Meet the 2026 Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew!
Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew is a dedicated group of Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend dedicated participants who share helpful workout tips, excitement about their upcoming races, and details of their training —fundraising tips, yummy food pics, cool routes, and more! They are seasoned participants of all levels that engage, encourage and promote their community, helping to spread the word about Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, the Desjardins Charity Challenge, its partners, and the physical and mental benefits of movement!
Be a part of Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend 2026 and run or walk with this year’s Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew! Register now!
Check out our 2026 members below!
Laura Beaudry Andrews
Event: Ottawa Half Marathon presented by Desjardins
Location: Casselman, ON
Laura Beaudry Andrews grew up homeschooled, played competitive soccer, and found running last year as a way to reset and manage her anxiety. It quickly became her purpose and a way to rediscover herself.
Beaudry Andrews has graduated as a recreation and leisure professional and is currently studying Therapeutic Recreation. Both programs have been completed online and part-time through Georgian College. Through her studies, she has learned how movement and routine can transform lives — including her own. That’s why she built up to 10K runs this year and is training for her first half marathon in May 2026, to celebrate how far she has come.
For her, running is about more than distance. It’s about community, resilience, and recognizing that an active lifestyle looks different for everyone. She hopes her journey will inspire others — no matter their ability or age — to stay strong and stay engaged in what they love, whether that’s running or something else entirely.
Jacky Deng
Event: Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa
Location: Toronto, ON
Jacky Deng began running in 2021 and quickly found community with the Ottawa City Run Club (OCRC). Now living in Toronto and running with local crews like Trackstarz and Parkdale Roadrunners, he’s come to believe that running is as much about collective growth as it is about personal growth. He’s continually in awe of how running creates space for people to come together, have conversations, and support one another.
Ottawa will always be Deng’s running home. Like every year since 2022, he’ll be running the Ottawa 10K this year and cheering on Sunday at the OCRC Cheer Station. He’s honoured to be a member of the Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew and excited to give back to the city that made him a runner.
Stéphanie Eikenberry
Event: The Ottawa 17K Challenge
Location: Ottawa, ON
Running in support of: The Ottawa Hospital Foundation
Stéphanie Eikenberry truly fell in love with running in 2022. What started as a way to rebuild her health quickly turned into a full-blown passion — the kind that leads to owning far too many pairs of running shoes and talking about splits at social events. She has loved becoming part of Ottawa’s running scene, finding motivation in both the sport and the incredible people who make every run feel like a small adventure.
After a year where a few goals slipped out of reach, Eikenberry is heading into 2026 with a reset mindset and a lot of excitement to train with intention. Known for her middle-of-the-pack pace and love of shorter races, she’s ready to challenge herself, celebrate progress, and share the beautifully messy, funny, and rewarding journey with the Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew.
Benyang Fu
Event: Ottawa Half Marathon presented by Desjardins
Location: Ottawa, ON
Running in support of: The Ottawa Hospital Foundation
Benyang Fu started running in 2020 to pass the time during the pandemic. From volunteering as a water-cup handout in 2017 to now being on the receiving end, he’s found running to be a fantastic way to get outside and stay active. Over the past few years, he has raced at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, including the Ottawa 2K in 2023, the Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa in 2024, and the Ottawa Half Marathon presented by Desjardins in 2025.
Fu hopes to inspire more young people to run, recognizing the positive benefits for both physical and mental health. For him, running isn’t just about competition — it’s about self-improvement, setting goals, and pushing through challenges one step at a time. By sharing his experiences, he hopes to show that anyone, regardless of background or ability, can find joy and purpose in the sport.
Fu loves Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend and is excited to share his training as part of the Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew.
Dustin Gerstenfield
Event: Ottawa Half Marathon presented by Desjardins
Location: Nashua, NH, USA
Dustin Gerstenfield is excited to return to Ottawa to run the Ottawa Half Marathon presented by Desjardins for the third year in a row. After finishing the 2025 season at the Berlin Marathon, he’s ready to dust off his trainers and kick off his 2026 racing year with his first — and favourite — international race in Ottawa. A proud middle-to-back-of-the-pack runner, Gerstenfield has completed eleven half marathons and three full marathons.
He lives in Nashua, New Hampshire with his husband, Justin, and their two cats, Charlotte and Grover. The trek to Ottawa has become a Gerstenfield tradition, and both he and Justin are excited to return to visit friends they’ve made through past Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekends.
Gerstenfield is honoured to be back as a 2026 Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew member and looks forward to sharing his training journey, along with everything Canada’s National Capital Region has to offer.
Chris Huddleston
Event: The Ottawa 17K Challenge
Location: Ottawa, ON
Chris Huddleston began running through his involvement in soccer and rugby. After some time away from the sport, he returned to running as an adult to maintain fitness, and developed a deeper interest after participating in Army Run in 2012 and Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend in 2013.
In recent years, Huddleston has become more involved with local running groups and races across the region, turning that interest into a true passion. He finds the running community incredibly welcoming and supportive, and the connections he’s made have encouraged him to show up more consistently and engage more socially.
For Huddleston, running blends physical and mental well-being, community, time outdoors, and the motivation to compete and grow. He also hopes to set an example for his two teenagers, even if their fitness journeys look different from his. Huddleston is excited to share his running story as part of the 2026 Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew.
Jessica Halsall
Event: Tartan Ottawa International Marathon
Location: Ottawa, ON
Running in support of: CHEO
Jessica Halsall is a busy mom of two under three years old. She works as a librarian by day, co-leads the Ottawa Badass Lady Gang Run Club, and teaches group fitness classes by night. She loves the challenge, discipline, and mental toughness of marathon training.
At this year’s Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, she’ll be running the Tartan Ottawa International Marathon to raise funds for the CHEO Foundation through the Desjardins Charity Challenge. CHEO is a hospital that Halsall is eternally grateful for.
This past spring, Halsall had a healthy pregnancy (one she could run through), and her baby boy was born at full term in February. Shortly after birth, he developed Meconium Aspiration Syndrome and spent his first two weeks of life in the CHEO NICU. Halsall will never forget the care her family received during such a challenging time. She’s thrilled to run this year’s marathon in support of CHEO, helping ensure this world-class facility and staff can continue to support families the way they supported hers.
Isabelle
Event : The Ottawa 36.1K Challenge
Location : Longueuil, QC
Running has been part of Isabelle’s life for about ten years, but it was in 2022, after her thirtieth birthday, that her passion took on a greater role in her daily life. Her favorite distance is the half marathon, as it offers the perfect balance between effort and enjoyment.
Running helps her to push her limits and, above all, share her energy with others, especially as a Pace Bunny at local races. Running has also helped her get through life’s challenges, such as the loss of her father, who passed away in December of 2024.
She is very happy to be part of Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew this year and to participate once again at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, an event she loves for its atmosphere, energy, and exceptional community!
Zac Liberty
Event: Tartan Ottawa International Marathon
Location: Gatineau, QC
Zac Liberty is a bodybuilder, marathoner, and the founder of Hull Sunday Run Day, a rapidly growing run club based in Hull, QC.
He will be competing in the Tartan Ottawa International Marathon at this year’s Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend. Beyond his own athletic pursuits, Liberty coaches others to build fitness and prepare for races of their own.
He is honoured to join the 2026 Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew and contribute to the running community he loves.
Rachael Machnee
Event: Tartan Ottawa International Marathon
Location: Saskatchewan
In Rachael Machnee’s own words, “I love talking fast and running slow.” She’s passionate about the energy, encouragement, and friendships that come from sharing kilometres with others. The running community has introduced her to amazing people who keep her motivated and remind her why she loves the sport.
Machnee ran her first marathon last year at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, and she’s excited to return for the Tartan Ottawa International Marathon this year as part of the Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew.
Jocelyn McIntosh
Event: Ottawa Half Marathon presented by Desjardins
Location: Maple Ridge, BC
Running in support of: Breakfast Club of Canada
Jocelyn McIntosh is a Red River Métis (Métis Nation British Columbia) runner who loves to travel and run. She is part of Native Women Run, a Turtle Island-based organization that uplifts Native women runners. Since 2012, she has been competing in roughly one race each month, both locally and in the United States.
McIntosh is grateful for the love and support of her family, which makes her running adventures possible, including her most recent trip to Australia for the TCS Sydney Marathon. She values running as a source of healing and meaning in her life.
She is honoured to be a member of the 2026 Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew and excited to inspire runners by sharing her story and Métis culture. Through connection and community-building, she hopes to encourage others to find joy and belonging through running.
Morgan Oda
Event: Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa
Location: Ottawa, ON
Morgan Oda got into running after seeing the positive impact that run clubs and meeting new people had on her partner.
She attended a local run club and quickly fell in love with the community and people first, and running second. Now, Oda leads Dominion City Run Club in Ottawa’s east end. She believes running is for everyone, regardless of pace, ability, or any other factor.
Oda will be running the Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa and is excited to soak up all the energy of Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend.
Ellen Rowe
Event: Ottawa Half Marathon presented by Desjardins
Location: Ottawa, ON
Ellen Rowe, originally from Toronto, now calls Ottawa home. Over the last eight years, she has enjoyed participating in a wide range of sport events, including Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, while exploring the city’s accessible outdoor spaces.
Rowe loved short sprint distances in track and field during elementary and high school, and quickly joined multiple running clubs after moving to Ottawa. While training for her first half marathon in 2023, she fell ill but didn’t give up on her goal. She still enjoys attending group runs, and you’ll often find her using adaptive equipment, whether it’s her racing wheelchair or day chair. She has worked her way from 5K to 26.5K, a distance she completed this past fall. Rowe plans to race the Ottawa Half Marathon presented by Desjardins at this year’s Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend.
For Rowe, rolling keeps her both physically and mentally fit. Life’s challenges can feel heavy at times, but she finds that movement helps relieve stress and reminds her just how capable she is. With encouragement from friends she first met through clubs like OCRC and VRC, she felt inspired to return to weekly runs.
When she’s not rolling, Rowe is training for paratriathlon, sit-skiing, and handcycling. She applied to join the 2026 Otto’s Ottawa Power Crew in hopes of encouraging other adaptive athletes to participate in sport and to remind them that they are still capable of achieving their goals.
Eric Sin
Event: The Ottawa 59.2K Challenge
Location: Toronto, ON
Eric Sin has been an amateur runner since 2013. What began as a way to build endurance during his younger years as a lifeguard has grown into a lifelong passion and the driving force behind his marathon journey. Last year, he set an ambitious goal — and achieved it — by finishing 2,025 kilometres in 2025.
This year, he’s dreaming even bigger and aiming to complete 2,026 miles in 2026. He’ll also be tackling the Ottawa 59.2K Challenge, which includes the Tartan Ottawa International Marathon. Sin thrives on pushing his limits, exploring what his body and mind can accomplish, and embracing the community that makes distance running so special.
He loves encouraging others to begin their own running journey. No matter your pace, you are a runner. Sin believes that “standing at the start line of a marathon in our nation’s capital can feel overwhelming, but the electric crowds will carry you through each neighbourhood and every kilometre.”
If you see him at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend this year, don’t hesitate to say hi and ask how he got into running. He’ll also happily tell you that one of his all-time favourite races in Canada is the Tartan Ottawa International Marathon, and he hopes to see you out there chasing your own goals, too.
Mandie Vossenberg
Event: Tartan Ottawa International Marathon
Location: Ottawa, ON
Running in support of: The Ottawa Humane Society
Mandie Vossenberg was born and raised in Ottawa. She took up running as a personal challenge in 2017 with the Ottawa 10K and hasn’t stopped since.
She ran her first marathon virtually in 2021 as a fundraiser during the pandemic, and this year at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend she will be running her fourth marathon.
Vossenberg is the owner of Collective Movement, a studio dedicated to removing barriers to entry for fitness and movement. She is participating in the Desjardins Charity Challenge in support of the Ottawa Humane Society.