Posted: May 28, 2005

Athletics: Toronto's Stevenson has plenty to run for

Martin Cleary , The Ottawa Citizen

Toronto's Nicole Stevenson should be extremely motivated tomorrow when she starts the Ottawa Marathon, the focal point of the National Capital Race Weekend.

As the No. 1-ranked Canadian female in the marathon, she has a variety of positives to plug into for the 31st running of the country's largest marathon:

- She will be trying to defend the Canadian title she won here in 2004;

- A potential berth on the Canadian team for the world athletics championships is available, if she can run two hours 31 minutes or faster. Her personal best is 2:33:37 in 2004;

- The prize money isn't primary to her, but it's enticing -- $15,000 as the top female, $5,000 as the first Canadian, $5,000 if she beats Sylvia Ruegger's national record of 2:28:36, and time bonus dollars, including $7,000 for going under 2:30;

- Combined with defending national men's champion Matthew McInnis, Team Toronto is favoured to win the seven-city, $55,000 Run for Something Better. The prize money, $10,000 for first, is equally shared by their specific running programs for less-fortunate youths in track and field.

After enduring "a tough emotional year" in 2004 by not qualifying for the Summer Olympics in Athens -- she met the international time standard twice, but missed the more important Athletics Canada criteria -- Stevenson has changed her focus this year.

"I'm taking a different approach under coach Hugh Cameron -- less miles and more intensity," said Stevenson, who saw the first results of her five-month speed program when she won at the Vancouver Sun Run in 32:29. She beat her time goal by one second and personal best by 26 seconds.

"That was a huge confidence booster. Now, I'll see how (it) plays out in the marathon."

Stevenson will have plenty of competition from runners such as Toronto-based Lioudmila Kortchaguina, a two-time Ottawa Marathon champion, Russians Lidia Vasilevskaia and Natalia Volgina and Esther Jepkoech Saina of Kenya.

© The Ottawa Citizen, Reprinted With Permission.