The Canadian 10K Championships, part of the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend on May 24, are fast approaching–and with them comes an epic showdown between the two greatest female marathoners in Canadian history, Natasha Wodak and Malindi Elmore.
These national distance icons boast a staggering array of achievements from the 5K to the 42.2K. Elmore, the former national marathon record holder, will return to defend her Canadian 10K title, while Wodak, the current national record holder, will aim to reclaim the crown she last held in 2023. In a head-to-head battle, could we see the Canadian record fall?
Elmore to defend her title
After winning her first Canadian 10K title in 15 years with a near-personal-best performance of 32:50 at last year’s race, Elmore, now 45, is back for more. The three-time Olympian holds a 10K personal best of 32:35 from 2023, and is fresh off the Berlin half-marathon, which took place on Sunday, where she clocked 1:10:21.
Alongside her three national Olympic teams, the Kelowna, B.C., native also holds the Canadian records in the 25K and 30K road races, both set during the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 2022.
Wodak eyes a comeback
Wodak, a Vancouver native, heads into the Canadian 10K Championships with a 10K best of 31:59 from 2015 and a marathon national record of 2:23:12 from 2022. The 2020 Olympian will be bouncing back from a frustrating race at March’s Nagoya Women’s Marathon in Japan, where she recorded the first DNF of her career.
At the 2023 championships, Wodak raced to the national title, clocking 32:51, but took third the following year. In June 2024, she returned to form at the Canadian Half-Marathon Championships in Winnipeg, taking first in 1:12:56, with Elmore running 1:13:09 for second.
Although Wodak has a statistical edge on Elmore across most distances, the two remain closely matched.
| Distance | Natasha Wodak | Malindi Elmore |
|---|---|---|
| 5km road | 15:36 (2019) | 15:40 (2007) |
| 10km road | 31:59 (2015) | 32:35 (2023) |
| Half marathon road | 1:09:41 (2020) | 1:10:11 (2023) |
| Marathon | 2:23:12 (2022) | 2:23:30 (2023) |
“Malindi and Natasha are two of the best distance runners in Canadian history,” said Run Ottawa’s Elite Athlete co-ordinator Stephen Andersen. “Their longevity, durability and range are impressive and almost inconceivable. We are super excited to welcome both of them back to the Otto’s Ottawa 10K and for another epic battle. We know both athletes will return to Ottawa hungry to win another Canadian title and continue to chase that long-time Canadian record.”
