2018 Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon: Start list and runners to watch

*Update: Haile Lemi Berhanu will not be running.

Kiptanui vs Tsegay: 2017 champion to head off against 2014 course record holder

May 14, 2018 – OTTAWA – The men’s race at the 2018 Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon could prove to be very competitive as Ethiopian course record holder Yemane Tsegay returns to Ottawa to defend his title against last year’s champion, Kenyan Eliud Kiptanui. Tsegay set the course record of 2:06:54 in 2014. Kiptanui won the 2017 event in 2:10:14.

Joining the two men will be 2016 Boston Marathon champ Haile Lemi Berhanu, who holds an impressive personal best (PB) of 2:04:33 and his Ethiopian counterparts Deriba Robi (PB 2:05:58) and Adugna Takeli Bikila (PB 2:08:51).

Tigist Tufa, the Ethiopan female course record holder (2:24:31), is also returning to Ottawa hoping to defend the title she also set in 2014. Tufa went on to win the 2015 London Marathon. Competing against Tufa will be her compatriot Gelete Burka, who boasts a 2:20:45 personal best from earlier this year, and crowd favourite American Sara Hall, who just came in 2nd at the US half-marathon championships, on May 6.

Canadians to watch at the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon include Tristan Woodfine of Cobden, Ontario, who won the Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal (1:05.42) last month, 2017 Mississauga Marathon winner Lucas McAneney, and Lioudmila Kortchaguina who won the 2017 BMO Vancouver Marathon.

The 44th Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon will take place Sunday, May 27 at 7:00 a.m. (ET). The race will be tweeted live @ottawamarathon, and broadcast live on www.runottawa.ca and locally on Rogers-22.

Background information:

Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon course record holders returning to Ottawa