Malindi Elmore smashes Eastside 10K course record ahead of Olympic trials

Elmore breaks Wodak's course record by 20 seconds at Vancouer's Eastside 10K

Madeleine Kelly September 15, 2019

Malindi Elmore set a new course record at the 2019 Eastside 10K yesterday. The Olympic hopeful ran the Under Armour race ahead of her second-ever marathon at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 20. Elmore’s 32:44 broke Natasha Wodak’s course record of 33:04 from 2015 by 20 seconds. (Wodak is currently training at altitude in Switzerland in preparation for the World Championships in Doha.)

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Elmore ran her marathon in January 2019 in Houston. There, she finished in a 2:32, a very impressive debut and even more impressive considering how she came to the event. The track runner-turned-marathoner began her career in the 1,500m before retiring from track and field in 2012 and moving to triathlon for a while. She returned to running in 2018 almost by accident, when she found it easier find time to run than to cycle or swim after having her second child.

The runner finished second at the Canadian 10K championship and won the Canadian half-marathon championships earlier this year. “Seven years ago I stopped racing. I never dreamed I’d be back at this level,” she said.

Second place on Saturday went to 2018 Canadian marathon champion Kinsey Middleton in 33:19 and third place to Leslie Sexton (in her fourth consecutive podium finish at this race) in 33:33. Twelve-year-old Sidney Swierenga finished in eighth place, in 36:25.

In the men’s race, Evan Esselink won in a 29:50 ahead of Trevor Hofbauer in 29:58 and Benjamin Preisner in 30:10. Esselink will run his marathon debut at STWM.

Esselink ran the fourth-fastest half-marathon by a Canadian at Houston (1:02:17) and announced his debut earlier this summer. Esselink is giving the marathon a try in a very high-stakes race. STWM doubles as the Olympic trials for Canadian athletes and is drawing one of the most elite fields in years, including Canadian record holder Cam Levins.

Full results can be found here.

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