Berlin Marathon will be a Canadian women’s showdown

The Berlin marathon is this Sunday, and it’s shaping up to be the marathon of the season. 

Eliud Kipchoge is looking to run a personal best, which, if he did, would likely be close to a world record. Edna Kiplagat, upon finishing, will make history in the women’s event as the first-ever elite able-bodied woman to finish all six world major marathons. On top of these heavy-hitting stories, an extremely elite group of Canadian women have all entered Berlin, and are ready to run fast. 

Sasha Gollish, Lyndsay Tessier, Rachel Hannah, Catherine Watkins and Rachel Cliff are all entered in this Sunday’s world major marathon. 

RELATED: Edna Kiplagat will make history at the 2018 Berlin Marathon

Gollish announced earlier this summer that she was planning on running a marathon, but it was unclear until recently where she would make her debut. 

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Gollish’s training mantra is “test yourself,” and the marathon will certainly test the track-and-road runner. Gollish has competed at every distance from the 400m through the half-marathon, and with that impressive range of distances, she has decided to challenge herself to race the marathon. “The marathon is part of that plan to test yourself, go after something that scares you, and the marathon scares me.”

RELATED: 2018 Waterfront 10K winner to run debut marathon

Cliff is the Canadian half-marathon record holder, and she, too, is making her marathon debut. Cliff has had an amazing season rewriting her personal bests in everything from the 5,000m and 10,000m on the track, to the 5K, 10K and half-marathon on the road. 

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Hannah has established herself as one of Canada’s top female marathoners, with a personal best of 2:32. In an interview about her training earlier this week, Hannah said, “I like to simulate the time I’ll be on my feet, and it also helps me work on keeping my concentration for an extended period of time. It’s very much a race simulation, and I also practice taking fluids and energy every 5K or so, just like I would during the marathon.”

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RELATED: Rachel Hannah’s marathon workout will help you set the pace

Tessier is fresh off of a new personal best at the Canadian 5K champs last weekend in Toronto. She’s also run personal bests in 2018 in both the half-marathon and the 10K. She’s having one of her best years yet. With a marathon personal best of 2:36.55, and some good mojo after her strong 5K performance on the weekend, Tessier is one to watch. 

RELATED: STWM athlete profile: Getting to know Catherine Watkins

Watkins represented Canada in the marathon at the 2015 Pan Am Games where she gritted-out and eight place finish. Her marathon personal best is 2:42.35.