News22 May 2008


Solid 10km, Marathon fields assembled in Ottawa

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2:31:56 victory for Lioudmila Kortchaguina at Ottawa Marathon (© Victah Sailer)

Ottawa, Canada25 Ottawa Race Weekend includes running events of all descriptions but organisers have been rewarded this year with the IAAF Silver Label status for two of its premier races namely the MDS Nordion 10km and the ING Marathon.

Approximately 30,000 runners from the age of 9 upwards will descend on the Canadian capital this weekend with temperatures expected to be in the low 20’s.

Although Simon Bairu, the reigning champion, won’t be on hand to defend his title the field in the 2008 MDS Nordion 10km is loaded, nonetheless.

Strong 10km fields

Bairu, Canada’s leading 10,000m runner, ran 28:29 to earn the victory in a field that in-cluded 7537 entrants. But he is headed to Europe where he will chase the Olympic 10,000m standard leaving athletes such as the powerful Kenyan duo of Moses Kigen and Robert Letting to battle for the US $5000 first place prize.

Kigen has excellent credentials having recorded a 13:07.47 5000m two years ago and also a time of 1:00:39 for the Berlin Half Marathon. He has taken well to the North American road racing circuit winning both the Azalea Trail Run 10km and the Crescent City 10km this spring. He ran 27:45 to win the latter. Meanwhile, Letting has finished lit-erally a step behind in each of these two races and is expected to give his rival another tough go of it.

“It’s good for me,” Kigen says of the road racing circuit, “But I will be much happier, I look forward to winning Ottawa. In my last two races I didn’t run good. I ran in Puerto Rico and it was a little bit humid.”

“Right now I am training in Norristown, Pennsylvania. At the end of the month I will go back to Kenya and then later come back for some races.”

Kigen’s training partner Linus Maiyo also from Kenya was third last year in Ottawa in 28:46. And let’s not forget Chala Lemi of Ethiopia, 2nd in 28:31 a year ago who has also confirmed his participation.

The men’s course record of 28:12 was set in 1988 by John Halvorsen the former Nor-wegian international who just so happens to be the race director of the Ottawa Running Weekend. Should anyone beat the record they will earn an additional $2,000 US bonus.

The women’s race is also expected to be close fight with Genoviva Kigen of Kenya one of the premier attractions.

The 20 year old won the Crescent City Classic 10km March 23rd in 32:10 by a massive 42 seconds over her internationally recognised compatriot Leah Malot. Like Moses Kigen, who is no relation, she went on to win the Azalea Trail 10km a week later. She will be chasing the course record of 31:24 set by fellow Kenyan Grace Momanyi in 2005.

The event has been supportive of Canadian distance runners since its inception. The first three Canadians in the 10km will earn $2000, $1000 and $500 respectively.

Marathon course record holder Kortchaguina, Cheruiyot return

This year’s Marathon marks the end of a five year sponsorship by ING insurance and it is expected to be a great race.

Canada’s Lioudmila Kortchaguina a three time winner of the event is using the race in a last gasp attempt to attain the Olympic qualifying time. The deadline is on race day. She holds the course record of 2:29:42 which she set in 2006.

The 36-year-old from Ekaterina, Russia, represented Canada at the 2007 IAAF World Championships in Osaka but succumbed to the oppressive heat. She has been less than impressive however in her most recent road races. That she says is due to the heavy training volume she has been doing in preparation.

“Everything is going according to our plan,” she says, adding with a laugh, “But the Marathon is the Marathon, I can say anything. You can train well. You can be well but this is Marathon, not the 100m.”

She admits not knowing much about the field apart from fellow Canadian Nicole Ste-venson who has a best of 2:32:56 winning the 2006 Houston Marathon. But there are other threats such as Ethiopia’s Kebebush Haile  who was 2nd a year ago in a time of 2:35:41 and  Zahia Dahmani of France who has a best time of 2:29:58 albeit from the 2001 Paris Marathon.

Last year David Cheruiyot of Kenya set a new course record in the men’s race of 2:10:35. He returns this year. So too does Vincent Kiplagat, 3rd a year ago in 2:10:49.

All in all the races are expected to live up to their Silver Label status.

Paul Gains for the IAAF

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