Video: Ottawa Race Weekend Preview
A feature interview with coordinator Manny Rodrigues, as we look ahead to a big weekend in Ottawa.
It’s one of the most popular Canadian races of the year, and organizers of the Ottawa Race Weekend have made some key changes this year to further enhance the experience for runners.
There’s been an adjustment to the course — the first change in three years — designed to take the runners on a flatter, more spectator-friendly route. On the elite side, organizers believe the course and the world-class field is fast enough to possibly run a 2:07 marathon. You can find complete details on the course on the Ottawa Race Weekend website.
“Our goal was to change the route to make it even more enjoyable for runners,” said Jim Robinson, general manager, Run Ottawa. “Our new courses will keep runners in more picturesque and urban areas, giving them lots to look at while offering their family and friends more opportunities to cheer for them.”
About 39,800 are expected to participate in the seven different races on Ottawa Race Weekend, with the highlights being the 10K on Saturday night, and the marathon on Sunday morning.
Another change that runners will notice comes in the days before the race: the race expo, where participants pick up their bibs. The Pfizer-sponsored race expo is at the new Ottawa Convention Centre, just across the bridge from the start line. Organizers say the new location has more space and has helped create a better pre-race atmosphere for the event.
Sunday’s marathon also doubles as the Canadian championships, but some of Canada’s top marathoners are entered in the 10K, as a prep for the fall marathon season. Manny Rodrigues, elite athlete coordinator, expects an exciting battle among three top Canadian athletes — Simon Bairu, Dylan Wykes and Eric Gillis — in the men’s 10K, with Ethiopian Deriba Merga out front, gunning for the course record. When asked who would be the top Canadian in the historic showdown, Rodrigues predicts Canadian-record holder Bairu will come out on top.
For a full preview, click on the video below:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei7svETROfY[/youtube]
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