Canada’s Linkletter narrowly close to winning his 1st-ever marathon, placing 2nd in Ottawa
Rory Linkletter, a Calgary-born runner, came close to achieving his goal of winning the Ottawa Marathon on home soil. Despite finishing second in a time of two hours eight minutes 31 seconds, Linkletter put up a strong fight in the 42.2-kilometre event. He was just nine seconds behind the leader, Albert Korir from Kenya, who crossed the finish line in 2:08:22. Korir, who had previously won the 2019 Ottawa race, showed his dominance once again.
The race was a redemption for Korir, who missed the Boston Marathon due to an ankle injury. He had also finished third in the New York City Marathon last November, where Linkletter trailed behind in 15th place. However, Linkletter’s performance in the Boston Marathon, where he ran a personal best of 2:07:02, showed his potential as a top marathoner. He also secured a spot in the Paris Olympics with a time of 2:08:01 in February 2024.
Looking ahead, Linkletter is determined to improve and set his sights on the Canadian record in the marathon. Instead of competing at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, he plans to focus on lowering the national record in the fall. The current record is held by Cam Levins, who ran a remarkable time of 2:05:36 in the 2023 Tokyo Marathon.
In the women’s marathon, Anne Marie Comeau of Quebec stood out as the top Canadian finisher with a fourth-place finish in 2:33:10. The race was won by Mercy Chelangat of Kenya in a time of 2:23:33. Tristan Woodfine from Cobden, Ont., Blair Morgan, and Arnaud Francioni also represented Canada with strong performances in the men’s marathon.
Switching gears to the Ottawa 10K, Charles Philibert-Thiboutot from Quebec City had a memorable race, breaking the Canadian record with a time of 28 minutes six seconds. The victory was especially sweet for Philibert-Thiboutot, who described it as one of the best racing experiences of his career. He credited his success to his improved fitness and a strategic race plan that saw him break away from Cam Levins, the Canadian record holder in the half marathon and marathon.
On the women’s side, Gracelyn Larkin emerged victorious in the 10K race, beating out defending champion Malindi Elmore. Larkin, who was running only her second road 10K, finished in 32:43, showcasing her potential as a rising star in the sport. Elmore, despite holding a lead midway through the race, crossed the finish line in 33:01. The race also saw strong performances from Erin Mawhinney, Lanni Marchant, and Rachel Hannah.
Overall, the Ottawa Marathon and 10K provided an exciting showcase of talent and determination from Canadian athletes. With promising performances and record-breaking runs, the future looks bright for the country’s distance running scene.
