Rachel Hannah’s incredible debut

Rachel Hannah of Toronto was the top Canadian finisher at this year’s Ottawa Marathon where she ran an amazing 2:33:30 and was the top Canadian female. It was also the first time she’s ever run the distance.

Hannah is already an accomplished distance runner having won the 10K road, half-marathon and cross-country championships and has also represented Canada at the IAAF world cross-country championships.

We asked her a few questions about her recent run in Ottawa.

CR: First of all, congratulations on your amazing marathon debut of 2:33:30. You made the decision to run the Ottawa Marathon relatively late. What led to making that decision?

Thank you! I am very happy with my decision to debut in Ottawa. My goal this year was to make one of this summer’s Pan Am Games or World Championships. To do so, I knew it probably wouldn’t be possible in the 10,000m. I wanted to at least try and see what would happen in the marathon. I can say with confidence that I made the right decision.

CR: What were your goals and expectations going into the race? What did you hope to accomplish?

My goal, first and foremost, was to have a positive experience running my first marathon but also to try and run under 2:35 in order to achieve the [world championship] standard. Of course, I also wanted to see if I could make it two and a half hours without having to stop to go to the bathroom.

CR: Tell us a bit about how the race played out? How did you feel? What was your race plan/strategy? Any regrets or things you wish to improve upon?

I felt really strong the whole way and was on my goal pace throughout. The only time I had to slow down slightly was due to some stomach pain just after the halfway point. I feel I can definitely improve my coordination skills in regards to bottle pick-up, having dropped a few along the way.

The race itself was very exciting and went by relatively quickly given the amazing crowd support along the way.

CR: You ran 2:33:30 which is one of the best marathon debuts ever by a Canadian.* Do you think this means you were made for the marathon? How will this affect your training and racing plans going forward?

My training definitely prepared me well for the marathon and I feel I have the right type of mindset to race longer distances. Going forward, my training will include a higher frequency of long runs but otherwise will be fairly similar to what I’m used to. I still plan on racing a wide variety of distances in order to improve my overall times and fitness.

CR: What’s next for you training and racing-wise?

I am definitely hoping to do one of the major competitions this summer, either the Pan Am Games in Toronto or the world championships [in Beijing]. I will likely compete in a few races between now and then in order to prepare but my training will remain similar and I will continue to keep working hard each and every day.

*Only Sylvia Ruegger has run faster in a debut marathon. She ran 2:30:37 at the Ottawa Marathon in 1984.