Running News Daily

Natasha Wodak hoping to surprise herself at Toronto Waterfront Marathon

The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon (TWM) returns on Sunday, doubling as the Canadian Marathon Championships. For our Canadian elite athletes, Sunday’s race provides a chance to qualify for the marathon at the 2025 World Athletics Championships, to be held in Tokyo. Canadian record holder Natasha Wodak will toe the line in Toronto for the first time in 11 years, setting her sights on her first-ever Canadian marathon title.

Wodak made her marathon debut here in 2013. The 42-year-old from Vancouver has been on a golden streak this year, winning the Vancouver Half Marathon in June and Vancouver’s Eastside 10K in September. But earlier this year, she fell short of her goal to qualify for Canadian Olympic team after completing four marathon builds and taking three attempts at the race in the span of 18 months.

“The marathon is a beast”

“Nothing is guaranteed,” Wodak says. “Never in a million years would I have thought that after running 2:23:00, I wouldn’t be able to come within four minutes of that, four different times in 18 months.” Wodak completed the 42.2K event at the 2023 Budapest World Championships, 2024 Houston and Hamburg marathon events, falling short of the Olympic standard each time, and had scratched from the 2023 London Marathon after coming down with a stomach bug. “The marathon is a beast; you’ve got to have the right day, the right fitness, the right weather–everything has to click on the right day.”

The two-time Olympian holds a personal best of 2:23:12, which has stood as the Canadian record since the 2022 Berlin Marathon. “The A goal is to win the Canadian marathon championships,” she says, hoping to add that title to her already impressive resume. “Everyone wants to be a national champion.”

After steering away from her original plan to race at the Valencia Marathon, Wodak is taking a different approach at Toronto’s big-city race; she can finally enjoy racing in Canada in front of family and friends without the pressure of hitting the Olympic standard. She adds that the generous prize purse offered by TWM was an incentive. She revealed she plans on starting out conservatively, with the hope of having a fast second half. “I’ll go out at 2:25 to 2:26 pace, and hope to catch a few of the women who go out too hard,” she says. “It would be really nice to place in the top three. If all goes well, maybe I can surprise myself and others by having a really fast last 10K.”

After her attempts to qualify for Paris 2024, Wodak says she has learned not to take anything for granted. She says she began to jump into workouts with friends, running because she wanted to and doing what felt good. “I did enjoy the process over time, so I have no regrets,” she says. “It’s a privilege to do this.”

Erin Mawhinney to make marathon debut

Defending TWM half-marathon champion Erin Mawhinney will be doubling her usual distance to make her first-ever attempt at 42.2K. The 28-year-old, a two-time winner of the Under Armour Toronto 10K, has been slowly building up her mileage while training for the past three years with coach and two-time Olympian Reid Coolsaet; at the peak of her build, she reached 190 km in one week–quite a contrast to the maximum of 43 km she used to run weekly  in university. The increase in mileage means increased time dedicated to training, adding to her already-busy schedule; the Hamilton native works full-time as a nurse, with the occasional night shift. “My apartment is a mess all the time, and I’m always out of groceries, since I’m eating more to support that mileage,” she says.

“You go in a little bit blind,” Mawhinney says. “You can sort of predict from the half-marathon what might happen, but it’s also a completely different event.” Her half-marathon best stands at 1:11:50, which she ran in March. “Somewhere in the low 2:30s would be a great day, but I’m mostly just excited to try out a marathon.”

Anne-Marie Comeau to seek redemption

Anne-Marie Comeau of Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que., is the reigning Canadian Marathon Championships silver medallist; the 2018 winter Olympian in cross-country skiing led for 42.1 kilometres of last year’s race before being passed by Quebec City’s Caroline Pomerleau, who nabbed the title. Comeau, who is 28, struggled over the last 10 km, and aims to pack her pockets with gels this year to avoid fading in the final stretch. “I had a rough year,” she says. “I’ve done a lot of marathon builds without actually racing.” Comeau was set to race the Houston Marathon and the Boston Marathon, but had to scratch from both, first due to Covid, and then to a shoulder dislocation while skiing.

Finally getting the chance to race, Comeau has set big foals for herself. “I want to get a personal best,” she says. “My marathon PB (2:34:51) is from last year on this course. I’m going to start a bit slower, at 2:31 to 2:32 pace, and see if I’m able to push harder toward the end.”

International field

Waganesh Mekasha of Ethiopia has her eyes set on the course record this year. The 32-year-old holds a personal best of 2:22:45 from the 2019 Dubai Marathon and took second in Toronto last fall, with a time of 2:23:12. “I enjoyed the race last year,” she says. “The course was great. The pacer dropped early and it affected us.” Her best time sits just off the course record of 2:22:16. The 2023 Ottawa Marathon champion feels as though she has prepared even better than last year. “If the pace goes out well and the weather is good, the course record is possible,” she says.

Ethiopia’s Roza Dereje comes into the race with the fastest personal best in the women’s field (2:18:30), and will also be fighting to take down the five-year-old course record. “I’m ready and prepared to challenge the course record,” she says. Dereje, 27, finished fourth in the marathon at the Tokyo Olympic Games, and became a mother in 2023. This is her first time visiting Canada.

For the first time in the race weekend’s history, the 5K race, traditionally held on the same day as the marathon and half-marathon, has been moved to Saturday; the race has already raised more than $3,000,000 for the TCS Charity Program.

How to watch

The 2024 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon and Canadian Marathon Championships can be streamed on Sunday, Oct. 20, on World Athletics Inside Track, CBC Sports, or the CBC Gem app. The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is one of the first North American marathons to be featured on the WA Inside Track worldwide feed. This year, 30,000 participants from 70 countries will take part in Toronto’s race weekend (a record). All runners can be tracked using the official TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon app, available for download on the App Store and Google Play.

(10/19/2024) Views: 200 ⚡AMP
by Cameron Ormond

TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon elite field announced for 2024

We are just 10 days away from Canada’s largest race weekend: the 2024 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Since 2015, this event has also served as the annual Canadian Marathon Championships. This year’s race will feature everything from former champions and national record holders to rising stars looking to make their mark on the 42.2 km distance.

Here’s your cheat sheet for the men’s and women’s elite fields in Toronto.

Canadian men’s field

Andrew Alexander (Toronto): The 25-year-old former NCAA standout won the 2023 Toronto Waterfront Half-Marathon in 62:44. He is coached by Matt Hughes, the Canadian record holder in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase, and former Canadian marathoner Dave Reid. Alexander is aiming for a sub-2:10 finish at his hometown marathon.

Thomas Broatch (Vancouver): The reigning Canadian marathon champion. He was the first Canadian across the line last year in his marathon debut (2:16:25). Four months later, Broatch took another shot at the distance, lowering his personal best by more than four minutes at the 2024 Houston Marathon (2:11:54).

Justin Kent (Surrey, B.C.): This will be Kent’s first time competing at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon. He ran his PB of 2:13:07 at the 2023 Prague Marathon, earning him a spot on Team Canada’s men’s marathon team for the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

Maxime Leboeuf (Gatineau, Que.): Leboeuf finished third at the 2022 Montreal Marathon in 2:24:25. He’s a former graduate of Queen’s University XC program and an avid cross-country skier.

Kieran McDonald (Halifax): McDonald will be making his marathon debut in Toronto. He ran his half-marathon best of 65:45 at the 2024 Houston Half Marathon in January.

Alex Neuffer (Stratford, P.E.I.): Neuffer ran his PB of 2:21:34 at the 2022 Boston Marathon, finishing as one of the top Canadians. He’s a graduate of St. Francis Xavier University’s XC program and a training partner of Kieran McDonald (see above). 

Thomas Nobbs (Vancouver): The 25-year-old will be running his second-career marathon in Toronto. He made his debut in Philadelphia last fall, running 2:19:13. Nobbs finished just off the podium at the 2024 Canadian 10K Championships, in 29:31. He also finished second at the Canadian Half Marathon Championships in Winnipeg in June.

Sergio Ráez Villanueva (Mississauga, Ont.): Ráez Villanueva has competed at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon for the last two years. He set his best of 2:18:04 here in 2022 (his marathon debut). Ráez Villanueva is self-coached and also coaches youth athletes in his hometown of Mississauga.

Tristan Woodfine (Cobden, Ont.): Coached by former Canadian Olympic marathoner Reid Coolsaet. Woodfine won the half marathon here in 2022. He has the fastest time among Canadian men in the field, with a PB of 2:10:39 from Houston earlier this year.

International men’s field

Elvis Cheboi (Kenya): Cheboi ran his personal best of 2:09:20 to win the 2023 Toronto Waterfront Marathon. (Reigning champion)

Mulugeta Uma (Ethiopia): Uma ran 2:05:33 to win the 2024 Paris Marathon in April. He has the fastest personal best in the men’s field.

Abdi Fufa (Ethiopia): Fufa finished just off the podium at the 2024 Dubai Marathon in January (2:06:23). He ran his PB of 2:05:57 at the Siena Marathon in 2021 (where he was second). The 29-year-old is looking for his first marathon win.

Hailu Zewdu (Ethiopia): The 29-year-old ran his PB of 2:06:31 at the Dubai Marathon in 2020. He has not broken 2:09:00 in his six marathons since.

Gizealew Ayana (Ethiopia): Ayana is the youngest elite athlete in the field–he’s only 21. He ran his PB of 2:07:15 to win the 2023 Paris Marathon in his debut at the distance.

Domenic Ngeno (Kenya): The 26-year-old is the fastest Kenyan marathoner in the Toronto field. He won the 2024 L.A. Marathon in March in 2:11:01. Ngeno’s PB of 2:07:26 was from a podium finish at the 2023 Eindhoven Marathon in the Netherlands.

Noah Kipkemboi (Kenya): A veteran of the marathon distance. The 31-year-old has competed at more than 10 marathons in his career. He podiumed at the Enschede Marathon earlier this year, with a time of 2:09:06. 

Brian Kipsang (Kenya): Kipsang arrives in Toronto fresh off a personal best at the 2024 Milan Marathon in March, where he placed second in 2:07:56. The 30-year-old has finished in the top five at three of his last four races. 

Abe Gashahun (Ethiopia): Gashahun has the fastest half-marathon personal best in the field of 59:46. He’s had success at shorter distances and cross country, but it hasn’t yet translated to the marathon. The 26-year-old ran 2:08:51 earlier this year in Saudi Arabia.

Sydney Gidabuday (U.S.A.): Former member of Adidas Tinman Elite Track Club in Colorado. Gidabuday made his marathon debut on Canadian soil at the 2023 Ottawa Marathon, where he finished ninth. His PB of 2:14:34 was run at the hilly NYC Marathon in 2023.

Yusuf Nadir (U.S.A.): Personal best of 2:15:27 from the 2023 Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minn. He finished 25th at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February.

Aidan Reed (U.S.A.): Also made his marathon debut at the 2023 Ottawa Marathon–2:20:23. Reed ran collegiately at Southern Utah University, following in the footsteps of Canadian marathon record holder Cam Levins.

Canadian women’s field

Kate Bazeley (St. John’s, N.L.): The 40-year-old ran her PB of 2:36:35 in Toronto in 2019. Earlier this year, Bazeley represented Team Canada at the World XC Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

Anne-Marie Comeau (Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que.): The 2018 Canadian (winter) Olympian ran her marathon best of 2:34:51 in Toronto last year, crossing the line as the second Canadian woman.

Asia Dwyer (Toronto): Dwyer ran her personal best of 2:42:45 at the 2023 Toronto Waterfront Marathon last fall. She told Canadian Running in an interview for the November/December 2024 issue of the print magazine that she is looking to smash her previous best.

Rachel Hannah (Port Elgin, Ont.): Hannah was the top Canadian finisher at the 2024 Ottawa Marathon in May. She won a bronze medal for Canada at the 2015 Pan-American Games in Toronto. She ran her personal best of 2:32:09 was at the 2016 Houston Marathon.

Liza Howard (Toronto): Howard told Canadian Running in an interview that her goal is to reach the podium and run a personal best. Howard ran her current personal best of 2:35:29 at the 2022 Chicago Marathon. She has unofficially broken the Canadian women’s 50K record, twice, in her marathon build for this race.

Erin Mawhinney (Hamilton): The 28-year-old runner will be making her marathon debut in Toronto. She is coached by two-time Canadian Olympian Reid Coolsaet. She broke the tape at the Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon last year, running a PB of 1:13:50.

Melissa Paauwe (Calgary). Paauwe is carrying the pride of Calgary into Toronto. She ran her PB of 2:41:12 at the 2023 Chicago marathon, and finished as the top Canadian.

Leslie Sexton (Markham, Ont.): Sexton returns to Toronto to run her hometown marathon. She said she will be trying to qualify for Worlds in Tokyo next year. She set her PB of 2:28:14 at the 2024 Houston Marathon this year, but missed the Olympic standard by two minutes.

Natasha Wodak: (Vancouver) started her marathon career here in 2013 but has not returned until this year; has never won the championship. Her PB of 2:23:12 from the 2022 Berlin Marathon stands as the current Canadian record.

International women’s field

Waganesh Mekasha (Ethiopia): Has a personal best of 2:22:45  from the 2019 Dubai Marathon. The 32-year-old Ethiopian won the 2023 Ottawa Marathon and finished second in Toronto last fall, with a time of 2:23:12.

Afera Godfay (Ethiopia): Godfay finished third behind compatriots Buze Diriba and Mekasha (see above) last year. She has a personal best of 2:22:41 and has finished in the top five in four of her last five marathons.

Roza Dejere (Ethiopia): The 27-year-old Ethiopian has the fastest personal best in the women’s field (2:18:30). She finished fourth in the women’s marathon at the Tokyo Olympic Games. She comes to Toronto as a threat to the course record of 2:22:16, which was set in 2019.

Meseret Gebre (Ethiopia): Gebre hasn’t raced since Toronto last fall, where she finished seventh in 2:29:54. She set her PB of 2:23:11 to win the Barcelona Marathon in 2022.

Valentina Matieko (Kenya): One of two Kenyan women in the international elite field. Matieko comes to Toronto fresh off a personal best earlier this year at the Paris Marathon in April (2:24:21).

Lydia Simiyu (Kenya): Simiyu ran her PB of 2:25:10 earlier this year at the Rome Marathon. She served a six-month doping suspension in 2022 after she tested positive for chlorthalidone after the Poznan Half Marathon in Poland.

Rediet Daniel (Ethiopia): Two top-five finishes in her three professional marathon starts. The 24-year-old Ethiopian ran her personal best of  2:26:25 at the 2024 Doha Marathon in February.

The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, to be held on Oct. 20, is Canada’s premier running event and the grand finale of the Canada Running Series (CRS). Since 2017, the race has also served as the Athletics Canada marathon championship and Olympic trials.

(10/11/2024) Views: 256 ⚡AMP
by Marley Dickinson

WAGANESH MEKASHA RETURNS TO TCS TORONTO WATERFRONT MARATHON

Ethiopian marathon star Waganesh Mekasha has unfinished business at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon and returns with the intent of achieving victory in this World Athletics Elite Label Race, October 20th.

A year ago she went toe to toe with her compatriot Buze Diriba finishing one second behind Buze’s winning time of 2:23:11. Second place on that occasion was bittersweet.

“Yes it is frustrating to lose by a second,” she admits. “I prepared well and wanted to take the course record. Unfortunately it did not happen. I thought if we had a strong pacemaker I would win that race because at 35km I was so comfortable.

“I had to go all out and sprint to make the podium. If the girls helped me I wanted to push from 35 km after the pacer dropped out.”

Waganesh has known Buze since they were both members of the Ethiopian junior team competing at the 2011 World Cross Country Championships in Punta Umbria, Spain. On that occasion Waganesh finished 4th overall to help her country win the gold medal while Buze was 10th.

“We are not friends and we do not train together; but we see each other in different training locations,” Waganeshsays of their relationship.

Aside from missing out on the $20,000 first place prize money - she collected $10,000 for second - Waganesh’srecollections of her initial visit to Toronto are all positive. 

"Toronto is such a beautiful city,” she declares. “The crowds are amazing and we had a beautiful racing experience.

“The race was fantastic but the pacers did not do as we needed. After 35k I wanted to push but the (other two) ladies did not help. That’s why we three had to finish in a sprint.”

The third-place finisher on the day was another Ethiopian, Afera Godfay, who finished in 2:23:15. The four seconds separating the top 3 was an anomaly in marathon racing and made for a dramatic finish although, clearly, Waganesh has another perspective.

Waganesh was able to explore downtown Toronto on her first visit albeit while keeping close to her hotel so as not to expend unnecessary energy.  A shopping excursion to a nearby mall was one outing she prioritized - to buy clothes for her children.

“I did go shopping to buy clothes for my children. And I did see my friends (Canadian residents),” she confirms.

Like most Ethiopian runners she runs to help support her family which is comprised of her two young children, Benjamin, 7, and Amen, 4 and her husband, Anwar Arega.

“I want to give them a better opportunity,” Waganeshexplains. “But I do not encourage them to be a runner. I want them to do what they enjoy.

“My husband is always on my side. He drives me to training, cooks me food and, if necessary, he acts as my physio. Generally he is always there to help me push beyond my limit.”

Along with her training partners and, under the guidance of legendary Ethiopian coach Getamesay Molla, she has already begun her buildup for Toronto Waterfront. Her personal best marathon remains the 2:22:45 she ran at the 2019 Dubai Marathon. Could this be the year she surpasses it?

Experience counts immensely in marathon racing and at the age of 32 she has plenty. On her first visit to Canada she was the 2023 Ottawa Marathon champion. More recently, on February 25th of this year, she won the Osaka Marathon in 2:24:20. 

Like many athletes who have raced Toronto Waterfront she continues to eye the course record of 2:22:16 set by Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai in 2019.

“I know the course now and want to come back stronger,” she declares. “If things go as I wish and, if we have a strong pacemaker, I will do my best to break the course record and run fast and win the race. I do believe i will run faster than that (record).”

Asked about her running future she is clear: “Age is a number, I do believe I will have another ten years ahead.”

(08/22/2024) Views: 250 ⚡AMP
by Paul Gains

Ethiopia’s Buze Diriba wins the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon in a wild finish

On a windy marathon morning in Toronto, the women’s race came down to the wire, as four athletes, all of them from Ethiopia, finished within seven seconds of each other. Ethiopia’s Buze Diriba Kejela was quickest to the line, taking the win in 2:23:11–a five-minute personal best. 

Diriba was closely followed by 2023 Ottawa Marathon champion Waganesh Mekasha in second place (2:23:12) and Afera Godfay in third (2:23:15). This was the closest finish between a top three in the race’s history. The women were paced by Kingston, Ont.’s Kevin Coffey through 30K.

Fozya Jemal Amid was right on their heels, finishing fourth in 2:23:18 (a personal best); the U.S.’s Emily Durgin finished fifth in 2:26:46 in her debut marathon, nabbing herself a 2024 Olympic marathon qualifying time in the closest of margins. Durgin was the fastest North American finisher on the course, finishing three minutes ahead of her compatriot Molly Grabill. 

The women were within course record pace for most of the race, but the chilly wind on Toronto’s lakeshore took its toll, and the women’s course record of 2:22:16, set in 2019 by Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai, remained intact.

Godfay, who held the fastest seed heading into the race, did not push the pace, never taking a turn at the front to block the wind. “I came here to win, and was upset not to,” said Godfay on her third-place finish. “More speed won at the end.”

At the post-race press conference, Diriba credited her track speed for her ability to separate from the four women in the final kilometre. (She has a personal best of 14:50 for 5,000m.) She came into Sunday’s marathon with a PB of 2:28:06 from the 2019 Houston Marathon. 

Pomerleau wins Canadian title

Caroline Pomerleau of Quebec was the surprise winner of the Canadian Marathon Championships, placing 10th overall in her marathon debut, in 2:34:44. 

Pomerleau’s goal heading into her first marathon was to run under 2:40. On the final corner, she overtook Anne-Marie Comeau, who had been leading the Canadian women for most of the second half of the race, beating her by seven seconds; Comeau finished as second Canadian, in 2:34:51. Tokyo Olympian Dayna Pidhoresky rounded out the Canadian women’s podium for third, finishing in 2:35:50.

(10/16/2023) Views: 672 ⚡AMP
by Marley Dickinson

TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon: elite women’s and men’s preview

For the first time in the 34-year history of the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, the race has reached over 25,000 runners. Toronto has established itself as Canada’s premier marathon and has set a precedent in the global running community, with participants coming from 78 countries around the world for the marathon on Sunday, Oct. 15.

The elite field at the 2023 edition of the marathon looks significantly different from last year, and two new champions will be crowned on the men’s and women’s sides, as Ethiopia’s Yihunilign Adane and Kenya’s Antonina Kwamboi will not be returning. The 2023 elite field features up-and-coming stars, along with several American women aiming to achieve the Olympic standard of 2:26:50 ahead of the upcoming U.S. Olympic Trials in February.

The race will also determine two new Canadian marathon champions, with compelling storylines on both the men’s and women’s sides.

Women’s race

Will we see an American winner?

It has been 22 years since an American woman last won the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon (Leslie Gold in 2001) but in this year’s field, two American elites could possibly end the drought. One of them, Emily Durgin, a road racing specialist based out of Flagstaff, Ariz. came to Toronto looking for redemption after a less-than-ideal marathon debut in NYC last year.

Durgin said during Friday’s elite press conference that she felt the pressure to hit times and perform during her debut and ended up dropping out of the race before 30 km. “I learned a lot from New York and my build for Toronto has been different,” said Durgin. “As for a goal time, I want to run in the low 2:20s and be competitive.” The 29-year-old marathoner hopes to use Toronto as a stepping stone for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February 2024 in Orlando. Durgin was able to qualify for the trials from her time at the 2022 Houston Half Marathon where she finished 6th overall, clocking the seventh-fastest half-marathon in U.S. history with 67:54. “I came to Toronto to be competitive and contend for the the podium, as that’s what it will take to qualify at trials come February,” she said.

Another U.S. name in the women’s elite field to watch is Molly Grabill, who is running her sixth career marathon in Toronto on Sunday. Grabill told the media that she has similar plans to her compatriot Durgin and hopes to bounce back after, in her words, falling short of her goals in her last marathon in Hamburg earlier this year. Although Grabill ran the second-fastest marathon time of her career in Hamburg, she said she was disappointed as she took a swing and missed, struggling in the second half. “The goal in Toronto is to control the second half of the race better and gain strong momentum heading into the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials,” said Grabill. The 31-year-old from Boulder, Colo., is coming off a top-15 finish in 69:53 at the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia, earlier this month, which she says has given her a lot of confidence for Sunday.

Eyes on the course record?

Outside of the American duo, two other international athletes to watch are the Ethiopian duo of Afera Godfay and 2023 Ottawa Marathon champion Waganesh Mekasha. For Godfay, Toronto is her first marathon in three years after giving birth to her daughter. Her last marathon came in 2020 when she ran 2:26:43 to place third overall at the Xiamen Marathon in China. In her first two races back since becoming a mother, Godfay has run respectable half marathon times of 70 and 71 minutes but has not yet returned to her previous form. She said at Friday’s press conference that she hopes to come through the half mark in 1:11 and feels well-prepared for her marathon return. A glimpse of hope for Godfay is that she currently trains alongside the new women’s world record holder Tigist Assefa in Ethiopia. So, who knows what she is capable of?

The favourite in the women’s race is Mekasha, who is coming off a win in the scorching heat at the 2023 Ottawa Marathon in May. Mekasha is targeting the Canadian all-comers’ women’s marathon record on Sunday of 2:22:16, set four years ago by Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai at this race. Mekasha holds a personal best of 2:22:45 from the 2019 Dubai Marathon and said that she expects around a similar time on Sunday. “If the pacemaker runs a good pace, I hope to break the course record,” says Mekasha.

The Canadian contingent

Two of the top three Canadians from last year’s race have returned to the 2023 field, with Malindi Elmore, the reigning Canadian marathon champion, opting to run Berlin, where she clocked the second-fastest time in Canadian history (2:23:30). Returning are second and third place Canadian finishers Dayna Pidhoresky and Toronto’s own Sasha Gollish. Pidhoresky had an iconic moment here in 2019, when she raced just under the Olympic standard at the Canadian trials, winning in 2:29:03–qualifying her for the marathon at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Although the Olympic marathon didn’t go as planned for Pidhoresky, she was able to bounce back at this event last year to place seventh overall (second Canadian) in 2:30:58. 

“Growing up in Windsor, Ont., I came to Toronto for so many races,” said Pidhoresky on tackling on her fourth Toronto Waterfront Marathon. “I feel I know the course very well, which is helpful in a marathon, and it’s great to have a high-quality field that’s close to home.” Pidhoresky told the media that this build has not been smooth but she is still confident she can run a personal best Sunday. “This course is advantageous, and I need to be smart and just run my race,” she said.

It is a similar story for Gollish, who is running in her second consecutive TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, less than eight weeks after her last marathon at the 2023 World Championships in August. Gollish told Canadian Running at the press conference that she wants to go into this race with a similar mindset that she had in Budapest. “It feels like a privilege to be here, and I am not putting any pressure of a personal best on myself,” says Gollish. “For the longest time, I avoided this race because I felt there would be pressure to perform, but why not run something in your backyard fuelled by a community that has done so much for me?” Last year, Gollish surprised herself with a personal best time of 2:31:40 after a short marathon build. Could she do the same on Sunday?

A few other Canadian marathoners to watch are Emily Setlack, Toronto’s Liza Howard and Kim Krezonoski of Thunder Bay, Ont. It has been four years since Setlack has last touched the marathon, but with a personal best of 2:29:48 from the 2019 edition of this race, her potential to finish as the top Canadian should not be ignored. Setlack has had a quiet 2023 season but has strung together solid performances, winning Toronto’s historic Sporting Life 10K and placing eighth overall at the Canadian 10K Championships in May.

Howard has a personal best of 2:35:29 (Chicago 2022) and was the top Canadian finisher at the 2023 Boston Marathon (37th overall) in cold, wet and windy conditions. Krezonoski moved to Toronto within the last year and has been studying the course thoroughly in the hope of crushing her marathon personal best come Sunday. She ran her personal best of 2:37 at the California International Marathon last year but has dropped her half-marathon PB by nearly four minutes since. The spots on the domestic podium are up for grabs, and each of these three women could break through. 

Men’s race

The rise of Elvis 

The absence of Adane opens the door for several East African men hoping to establish their marathon careers in Toronto. One of these men is Kenya’s Elvis Kipchoge, who may already lay claim to the title of the best running name. This Kipchoge is a little less well-known than the former world record holder but boasts a faster half marathon personal best of 59:15, which earned him third place at the 2022 Barcelona Half Marathon. However, this Kipchoge has not had much luck in the marathon. At the young age of 27, he ran 2:10:21 at the Vienna Marathon earlier this year. He hopes to turn things around on a fast and flat Toronto course. Kipchoge has ties to the race, training alongside women’s course record holder Magdalyne Masai in Iten, Kenya. 

While there is no relation between Elvis and Eliud Kipchoge, besides sharing the same last name and initials, Ethiopian athlete Adugna Bikila hopes to follow in the footsteps of his uncle, Worku Bikila. Worku was a world-class 5,000m runner who finished sixth in the 1992 Olympic 5,000m final in Barcelona and took fourth place at the World Championships the following year. Bikila enters Toronto with the fastest time in the field, holding a personal best of 2:05:52 from the 2022 Seville Marathon, where he finished fourth.

All the East African men will be aiming to break the Canadian all-comers record and course record of 2:05:00, held by Kenya’s Philemon Rono, set in 2019. The weather forecast for Sunday indicates cool and favourable conditions for both the men’s and women’s fields, which should make both course records vulnerable.

Who’s next for Canada?

A new men’s Canadian champion will be crowned Sunday, and for the first time since 2016, their last name will not be Levins or Hofbauer. The 2023 men’s field is full of up-and-coming Canadian talent on the precipice of breaking into the elite scene. Mississauga’s Sergio Raez Villanueva returns to Toronto after a stunning 2:18:04 debut last year, which earned him top-five Canadian honours. Challenging Raez Villanueva is Ottawa’s Blair Morgan, who was the second Canadian at the hot and humid Ottawa Marathon in May, running 2:19:50. Morgan ran his personal best of 2:18:29 at the 2018 Toronto Waterfront Marathon but is looking for a sub-2:18 result this time around.  

Challenging Raez Villanueva and Morgan are debutants Thomas Broatch of Vancouver and 4:01 miler Kyle Grieve. Broatch is coming off a win at the Vancouver Eastside 10K where he beat three-time Toronto champion Trevor Hofbauer. “Winning the Eastside 10K was a huge confidence booster for me,” says Broatch. “Whenever you take the start line the objective is to win and run fast.” The 24-year-old software engineer told Canadian Running that he has ambitious goals to run under 2:15 on Sunday and that his marathon build has gone near perfect.

For Grieve, who grew up and still resides in Toronto, this marathon has always been on his bucket list. “I’ve been wanting to try a marathon for a few years and have just kept putting it off,” says Grieve, who got married in the summer. “Canada Running Series is a big reason I am still competing today, so it was never a question of where I wanted to run my first marathon.” His goal is to be competitive against a strong Canadian field and let the time come along with it.

How to watch?

Marathon fans from around the world will have the opportunity to watch the 2023 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon live on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, beginning at 8:00 a.m. ET with a pre-race introduction followed by the introduction of the elite field. The gun for the men’s and women’s elite field fires at 8:45 a.m. ET. All race action can be followed on torontowaterfrontmarathon.com or CBCsports.ca /CBC Gem or AthleticsCanada.tv.

(10/14/2023) Views: 610 ⚡AMP
by Marley Dickinson

Ethiopian Afera Godfay Confident of Success At TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Afera Godfay won the 2019 Dongying Marathon in China with a superb personal best 2:22:41 then almost completely vanished from the world scene for a few years.

There was a third-place finish in the Xiamen Marathon, also in China, a year later but that performance largely went under the radar.

On October 15th the 31-year-old Ethiopian will target the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon with high expectations. Indeed, in April this year she ran 1:10:25 at the Rabat International Half Marathon in Morocco which encouraged her to chase a new marathon personal best in Toronto. This will mark her first ever visit to Canada.

“Training is going great,” she reports. “I do my training six days a week - every day except Sunday. I cover a long distance with speed. Three days a week I run with (coach Gemedu Dedefo’s) group.

“My goal is to win (Toronto Waterfront) with a good time. I hope to run 2:24.”

The group is currently celebrating the great success of one of their members, Tigist Assefa, who smashed the world marathon record with her astonishing 2:11:53 in Berlin on Sunday. No doubt the result will provide inspiration to Afera.

The buildup is creating excitement as she is eager to return to her past level. Five times she has run under 1:10 for the half marathon distance over the years and she can now sense she is coming into form. Afera has a good reason for her absence those few years.

“It was because I gave birth to my child,” she explains. “And it was a bit hard to get back to my previous condition. I have one child and her name is Maranata.”

Afera comes from a small town in the war torn northern Ethiopian province of Tigray called Alaje. Although she moved to Addis in 2010 her parents still live in Tigray. She is thankful that they were not affected by the two-year-old war that lasted until November 2022 and which led to widespread famine.

Once a year, when her training program allows, she will visit her parents and friends in Alaje. She comes from a long line of farmers. Growing up under hardship likely fuelled her desire for success in road racing. But she also had mentors.

“My inspiration is Meseret Defar,” she declares. Defar is a two time Olympic 5,000m champion and a national hero in Ethiopia.

As a young athlete Afera had success at shorter distances and represented Ethiopia at the 2010 World Cross Country Championships. She finished a solid 8th in the Under 20 race in Bydgoszcz, Poland helping the Ethiopian team to a silver medal finish behind Kenya.

Two years later she again represented her country at the African Championships over 10,000m. She placed 7th in that meet which was held in Porto Novo, the capital of Benin. Asked why she turned to marathon racing her answer is simple: ““It’s because I have a good endurance and, money-wise, I find it better.”

Although she has not been to Toronto before coach Gemedu Dedefo made the journey a few years ago and will undoubtedly have some excellent insight into how best to race the course. And, travelling with her from Addis will be previously announced Ethiopian stars Derara Hurisa, Adugna Takele, and Yohans Mekasha who will feature strongly in the men’s race while Waganesh Mekasha will battle with Afera for the $20,000 first place prize money.

Once again, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon promises a memorable contest and the Ethiopian flag will surely be waved in celebration at the finish.

About the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Canada’s premier running event and the grand finale of the Canada Running Series (CRS). Since 2017, the race has served as the Athletics Canada national marathon championship race and has doubled as the Olympic trials. Using innovation and organization as guiding principles, Canada Running Series stages great experiences for runners of all levels, from Canadian Olympians to recreational and charity runners. With a mission of “building community through the sport of running,” CRS is committed to making sport part of sustainable communities and the city-building process.

To learn more about the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, visit TorontoWaterFrontMarathon.com.

(09/26/2023) Views: 543 ⚡AMP
by Paul Gains

Ethiopia’s Waganesh Mekasha to race TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Ethiopian women have featured prominently at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon winning eight of the past fifteen editions of this World Athletics Elite Label race. If Waganesh Mekasha has her way this dominance will continue.

The 31-year-old mother of two brings extraordinary credentials to this year’s event on October 15th as well as some useful ‘intel’.

“I watched the Toronto [Waterfront] marathon many times on television and Yihunilign Adane, who won the 2022 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, told me more about it,” she reveals. The two not only share a manager – Britain’s Malcolm Anderson of Mayo Sports – but each won their respective divisions in the 2023 Ottawa Marathon.

“I watched the Toronto [Waterfront] marathon many times on television and Yihunilign Adane, who won the 2022 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, told me more about it,” she reveals. The two not only share a manager – Britain’s Malcolm Anderson of Mayo Sports – but each won their respective divisions in the 2023 Ottawa Marathon.

Asked if Levins, who used the pacesetting task as a long training run following his second-place finish in the Canadian 10km championship, did a good job she responds with grace.

“He did an amazing job until he dropped out. He was not only pacing me but motivating us all the way to 35km,” she remembers.

Ironically, Waganesh nearly didn’t make it to the start line in the nation’s capital. Despite getting her visa well in advance of the race she was prevented from boarding her flight to Canada by airline officials.

“Oh, yes that was frustrating,” she recalls. “I was shocked when the boarding person told me that I cannot fly to Canada. But many thanks to the race organizers and to my management I made it at last. But I stayed eight hours in Frankfurt airport. I hope that will not happen again.”

Fifteen hours in the air followed by eight stuck in an airport terminal would unsettle most athletes but Waganesh has proven resilient time and time again. Although she ran extremely well at Ottawa, also a World Athletics Elite Label race, she can point to a credible 5th place finish at the 2022 Chicago Marathon in 2:23:41 as another career highlight.

Chicago is one of only six World Athletics Major marathons and a place in the elite section is highly coveted.  A top five finish is, therefore, an extraordinary achievement.

Waganesh has run faster than both of her aforementioned appearances in Ottawa and Chicago.  Her personal best is 2:22:45 which she recorded at the 2019 Dubai Marathon. She would like to go faster on Toronto’s course where the course record is 2:22:16 held by Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai from 2019.

“My training is going very well. I am so excited to be back to Canada,” she says knowing she has a couple of months of intense work to complete before her journey to Canada. “If the conditions are good, and we have a good pacemaker, I will break the course record and win the race.”

That’s a bold prediction. The record is a very good one. But her confidence comes from training under the guidance of famed coach Getamesay Molla alongside other great Ethiopian marathoners such as Yeshi Kalayu who has a personal best of 2:21:17, Azmera Gebru (2:20:48 PB) and Tigist Ambaychew (2:18:03 in Berlin 2022).  Their training is done outside Addis in the dusty hills of Sendafa and Sululta at 2750m altitude.

(08/22/2023) Views: 672 ⚡AMP
by Paul Gains

Malindi Elmore to run Berlin Marathon

Malindi Elmore will toe the start line at this year’s Berlin Marathon–the same course where Natasha Wodak broke Elmore’s Canadian marathon record last year.

Elmore is among a blazingly fast women’s field the Berlin Marathon has confirmed for the Sept. 24 race. Other runners announced so far include Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui (who finished fourth at this year’s London Marathon) and a strong Ethiopian contingent led by 2022 Berlin champion and course record holder Tigst Assefa, Tigist Abayechew and Workenesh Edesa.

The famously flat and fast Berlin course could lay the groundwork for Elmore to reclaim the mantle as the fastest Canadian female marathoner. Her former Canadian marathon record of 2:24:50, which she set at the Houston Marathon in 2020, was bested by Wodak by more than 90 seconds in the German capital last September (2:23:12). Wodak, who is currently in Budapest for the World Athletics Championships, is not expected to compete in Berlin.

Elmore looks to be in a good position to reclaim the Canadian crown following a string of strong performances. The Kelowna, B.C., native took the women’s title in 2:25:14 at the Canadian Marathon Championship at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon last October. In April,  Elmore ran a massive PB at the Gifu Half Marathon in Japan, posting a final time of 1:10:11 and finishing fourth overall.

The following month, she threw down a gutsy performance at the 2023 Tartan Ottawa International Marathon. Going into the race with the goal of the 2024 Olympic standard of 2:26:50, she was on pace for 2:26 through 30K and sat in fourth position. As the temperature climbed to 24 C, she gave everything she had over the final 12 kilometres, moving up two spots to finish second to Ethiopia’s Waganesh Mekasha in 2:27:45.

Elmore has also been making bold statements at shorter distances. Last September she bested her own course record in the tenth Under Armour Eastside 10K in Vancouver, running a blistering 32:37.

(08/19/2023) Views: 625 ⚡AMP
by Running Magazine

European half-marathon record holder Melat Kejeta to take on Tartan Ottawa International Marathon

The fastest European half-marathoner in history, Germany’s Melat Kejeta, will take on former Canadian marathon record holder Malindi Elmore and other international elites at the 2023 Tartan Ottawa International Marathon on May 28. Kejeta won a silver medal for Germany at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships in Poland, setting a European half marathon record of 65:18.

Throughout her 12-year professional career, Kejeta has produced a few remarkable results. In 2019, she was sixth at the Berlin Marathon with a personal best time of 2:23:57. She followed up her debut marathon with another sixth-place finish against the world’s best at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The 2023 Ottawa Marathon will be Kejeta’s first race since 2021. The 30-year-old runner, who also works as an officer in the German police force, gave birth to her first child in early 2022. “When I ran the Olympic marathon, I was pregnant, but I didn’t know that (at the time). It was not planned. So it was a bit of a surprise,” said Kejeta in an interview with Run Ottawa.

In Ottawa, Kejeta will renew a rivalry from her last marathon, facing off against a fellow mom, Elmore, the top Canadian finisher in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic marathon, who finished three spots behind her for ninth.

Kejeta said the 2023 Ottawa Marathon will be special for her, as it will be her first marathon with her daughter in attendance. “I am looking forward to having her on the sidelines at the halfway point,” she said.

With under two weeks until race day, Kejeta and Elmore are just two of the extensive list of female elites at the 2023 Ottawa Marathon. The Ethiopian contingent of Adanech Anbesa, Waganesh Mekasha and Ayana Mulisa will provide Kejeta and the experienced Elmore with a challenge. All three women have personal bests of 2:24:30 or faster, with Mekasha finishing in the top five at the 2022 Chicago Marathon.

(05/18/2023) Views: 782 ⚡AMP
by Marley Dickinson

Defending champions Chepngetich and Tura face strong opposition in Chicago

Ruth Chepngetich and Seifu Tura will defend their Bank of America Chicago Marathon titles on Sunday (9) but will take on stronger fields than they faced last year at the World Athletics Elite Platinum Label road race.

Chepngetich, the 2019 world champion, has won six of the eight marathons she has completed to date, and has finished on the podium in the other two. The Kenyan’s most recent victory came in Nagoya earlier this year when she smashed the course record with 2:17:18, just 10 seconds she of the PB she set in Dubai in 2019.

She has set PBs at a range of distances this year, on the road and track, so she could be in form to improve on her marathon best this weekend, provided she doesn’t go out too hard like she did in Chicago last year.

Ruti Aga looks to be one of Chepngetich’s strongest opponents. The Ethiopian has won just one marathon to date, but she has reached the podium in six other races, including New York in 2019 and three times in Berlin. Her PB of 2:18:34 was set in the German capital four years ago, while her last completed marathon was in Valencia in 2020.

Kenya’s Celestine Chepchirchir heads into this weekend’s race in good form, having taken a few minutes off her PB to finish fourth in Seoul earlier this year in 2:20:10.

Compatriot Vivian Kiplagat won in Milan earlier this year in a PB of 2:20:18. She will be keen to improve upon her fifth-place finish in Chicago last year.

Haven Hailu is still a relative newcomer to the marathon, having contested just four races at the distance. She won in Rotterdam earlier this year in 2:22:01, not far off her 2:20:19 PB set in Amsterdam last year. Fellow Ethiopian Waganesh Mekasha is also one to watch. A 2:22:45 performer at her best, she will be contesting her first marathon in the US.

US women occupied two places on the podium in Chicago last year, and this Sunday Emily Sisson hopes to follow in those footsteps. A relative newcomer to the marathon, she clocked 2:23:08 on her debut at the distance in London in 2019. Earlier this year she broke the US half marathon record with 1:07:11 and has also set PBs for 15km, 20km and five miles.

One year on from his Chicago Marathon triumph, Tura returns to the US in good form as the Ethiopian aims to become the first back-to-back winner of the men’s race for more than a decade.

Tura, whose PB of 2:04:29 was set in Milan last year, started 2022 with a half marathon PB of 58:36 in Ras Al Khaimah. He followed that with a runner-up finish in Paris (2:05:10) and then went on to place sixth at the World Championships in Oregon.

Compatriot Herpasa Negasa has the fastest PB of the field, having clocked 2:03:40 in Dubai in 2019. He came close to that when finishing second in Seoul earlier this year in 2:04:49, but he is yet to win a marathon so he will be highly motivated this weekend.

Bernard Koech is another experienced marathon runner who has not yet won a race over the classic distance. He hasn’t raced since last October when he finished second in Amsterdam in a PB of 2:04:09.

Fellow Kenyan Elisha Rotich, meanwhile, is a winner of six international marathons. His most recent race over the distance was his 2:04:21 victory in Paris last year.

Former 1500m specialist Dawit Wolde, who represented Ethiopia in that event at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games, has transitioned to the marathon in recent years. He was third in Rotterdam last year in 2:04:27 and has finished on the podium in his past four marathons, including a win in Prague in 2019.

Stephen Kissa is even newer to the marathon. The Ugandan track specialist made a promising debut in Hamburg earlier this year, setting a national record of 2:04:48, which is also the fastest season’s best of this weekend’s line-up.

Others to look out for include 2021 Boston winner Benson Kipruto, Ethiopian half marathon record-holder Jemal Yimer, Daegu marathon champion Shifera Tamru, fellow Ethiopian Abayneh Degu, and Kenya’s Eric Kiptanui.

Elite fields

Women

Ruth Chepngetich (KEN) 2:17:08

Ruti Aga (ETH) 2:18:34

Celestine Chepchirchir (KEN) 2:20:10

Vivian Kiplagat (KEN) 2:20:18

Haven Hailu Desse (ETH) 2:20:19

Waganesh Mekasha (ETH) 2:22:45

Emily Sisson (USA) 2:23:08

Delvine Meringor (ROU) 2:24:32

Laura Thweatt (USA) 2:25:38

Sara Vaughn (USA) 2:26:53

Susanna Sullivan (USA) 2:26:56

Diane Nukuri (USA) 2:27:50

Men

Herpasa Negasa (ETH) 2:03:40

Bernard Koech (KEN) 2:04:09

Elisha Rotich (KEN) 2:04:21

Dawit Wolde (ETH) 2:04:27

Seifu Tura (ETH) 2:04:29

Stephen Kissa (UGA) 2:04:48

Abayneh Degu (ETH) 2:04:53

Benson Kipruto (KEN) 2:05:13

Shifera Tamru (ETH) 2:05:18

Eric Kiptanui (KEN) 2:05:47

Kyohei Hosoya (JPN) 2:06:35

Hamza Sahli (MAR) 2:07:15

Amanuel Mesel (ERI) 2:08:17

Hiroto Fujimagari (JPN) 2:08:20

Guojian Dong (CHN) 2:08:26

Kiyoshi Koga (JPN) 2:08:30

Riki Nakanishi (JPN) 2:08:51

Jemal Yimer (ETH) 2:08:58.

(10/07/2022) Views: 991 ⚡AMP
by World Athletics

Very Close battles expected at 2021 Paris Marathon

Eighteen months since the last edition of the Schneider Electric Paris Marathon, the World Athletics Elite Label race returns to the French capital on Sunday (17).

The 2020 race was initially postponed before being cancelled, then the 2021 edition was moved to October instead of its usual April slot on the calendar. Having received the green light to go ahead, this year’s race will have a mass field of about 35,000 runners, including a high-quality elite line-up.

The men’s field features five runners with sub-2:06 PBs. Kenya’s Nicholas Kirwa is the fastest in the men’s field, courtesy of his 2:05:01 PB set in Milan in May. Compatriot Joel Kemboi Kimurer, who is also racing in Paris this weekend, finished 18 seconds adrift of Kirwa in Milan, recording a 2:05:19 personal best.

Elisha Rotich’s career best is one second faster than Kemboi Kimurer’s. The 31 year-old Kenyan, who clocked that time when finishing third in Amsterdam two years ago, also competed in Milan this year, finishing 10th in 2:06:44.

Stephen Chebogut also has strong credentials. The Kenyan won the 2015 Eindhoven Marathon in a PB of 2:05:52 and then finished second in Paris in 2017 in 2:06:57. The 36-year-old’s only race this year was a 2:22:08 run in the altitude of Eldoret, but his most recent race at sea level was the 2019 Shanghai Marathon, where he ran 2:10:35.

Abdi Fufa carries strong recent form into this weekend’s race. The Ethiopian set a PB of 2:05:57 when finishing second in a quality field in Ampugnano in April.

Ashenafi Moges and Moris Munene Gachaga are also ones to watch. Moges set his PB of 2:06:12 two years ago, while the latter recorded his best of 2:06:24 in 2020.

Hassan Chahdi’s record of 2:09:11 makes him the fastest Frenchman in the field. Following his 45th place finish in the marathon at the Olympic Games, he clocked 31:12 for 10km three weeks ago, which makes his current shape difficult to gauge. That’s not the case for Florian Carvahlo, however, who ran 1:01:05 at the Paris Half Marathon last month. He’s now hopeful of improving on his 2:10:22 PB set in Valencia two years ago.

Jeptoo returns to Paris

The women’s race also looks set to be a tough contest.

Ten years after her victory on the streets of the French capital, Priscah Jeptoo returns to the Paris Marathon. The Kenyan went on to take the silver medal at the World Championships later in 2011 and then earned a medal of the same colour at the 2012 Olympic Games. She also won the London and New York marathons in 2013, but hasn’t made it on to a marathon podium since then.

Her 2:20:14 PB, set back in 2012, makes 37-year-old Jeptoo the fastest woman in the field, but her 2:24:16 clocking from the 2019 Valencia Marathon probably gives a more accurate indication of her current form.

While Jeptoo is the biggest name in the women’s field, Ethiopian duo Waganesh Mekasha and Sifan Melaku could start as the slight favourites, based on recent form.

Mekasha, a former track specialist, has a marathon best of 2:22:45 set in Dubai in 2019. She went on to achieve second-place finishes in Dongying and Shanghai later that year, but hasn’t raced since. Melaku, meanwhile, last raced in February 2020 when she finished third in Seville in a PB of 2:23:49.

Tigist Memuye also shouldn’t be discounted. The 31-year-old Ethiopian clocked a PB of 2:24:23 in Geneva just five months ago; a repeat, or even an improvement, of that performance should put her in contention for a podium finish.

(10/15/2021) Views: 1,295 ⚡AMP
by World Athletics

Lonyangata and Melese regain Shanghai Marathon titles in the heat

Thirty-eight thousand runners from 85 countries and regions beat the heat to challenge their physical limits as the 2019 Shanghai International Marathon began at 7am on Sunday from the Bund.

About 25,000 took part in the marathon, while 6,000 were featured in the 10km race and another 7,000 in the 5.5km run. Kenya’s Paul Lonyangata and Yebrgual Melese of Ethiopia took the men’s and women’s title at the Shanghai International Marathon, a World Athletics Gold Label road race, on Sunday (17).

The 26-year-old Lonyangata broke clear before 35km and led alone the rest of the way to hit home with a clocking of 2:28:11, 57 seconds shy of the 2:07:14 course record he set in the Chinese city in 2015.

“It has been five years since I run here last time,” Lonyangata said. “I noticed nobody had broke my course record so I came back to break it myself. But the weather was much hotter than five years ago.” 

The temperature was around 15c degrees when the race started but rose quickly. When the men’s leaders reached 20km 1:00:12, it was already near 20c (69F) degrees.

A group of 12 runners led the race to a fast pace in the early stages, reaching 5km in 14:57 and 10km in 29:58. When the leaders passed the 15km mark in 45:01 they were already 47 seconds ahead of the course record, and by 20km they were still six seconds ahead. 

But the pace slowed after 20km and when the last pace maker left the seven-runner leading pack, the leaders were 43 seconds behind the record time.

“I think the pacers stopped too early. One of the two pacers stopped after 11 kilometres and the other left by 25km. Because of the weather and the pace maker, I did not break the course record,” said Lonyangata, who decided to control the race with his own pace after 30km and pulled clear by 35 km before breaking the tape in style to celebrate his first marathon victory of the year.

Hassan El Abbassi of Bahrain, who set the Asian record of 2:04:43 last year in Valencia, finished second in 2:08:58, followed by Lmenih Getachew of Ethiopia with a clocking of 2:09:14.

Defending champion Yebrgual Melese also managed to confirm her favourite status in the women’s race although the wining time of 2:23:19 is more than two minutes slower than the 2:20:36 course record she achieved 12 months ago.

As the fastest entrant in the field with a personal best of 2:19:36 set last year in Dubai, the 29-year-old Melese was among a six-athlete leading group in the first half of the race. When she arrived at the 25km water stations in 1:24:12, only countrywoman Waganesh Mekasha managed to keep up with the chasers trailing 16 seconds behind.

After another four kilometres, the 27-year-old Mekasha began to fade gradually. Melese was leading by 14 seconds at 30km and kept widening the gap until wrapping up her fourth title over the classic distance.

Mekasha, a 2:22:45 performer, finish second in 2:25:37 while Ethiopia’s Obse Abdeta, 19, finished third in 2:27:47 in her marathon debut. 

(11/17/2019) Views: 1,728 ⚡AMP

Course record-holders Yebrgual Melese and Paul Lonyangata, will return to the Shangai Marathon this weekend

Ethiopia’s Melese won comfortably last year, taking more than a minute off the course record with 2:20:36.

A past winner of the Houston and Prague marathons, Melese set a PB of 2:19:36 when finishing third in Dubai last year, but her form in 2019 hasn’t been quite so good. The 29-year-old finished 11th in Tokyo in March in 2:31:40 but last month clocked a promising 1:09:02 at the Lisbon Half Marathon.

Fellow Ethiopian Waganesh Mekasha is another title contender. The 27-year-old reduced her PB by more than three minutes to finish fourth in Dubai in January in 2:22:45 and went on to clock 2:23:19 at the Yellow River Estuary International Marathon in Dongying seven months ago.

The Ethiopian contingent also includes Fantu Jimma, a 32-year-old with a PB of 2:26:14 set four years ago in Xiamen. It will be Jimma’s fourth marathon of the year, having won in Wuhan in 2:28:25 and finished third in Xiamen and Lanzhou. She was also victorious at the Changzhou West Taihu Lake Half Marathon last month.

Lonyangata is among the main favorites in the men’s race. The 26-year-old Kenyan set his PB of 2:06:10 when winning the 2017 Paris Marathon, the first of two victories in the French capital. He set the Shanghai course record of 2:07:14 in 2015 and has a season’s best of 2:07:29, set when finishing third in Paris.

Bahrain’s Hassan El Abbassi is another top contender. The 35-year-old, who set his marathon PB of 2:04:43 in Valencia last year, is the 2014 Asian Games 10,000m champion and 2018 Asian Games marathon silver medalist. More recently he finished seventh in the marathon at the World Championships in Doha in 2:11:44 but is still in pursuit of his first international marathon title.

Kipsang Kipkemoi will compete in China for the first time in his career. The 29-year-old Kenyan clocked his PB of 2:08:26 in Seville in 2017 and came close to that in April when he finished second in Madrid with 2:08:58. Sunday’s race will be his fourth marathon of the year as he has also competed in Mumbai and Cape Town but didn’t better 2:10 on either occasion.

Other sub-2:10 runners in the field include Kenya’s 2011 world silver medalist Vincent Kipruto and Ernest Ngeno, a 2:06:41 performer who finished second in Shanghai two years ago.

(11/15/2019) Views: 1,905 ⚡AMP
by World Athletics

New course records were established at the Yellow River Estuary International Marathon in China today

Kenya’s Felix Kimutai and Afera Godfay of Ethiopia raced to course records at the Yellow River Estuary International Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race, in the Chinese city of Dongying on Saturday April 20. 

Running his first race in China, the 30-year-old Kimutai pulled clear with six kilometers to go to secure the victory in 2:09:23, beating the course record of 2:09:27 set by compatriot Dickson Kipsang Tuwei in 2016. His performance also improved his previous best of 2:09:57 set during his victory in Istanbul last year.

A lead group of 15 covered the opening 10km in 30:49, a pack reduced to 11 at 15km and further cut to 11 runners at 25km.

Six kilometers later, Morocco’s Hicham Laqouahi, who bettered his PB to 2:08:35 with his victory at the Oita Mainichi Marathon in Beppu two months ago, made the first move. Although he was soon caught by the chase pack, the sudden change of pace forced four men to drop back.

When they reached the 35km water tables in 1:47:56, only four remained in contention: Laqouahi, Kimutai, Ethiopia’s Fikadu Kebede and Dominic Ruto of Kenya.

Kimutai waited for another 1500m before launching his decisive move for the lead. He was 10 seconds ahead of course record pace at 40km (2:02:50) and continued to push until breaking the tape in style with his finger pointing high towards the sky.

Kebede, a past winner of the Rabat Marathon with a 2:08:27 PB, finished second 15 seconds behind the winner in 2:09:38, while the 28-year-old Ruto finished third in 2:09:43, 35 second shy of his lifetime best set in Rome two years ago.

The top two finishers in the women’s race both beat the course record of 2:24:45 set by two-time winner Letebrhan Haylay last year.

The 27-year-old Godfay outraced race favourite Waganesh Mekasha to celebrate her first marathon title since debuting over the classic distance in 2015. Godfay also bettered her career best of 2:23:45 from the fourth finish in Shanghai last year with a winning mark of 2:22:41.

A pack of seven paced the race in the early stages, passing 10km in 34:05 and 15km in 51:01. The 27-year-old Mekasha, who owns a fast PB of 2:22:45 set at the Dubai Marathon in January, tried to pull away after the half way point with only Godfay managing to keep up.

The Ethiopian duo ran neck-and-neck for some ten kilometres before Mekasha had to hand over the lead.

The in-form Godfay left no chance to her rivals. She kept pushing on, extending her advantage until wrapping up the convincing victory.

Mekasha clocked 2:23:19 to finish second in the first race in which she didn’t improve on her PB since her victory at the Singapore Marathon in 2014. 

Kenya’s Truphena Chepchirchir was a distant third clocking 2:27:52, improving her PB by 19 seconds.

The 13th edition of the race, which was usually held in May, was staged under cool and breezy conditions with the temperature ranging from 13-19C degrees and the humidity remaining around 50 percent.

(04/20/2019) Views: 2,147 ⚡AMP
by Vincent Wu for IAAF

Waganesh Mekasha will target the course record of the Yellow River Estuary International Marathon this Saturday

Organisers of the Yellow River Estuary International Marathon have assembled a deep field capable of breaking the men’s and women’s course records at the IAAF Gold Label road race in Dongying on saturday.

Waganesh Mekasha is a serious title contender and arguably the most in-form woman on the entry list. The rising Ethiopian achieved a big personal best of 2:22:45 to finish fourth at Dubai Marathon in January.

Since her first international marathon in Singapore in 2014, when she took the top honours in 2:46:54, the 27-year-old has improved her lifetime best each time in four races including her victories in Padua and Hengshui last year.

Should such momentum continue in the Chinese city of Dongying, Mekasha stands a good chance of breaking the course record of 2:24:45 set by two -time winner Letebrhan Haylay last year.

Caroline Cheptanui Kilel of Kenya is actually the fastest woman on paper, but her career best time of 2:22:34 was recorded back in 2013 when she took the victory in Frankfurt.

After clocking 2:27:39 to win the Daegu Marathon in 2016, the 38-year-old hasn’t bettered 2:30 since. She competed in Dongying last year and finished fifth in 2:34:39.

Fellow Kenyan Agnes Kiprop is also returning to the familiar course following her fourth-place finish in 2017.

The 39-year-old achieved her PB of 2:23:54 in 2011 and has maintained a high level of competitiveness, with her last victory coming two months ago in Hannover.

(04/18/2019) Views: 2,476 ⚡AMP