Lucas Bruchet and Natasha Wodak win Vancouver’s First Half

The spring road racing season began in western Canada as RunVan hosted the Vancouver Half Marathon on Sunday. Record times were set in both the men’s and women’s races, with Tokyo Olympians Lucas Bruchet and Natasha Wodak coming out on top. 

Bruchet bested his training partners Justin Kent and Ben Preisner over the 21.1 km distance, crossing the finish line in Yaletown in 63:25, a few seconds shy of his personal best. Bruchet, Kent and Canada’s reigning marathon champion, Trevor Hofbauer, all finished under the previous course record time of 64:18.

In the women’s race, three of Canada’s top marathoners battled it out on the Vancouver Seawall, though it was Wodak who came out on top to beat Malindi Elmore and Leslie Sexton in course record time (71:31). Twenty-six seconds later, Elmore finished second, also under Rachel Cliff’s previous course record time of 72:21. Sexton was third in 72:41.

Wodak and Elmore are currently in preparation for their debuts at the historic Boston Marathon in April. 

The race returned in a sellout of 2,000 runners after its cancellation in 2021 due to the pandemic. Vancouver’s First Half is described as Canada’s fastest half marathon, with the race following the city’s flat western seawall into Stanley Park and back.