Virtual Canadian 10K Championships to take place on Canada Day
2019 and 2018 champs Natasha Wodak and Rachel Cliff planning to take part; Canadians will have a chance to beat the champ to win prizes
Ottawa, June 24, 2020 – This July 1st, Canada’s elite 10K runners are going to celebrate Canada Day the best way they know how: by racing in the first ever Virtual Canadian 10K Championships! This unique event is presented by Run Ottawa and Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, the hosts of the Canadian 10K Championships for the past 5 years.
The original date of the 2020 Canadian 10K Championships was to be May 23, 2020, as part of the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, which was cancelled due to the global pandemic.
“Our goal is to offer a fun and competitive racing environment for Canada’s best 10K runners during a time when no real races exist,” said Dylan Wykes, 2019 10K Canadian champion and Elite Athlete Coordinator for Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend.
Registered runners will have a 12-hour window, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time, to complete a course of their own choosing. The runner’s route must consist of an out-and-back course.
Natasha Wodak, who was crowned Canadian 10K champion in 2019, plans to run in Vancouver. The 2018 champ, Rachel Cliff, will run in Langley, BC. Other notable participants include Justin Kent (Burnaby, BC) and Phil Parrot-Migas (London, ON) who placed 2nd and 3rd at the 2019 Canadian 10K Championships last year.
The top 5 female and male runners will receive the following prize money, with a matching donation made to the charity of their choice for the Scotiabank Charity Challenge:
- 1st place – $500
- 2nd place – $400
- 3rd place – $300
- 4th place – $200
- 5th place – $100
Eligibility will follow the same time qualification standards as the real world 10 km championships, outlined on the Run Ottawa website.
View the full list of registered runners.
Canadians invited to Beat the Champ!
During the month of July, non-elite runners will have an opportunity to ‘Beat the Champ’. This open competition will invite runners to beat this year’s winning time (male-male, female-female) by running 10 x 1K intervals, and combining individual segments to beat the winning 2020 10K result. All competitors who best the champ’s time will be entered into a draw for a number of prizes provided by Athletics Canada.
About Run Ottawa
Run Ottawa is the National Capital Region’s premiere running organization and the organizers of Canada’s most popular multi-day running event, the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend. A not-for-profit, Run Ottawa manages a membership program and organizes more than 20 running events throughout the year, including the Run to EMpower, the Richmond Road Races, the popular Great Big Cookie Run, and the Saturday 5Ks at the Experimental Farm. Run Ottawa also manages the Kids Run Ottawa program, which introduces running into the schools for kids aged 6 to 12. www.runottawa.ca
About the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend
The Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is Canada’s largest running festival with six races, including the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon, the Scotiabank Half Marathon, the Ottawa 10K, the Ottawa 5K, the Ottawa 2K and Scotiabank Ottawa Kids Marathon. In 2019, runners raised $800,000 for local and national charities through the Scotiabank Charity Challenge. In 2020, the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend will be taking place virtually. The 2021 Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend will take place May 28-29.
The Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend was named Event of the Year at the 2019 Canadian Tourism Awards. It is one of only two running events in Canada to host a World Athletics (formerly IAAF) Gold Label Marathon. For more information or to register: www.runottawa.ca.