Top Canadian distance stars head to Ottawa for 10K Championships

Flanagan, Mawhinney, Levins and Elmore set to compete for Canadian titles at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend

Ottawa, April 23, 2026 –  Canadian distance runners Ben Flanagan, Erin Mawhinney, Cam Levins and Malindi Elmore are set to compete at the 2026 Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa on Saturday, May 23, as Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend hosts the Athletics Canada Canadian 10K Championships. This group brings together four of the country’s top distance runners for a national championship race in the nation’s capital.

Flanagan returns to Ottawa as one of Canada’s top road racers. The Kitchener, Ontario native has established himself as a consistent presence on the national stage. In 2022, he won the Athletics Canada Canadian 10K Championship at the Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa. He returned in 2024 to claim the title again, winning the race for a second time and setting a Canadian 10K record of 28:09. In October 2025, he made his marathon debut at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, where he won the Canadian Marathon Championship in 2:15:39. Reflecting on his return, Flanagan says, “Last year, I was so excited to compete for a potential third Ottawa 10K title, but unfortunately I was forced to pull out due to injury. I had to watch an epic battle from the sidelines between CPT and Cam, which ultimately resulted in a new Canadian record (breaking mine!). It’s been a long year getting back to full health, and I can’t think of a more fitting place to return to racing!”

Mawhinney continues to emerge as one of Canada’s leading distance runners. After a third-place finish at the 2025 Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa with a time of 33:09, she won the Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon in 1:13:30, and placed third at the Athletics Canada Canadian 5K Championships in Montreal with a time of 16:22. In January 2026, Mawhinney ran 2:29:36 at the Houston Marathon, a seven-minute personal best that placed her fifth, while balancing full-time work as a nurse in Hamilton, Ontario. Mawhinney shares that “Ottawa race weekend is my favourite event of the year. The crowds are so much fun and the organizers make the entire experience feel really smooth and special. It draws a great field and it’s awesome to compete with women from all over the country.”

Levins, the national record holder in the marathon distance, brings extensive international experience to the start line. In 2023, he placed second at the Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa, running 28:40, and returned in 2025 to finish second again in 28:14, continuing a run of strong performances on the course. Levins opened 2026 with a win at the Vancouver First Half in 1:01:46, and later set a Canadian masters record at the 2026 Tokyo Marathon, finishing 14th in 2:06:47 and recording the second-fastest marathon of his career. Reflecting on racing at Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, he notes, “Always happy for an opportunity to compete for another national championship. Ottawa seems to get a lot of fans out to watch and cheer for us on race day which I’ve really appreciated. Also, having it tied together with the marathon weekend really gives a greater spectacle to the whole event.”

Elmore, a two-time Olympian and former Canadian marathon record holder, won the Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa in 2024, taking the title of Canadian 10K champion breaking the tape in 32:50, before returning in 2025 to place second in 33:01. To close out 2025, she broke the Canadian 45–49 age group record at the Valencia Marathon by 14 minutes, crossing the finish line in 2:24:53, a performance that made her the owner of five of the six fastest marathon times in Canadian history. Her result also surpassed the men’s Canadian 45-49 record, making Elmore the fastest Canadian of all time, male or female, in that age group. 

“I love coming to race in the National’s Capital against many of the best runners in Canada because the City delivers one of the best athlete experience in the world,” Elmore shares. “Ottawa really puts on a fabulous race weekend for runners and fans of the sport.”

“The Otto’s Ottawa 10K is the gold standard for elite racing in Canada. We are proud to continue that tradition with the addition of Cam, Ben, Malindi and Erin to this year’s elite field,” said Stephen Andersen, elite athlete coordinator. ‘We expect great support on the roads for what will be another fantastic weekend of racing in our city.”

The Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa continues to serve as a national stage for Canadian distance running. Known for its flat, fast course and strong competition, the race consistently attracts a deep field of elite athletes from across the country. As the host of the Athletics Canada Canadian 10K Championships, it offers both national titles and a competitive prize purse, adding further stakes to an already high-level race. With Flanagan, Mawhinney,  Levins, and Elmore set to compete, this year’s field brings added depth and experience to a championship event that regularly produces top performances.

While the Tamarack Homes Ottawa International Marathon and Ottawa Half Marathon presented by Desjardins are now sold out, registration is open for all other 2026 Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend events, including the Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa.

For more information or to register, visit 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 Tamarack Homes Ottawa International Marathon, Ottawa Half Marathon presented by Desjardins, Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa, Ottawa 5K and 2K presented by Runkeeper, and Ottawa Kids Marathon, as well as three multi-event challenges. Since its inception in 2015, the Desjardins Charity Challenge has raised more than $9.5 million for local and national charities through the Desjardins Charity Challenge.

Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is the only running event in Canada to host a World Athletics Elite 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. In 2020, its title sponsor Tamarack Homes won Sport Tourism Canada’s Canadian Sport Event Sponsorship Initiative of the Year Award.