Olympians and Record Holders Cam Levins and Ben Flanagan to showdown at 2025 Ottawa 10K Presented by Otto’s Ottawa

Update as of May 19, 2025: Ben Flanagan will no longer be competing in the 2025 Canadian 10K Championships due to injury.

Ottawa, April 24, 2025 – Two of Canada’s greatest distance runners, Cam Levins and Ben Flanagan, are set to collide in a high-stakes, winner-takes-all showdown for the Athletics Canada Canadian 10K Championships at the Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa, part of the iconic Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend.

This isn’t just a race — it’s a battle for Canadian running supremacy

Levins, the first Canadian to win the NCAA honour for Male Track and Field Athlete of the Year, hails from Black Creek, BC and is widely regarded as one of the greatest distance runners in Canadian history. A national record holder in both the marathon and half marathon, Levins has proudly represented Canada on the world stage across multiple distances and events, including the 5,000m and 10,000m at the London 2012 Olympics and the marathon at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2024 Paris Olympics.

Perhaps his most remarkable achievement came at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, where he delivered a historic performance, finishing fourth in the world in the marathon — the highest-ever placement by a Canadian man in the event.

Levins’ current marathon record came during the 2023 Tokyo Marathon, where he almost became the first Canadian to win an official Abbott World Major. His 2:05:36 performance is not only the Canadian Record, but also the North American record. 

Flanagan, the pride of Kitchener, ON, is Canada’s road racing phenom. A former NCAA 10K Champion out of the University of Michigan, he’s the current Canadian record holder over both 5K and 10K on the road. Famous for his fearless racing style and explosive finishing kick, Flanagan thrives in high-pressure moments — and he’s coming to Ottawa with one goal: to defend the Canadian 10K crown he first claimed in 2022 and again in 2024.

Flanagan set his Canadian 10K record at the Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa last year, eclipsing the old record by two seconds, a record that was previously held by Levins. After setting another of his Canadian records in Ottawa, Flanagan went on to represent Canada in the 5,000m at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Two stars. One title. Zero room for error.

“We are in a golden age of Canadian distance running,” says Stephen Andersen, Run Ottawa’s Elite Athlete Coordinator. “Between the men’s and the women’s 10K events, as well as Rory Linkletter in the marathon, we have five of the greatest Canadian distance runners of all time toeing the line in Ottawa. Ben and Cam have traded different Canadian records for so long, and we are looking forward to having them race each other on Canadian soil for the very first time. We are truly honoured these athletes have chosen to race in Ottawa.”

Set on a course known for producing fast times and thrilling finishes, the 2025 Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa promises one of the most exciting showdowns for the tens of thousands of spectators that line the route.

Personal bests

With both men perfectly matched in the 10K, it will come down to strategy, grit, and who’s willing to hurt the most when it matters. The countdown is on to find out who will leave Ottawa as the champion of the 10K.

The Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa is one of the marquee events of Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, Canada’s biggest and most vibrant running festival. With national titles on the line and thousands of fans on the streets, the energy on race day is absolutely electric. Elite athletes and everyday runners alike will be chasing glory on one of the fastest courses in the country. Catch it all at 6:15 p.m. Saturday, May 24 on Run Ottawa’s youtube channel.

For more information and to register, please visit the official website at www.runottawa.ca.

Media contact:
Lisa Georges
media@runottawa.ca

Elite athlete contact:
Stephen Andersen
EliteProgram@runottawa.ca

About Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend

Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is Canada’s largest running and walking festival with six races, including the Tartan Ottawa International Marathon, Ottawa Half Marathon presented by Desjardins, Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa, Ottawa 5K & Ottawa 2K, and Ottawa Kids Marathon, as well as three multi-event challenges. In 2024, runners and walkers in the event raised a record-breaking $1,132,150.21 for local and national charities through the Desjardins Charity Challenge.

Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is one of two running events in Canada to host a World Athletics label marathon, and is host to Athletics Canada’s Canadian 10K Championships. The weekend was named Event of the Year at the 2019 Canadian Tourism Awards, and in 2020, its title sponsor Tamarack Homes won Sport Tourism Canada’s Canadian Sport Event Sponsorship Initiative of the Year Award. 

The 2025 edition of Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend will take place May 24-25. For more information or to register, visit www.runottawa.ca.

Athletics Canada

Athletics Canada is the national sport governing body for track and field, para athletics, cross-country, and road, mountain, and trail running. Its purpose is to support high performance athletics excellence at the world level, and to provide leadership in developmental athletics. Athletics Canada is a not for profit, charitable organization operating under a board of directors elected by provincial / territorial members. https://athletics.ca/