Natasha Wodak and Jeremy Coughler win Canadian 10,000m titles

Three weeks after successfully defending her Canadian 10K title in Ottawa, Natasha Wodak added another national title to her extensive resume at the Canadian 10,000m Championships in Langley, B.C. Wodak won by a significant margin of 30 seconds, securing her second Canadian title of the 2023 season. On the men’s side, London, Ont’s. Jeremy Coughler emerged as a first-time national champion, crossing the finish line in 28:46.96 on a warm and windy evening at the Pacific Distance Carnival.

A dominant performance from @tasha_wodak as she is crowned the Women’s Canadian 10,000m #Champion at the Pacific Distance Carnival 🏆

Wodak finished with an official time of 32:42.77, with Katelyn Ayers & Cleo Boyd filling out the podium behind her. pic.twitter.com/tfvIVYPsAK

— Athletics Canada (@AthleticsCanada) June 26, 2023

Wodak takes two

Despite experiencing some minor hamstring tightness leading up to the 10,000m championships, Wodak displayed her exceptional fitness by establishing an impressive lead of nearly 100 meters after the 5K mark. Assisted by 2020 Olympian Natalia Allen for 12.5 laps, Wodak maintained her position and claimed victory over Katelyn Ayers and Cleo Boyd. Ayers achieved a personal best time of 33:11.77, securing second place, while Boyd from Kingston, Ont., finished seven seconds behind Ayers in 33:18.27, taking the third spot. This marks the second time in the last four years that Wodak has achieved the remarkable feat of winning both the 10,000m and 10K titles. She previously accomplished this feat in 2019.

Wodak will now return to training as she continues her preparations for the marathon at the 2023 World Athletics Championships scheduled in Budapest in late August. Her last representation for Canada was at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she placed 13th in the marathon.

Coughler captures Canadian crown

For Coughler, following his third-place finish at the Canadian 10K Championships last month, the desire for further success propelled him to secure his first individual Canadian national title. Representing the London Western Track Club and working as a full-time chiropractor, Coughler has been on a roll in 2023, winning multiple races and showcasing his talent. Perry MacKinnon from Sherbrooke, Que., impressed with a commendable time of 28:52.60, securing the second position. Meanwhile, Mexican Olympian Juan Luis Barrios claimed third place with a time of 28:55.82. However, since Barrios is ineligible for Canadian championship recognition, the third-place medal was awarded to Andrew Alexander from Toronto, who finished fourth in 29:25.64.

The final strides from Jeremy Coughler, your Men’s 10,000m Champion finishing strong with an official time of 28:46.96 🏆

Les dernières foulées de Jeremy Coughler, votre champion du 10 000 mètres masculin, se terminent en force avec un temps officiel de 28:46.96 🏆 pic.twitter.com/9L72pfafOJ

— Athletics Canada (@AthleticsCanada) June 26, 2023

The complete results from the 2023 Canadian 10,000m Championships and the Pacific Distance Carnival can be found here.