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Lioudmila Kortchaguina and Matthew McInnes win Canadian Championship
Sunday, May 27, 2007 – Ottawa, Ontario – Excitement was palpable at the ING Ottawa Marathon as Kenyan David Cheruiyot set a new course record, crossing the finish line with a personal best time of 2:10:35. The previous course record was held by Elly Rono, also from Kenya, with a time of 2:11:47, set in 2004. Cheruiyot was followed five seconds later by last year's Ottawa ING Marathon champion, Abderrahime Bouramdane who clocked in at 2:10:40. Vincent Kiplagat was third with a time of 2:10:48. Toronto-native Matthew McInnis was the top Canadian for the second time in three years, placing 10 th, with a time of 2:18:06.
"I came back to Ottawa this year because it is a great race," said David Cheruiyot, winner of the ING Ottawa Marathon. "The new course is amazing and it is obvious that the organizers truly care about the athletes and the sport of running."
In the women's category, Canadian Lioudmila Kortchaguina won her third consecutive Canadian title and second consecutive ING Ottawa Marathon women's title, with a time of 2:31:56. She was followed by Ethiopians Kebebush Haile and Yeshi Esayias with times of 2:35:41 and 2:36:57 respectively.
"We're thrilled with the outcome," says Susan Longbottom, President of the Ottawa Race Weekend. "We've recorded a new course record, a new participation record and an overall growth of 3%. We also hosted the Canadian Marathon Championships, the Masters' Championships and our first ever Marathon Forum on Friday. It can be deemed an incredible success."
First National Forum on the State of Marathon Running in Canada
On Friday, May 25, the Ottawa Race Weekend played host to the first National Forum on the State of Marathon Running in Canada. Assembling stakeholders from diverse organizations, past and present Canadian elite marathoners and other key figures from the running world, the Forum was aimed at developing winning strategies for building the future of the sport in Canada. "This is a really positive move in the right direction," says past Canadian champion, Bruce Deacon. "Bringing people together from so many different parts of the running community is a key first step." Some of the key initiatives stemming from the meeting:
- Develop strategies to capture athletes at an early age;
- Generate awareness and exposure within the Canadian media;
- Find a way to solve the funding gaps for athletes and coaches.
"As organizers of the premiere running event in this country, we feel our role extends beyond holding a weekend event. This is why we feel it is important to contribute to the development of the sport itself," says Manuel Rodrigues, Vice-President and the co-founder of the Forum.
Canadian Simon Bairu wins the MDS Nordion 10K in an exciting finish
Saturday's MDS Nordion 10K saw Canadian Simon Bairu pass Catherine "the Great" Ndereba just over one kilometer from the finish, crossing the line at 28: 29.1. Because the elite women were given a three minute and 51 second head start, the "battle of the sexes" win earned Simon a $5,000 (US) bonus, in addition to the 10K prize money ($5,000 CND). Catherine Ndereba took first place in the women's category with a finishing time of 33:01:2.
Ottawa Race Weekend again grows by 3%
The Ottawa Race Weekend has again achieved record participation, with over 29,641 runners taking part in the six races, representing a 3% growth in the number of runners over last year.
Participation by event:
ING Ottawa Marathon: 3691
ING Ottawa Half Marathon: 8861
ING Family 2K: 2554
Pfizer Wheelchair Marathon: 10
MDS Nordion 10K: 7538
MDS Nordion 5K: 6987
Skipper breaks own record
Chris Baron, a 30-year old athlete from Oakville, Ontario, managed to eclipse his own Guiness World Record for skipping a marathon with a time of 4:28:49. The previous record was 4: 49.39. This was Baron's second take at the record and he chose the ING Ottawa Marathon for this feat again this year. "In 2005, when I contacted the organizers, they embraced the idea and made it possible for me. It has really become my favorite event," says Chris.
Top 10 male finishers
1. David Cheruiyot (Kenya): 2:10:35
2. Abderrahime Bouramdane (Morroco): 2:10:40
3. Bencent Kiplagat (Kenya): 2:10:48
4. John Kelay (Kenya): 2:11:10
5. Hilary Kimaiyo (Kenya): 2:11:13
6. Simon Njoroge (Kenya): 2:11:14
7. Amos Matui (Kenya): 2;14:11
8. David Karanja (Kenya): 2:17:01
9. Hillary Koech (Kenya): 2:17:41
10. Matthew McInnis (Canada): 2:18:06
Top 10 female finishers
1. Lioudmila Kortchaguina (Canada): 2:31:56
2. Kebebush Haile (Ethiopia): 2:35:41
3. Yeshi Esayias (Ethiopia): 2:36:57
4. Zebenaye Moges (Ethiopia): 2:41:26
5. Suzanne Evans (Canada): 2:46:21
6. Lisa Harvey (Canada): 2:48:56
7. Isabelle Ledroit (Canada): 2:51:20
8. Monia Cherop (Kenya): 2:53:16
9. Liza Maguire (Canada): 2:53:43
10. Myriam Grenon (Canada): 2:54:02
Top 3 Masters (male)
1. Louis Phillipe-Garnier (Canada) 2:36:21
2. Jean-Pierre Poli (Canada) 2:42:28
3. Kevin Searle (Canada) 2:44:28
Top 3 Masters (female)
1. Isabelle Ledroit (Canada) 2:51:20
2. Liz Maguire (Canada) 2:53:43
3. Beverley Wells (Canada) 3:01:12
Top 3 Canadian (male)
1. Matthew McInnis 2:18:06
2. Matthew Normington 2:20:52
3. Calvin Staples 2:24:21
Top 3 Canadian (female)
1. Lioudmila Kortchaguina 2:31:56
2. Suzanne Evans 2:46:21
3. Lisa Harvey 2:48:56
Lioudmila Kortchaguina of Canada wins the woman’s ING Ottawa Marathon again, easily, in 2:31:57.(Photo: Steve Bower for the Runner's Web)
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David Cheruiyot of Kenya (bib 3) won by 5 seconds over Abderrahime Bouramdane of Morocco (bib 1) with a strong push in the last 400M and a time of 2:10:36. (Photo: Steve Bower for the Runner's Web)
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About the Ottawa Race Weekend
The Ottawa Race Weekend, Canada's premier running festival, combines competition, participation and fundraising to make a distinctive contribution to the health of the community. The Race Weekend welcomed almost 30,000 participants for the 2007 events, which include the ING Ottawa Marathon and the MDS Nordion 10K
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