Posted: June 22, 2006

Athletics: RunnersWeb5K.com Race for Women Has Attracted Stellar Field

Ottawa, Ontario (June 22, 2006) --Over 200 women will set off at 9 a.m. on Saturday June 24th in the inaugural RunnersWeb5K.com Race for Women. The race starts and finishes at the Aviation Museum on the Rockcliffe Parkway.

It is believed to be the sole women's only road race in Ontario and is expected to be the most competitive women's 5K ever run in Ottawa.
With over $3000 in prize money, the race has attracted some of the best runners in Canada, including Olympian Emilie Mondor of Quebec, the first Canadian to break 15 minutes for 5kms.

Women's only road racing is undergoing a global regeneration, as evidenced by the recent women's 5K in Dublin which attracted a field of over 40,000! The RunnersWeb5k is the first women's only race to come to Ottawa since the city hosted the popular Avon Women's Running races back in the 70s and 80s.
Saturday's event also features a team competition and even a baby-jogger category.

Athletes to watch out for include:

Emilie Mondor - Mascouche, Quebec. Emilie lead Team Canada to a bronze medal on the senior short course race (4km) at the 2004 World Cross Country Championships. She has PBs of 14:59.68 (track) and 15:16 (road) for 5000M. Emilie was the first Canadian Women ever under 15:00 and her 15:16 road time is the Canadian record. She ran 32:26 for 10K at the Sporting Life race in Toronto in May of this year. Emilie ran 32:27 for third place in the Nordion 10K in Ottawa on May 27th.

Nicole Stevenson - Toronto, ON. Nicole is a member of the Newmarket Huskies Track Club. She has a 16:06 PB for 5K and is tanked second in the marathon in Canada with a 2:32:56 run in the HP Marathon, Houston, TX - USA in January of this year. Nicole competed in this year's Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia.

Emily Tallen - Kingston, ON. Emily won the 2006 Ottawa Race Weekend 5K in 16:43. She is a member of the Physi-Kult track club and is coached by top Canadian Masters runner Steve Boyd. Emily attended Providence University In Rhode Island from 1999 to 2003 where she competed in track and cross country.

Shari Boyle - Toronto, ON. Shari won the 2005 Canadian Running Series Championships. She has a personal best of 16:51 for 5K. Shari ran 17:13 in the Freihofer's 5K in Albany, NY on June 3rd.

Colleen Hopkins - Toronto, ON. Colleen was second in the Masters Division of the 2005 Canadian Running Series. She has a personal best time of 17:06 for 5K and last year ran the fastest Masters 5K in Ontario with a 18:05 clocking.

Sarah Dillabaugh - Greely, ON. Sarah is a member of the Ottawa Lions Track Club. She has a personal best time of 16:21 for 5K. Sarah ran 33:48.6 in the Toronto Sporting Life 10K on May 7th.

Leslie Gold - Montreal, QC. Leslie is a member of the Vainqueurs Club and is sponsored by Reebok Canada. She has a current year PB of 17:36 for 5K. She has had a busy start to the '06 racing year with the following performances: Marathon 2:54 (first Canadian woman at Boston), 1/2 Marathon 1:20:59 (January '06, Carlsbad, CA), 10 km 37:15 (March '06, Lasalle, QC), 5 km 17:36 (April '06, St. Laurent, QC).

Liz Maguire - Osgoode, ON. Liz is a member of the Ottawa Athletic Club Racing Team. She has a personal best time of 17:46 for 5K set in 2005. This spring Liz set PBs at 8K, the Half-Marathon and 30K. She will be running in the Masters category.

Michelle Schuler - Ottawa, ON. Michelle is a member of the Ottawa Athletic Club Racing Team. She has a personal best time of 36:58 for 10K and was the top Ottawa finisher in the 2005 and 2006 ING Ottawa Marathon where her PB is 2:56:14 set last year. Michelle won the Do It For Dad 10K last weekend in 37:17.

Diane Légaré - Montreal, QC. Diane holds 20 Canadian Master road race records from the 40 to 55+ age-category. Her 5K PR is 17:03 run in 1986. She holds the Canadian Record for 45-49 of 17:09 and the current 55-59 Canadian Record of 19:03. Last month she set the Canadian Record for 55-59 of 40:11 at the Nordion 10K in Ottawa. Diane expects to beat her 19:03 5K record in Ottawa.

Agathe Nicholson - Perth Road Village, ON. Agathe is a Masters runner who has run 5:01 for 1500 and 38:40 for 10k this year. She has PBs of 4:56 (1500M) and 18:40 (5K), both on the track in 2004.

The race is sponsored by the Runner's Web, an Ottawa based top-ranked running and triathlon website and organized by Somersault Events, Eastern Ontario's premier event management company.

For more information, please visit www.RunnersWeb5K.com or call Ken Parker at 613-746-4053 (office) or 613-240-4065 (cell).

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