silver respectively, Natallia Kareiva of Belarus, who had finished fifth and Russian Yekaterina Kostetskaya, who came sixth.

Maryam Yusuf Jamal (Bahrain), Tatyana Tomashova (Russia) and Abeba Aregawi (Ethiopia) were all scaled to gold, silver and bronze.

Aregwai, who changed allegiance to Sweden was suspended for doping in 2016.

This is the second time Olympics medals or certificates are being awarded in Kenya years later.

Asbel Kiprop received his gold medal from the 2008 Beijing Olympics in Nairobi in 2011 after the winner,  Rashid Ramzi , was flagged down for doping.

The past six winners of the women’s world indoor 1500m title have all either been Ethiopian or Ethiopian-born: Genzebe Dibaba (2018 and 2012), naturalised Netherlander Sifan Hissan (2016) and Swede Abeba Aregawi (2014), Kalkidan Gezahegne (2010) and Gelete Burka (2008). The sequence is unlikely to be broken in Belgrade.

In physical terms, Gudaf Tsegay might be only 1.63m (5ft 4in) tall but metaphorically the 25-year-old stands head and shoulders above the rest of the 22-strong entry list. In February last year she relieved Dibaba of the world indoor record with her sensational 3:53.09 run in Lievin and, 13 months on, the form book suggests that the clear world leader will succeed her compatriot as world indoor champion.

Tsegay ran a scorching 3:54.77 in Torun on February 22, the second fastest in history, and 3:57.38 in Madrid on March 2. Nobody else has cracked four minutes indoors in 2022. The next quickest is also Ethiopian. Axumawit Embaye, who won in Karlsruhe in 4:02.12, finished second to Aregawi in Sopot in 2014 and fourth in Portland in 2016 – behind Hassan and Ethiopian team-mates Dawit Seyaum and Tsegay.

Tsegay has won all nine races she has contested at all distances in the past three indoor seasons. Her last indoor defeat dates back to February 8, 2019, when she finished fourth over 3000m in Madrid.

She has not lost a 1500m race indoors or outdoors since the 2019 World Championships final in Doha, when she finished third behind Hassan and Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon. Her last indoor defeat at the distance was on 10 February 2018, when she placed third at the World Indoor Tour event in Boston.

Even when she fell on the opening lap of the mile race at this year’s Lievin meeting in February, she picked herself up, resisted a mid-race challenge from Embaye, and  proceeded to win comfortably in 4:21.72, breaking the 20-year-old meeting record.

Tsegay is on a run of three global bronzes, having finished third in the 2016 world indoor 1500m final, the 2019 world outdoor final in Doha and in the 5000m final at the Tokyo Olympics last year. Barring unforeseen disaster, the 2014 world U20 silver medallist’s long pursuit of a Midas touch seems destined to finally meet with a golden global success in Belgrade.

Heather Maclean could be a danger in a tactical affair, having gone from fifth to first with a 29.71-second last lap at the US Indoor Championships. Josette Norris, who finished second in that race, has also displayed great form this year.

Other potential podium placers include Ethiopia’s 2019 African Games 800m champion Hirut Meshesha, who was second in Karlsruhe in 4:02.22, and Uganda’s Winnie Nanyondo. Fourth in the 800m at the 2019 World Championships, Nanyondo improved her Ugandan indoor 1500m record to 4:03.54 in Torun.