Esselink scores huge PB at lululemon Edmonton 10K

The weather was perfect in Edmonton this morning for the second iteration of the lululemon Edmonton 10K, where Leonard Chesoo and Natasha Wodak both set new course records. Chesoo ran 29:27 (a personal best), followed by Evan Esselink of Vancouver with an almost-30 second PB, in 29:57. Esselink, whose previous PB of 30:20 was set at this race last year, finished several seconds ahead of Canadian marathon record-holder Cam Levins, who finished third in 30:14.

In the women’s race, Canadian 10,000m and 10K champion Natasha Wodak of Vancouver was first across the line, in 33:15, followed by Olympian and Canadian 3,000m record-holder Jessica O’Connell in second (33:49) and Gladys Tarus third (35:02). (Tarus was also third at the lululemon Toronto 10K and first at the Streetsville Mile and Toronto’s Sporting Life 10K.)

RELATED: Edmonton 10K: wind, donuts, and post-race yoga

The men’s field was particularly deep. Olympian Reid Coolsaet and Chris Balestrini were right on Levins’s heels, both finishing in 30:15. Kevin Coffee was sixth (30:23), Rob Watson was seventh (31:14), Angus Rawling eighth (31:29), Bonsa Gonfa ninth (31:37) and Riley Stuermer 10th (31:57).

Chesoo, a student at Edmonton’s Concordia University, finished second at last year’s Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) national cross-country championships. He grew up in Iten, Kenya.

The post-race party, which includes free yoga with lululemon’s Global Yoga Ambassador Ryan Leier, music, donuts, and the great feeling that comes after a good run, continued in Bandshell Park near the Alberta Legislature.

For full results, click here.