Sold-out Edmonton Marathon crowns two new champions

The city of Edmonton boasted perfect conditions on Sunday’s 31st edition of the Servus Edmonton Marathon. After a two-year pause due to the pandemic, it was a perfect setting for the event’s return. Thousands of Edmontonians turned out with cowbells, clappers and loud cheers for 3,345 finishers. Kip Kangogo of Lethbridge, Alta. won the men’s marathon in his 12th appearance (2:23:23), while Emily James of Calgary won the women’s race in 2:53:24.

Kangogo, 43, is a well-known name in Canadian marathoning, winning the 2022 Calgary Marathon and placing third in Vancouver earlier this year. Lucas McAneney of Burlington, Ont., who won the 2022 Buffalo Marathon while pushing his child in a stroller, shared the lead with Kangogo until he fell off after 10K. Kangogo carried on forward, winning by five minutes over McAneney, who finished in 2:28:17. Edmonton’s own Michael Zahara finished third in 2:32:09.

James of Calgary ran a personal best to win the women’s marathon, ahead of Edmonton’s Kathleen Saxon (3:00:38) and Red Deer, Alta. native Jodi Nesbitt (3:01:02). This was James’ first win at the Servus Edmonton Marathon.

2020 Tokyo Olympic marathoner Trevor Hofbauer of Kelowna, B.C., won the men’s half-marathon in 64:53. The 30-year-old was the top Canadian at April’s Boston Marathon, running the fastest time ever by a Canadian male (2:10:52). Hofbauer is building toward the Canadian Marathon Championships at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon in October and will also be competing for UBC Okanagan in the U Sports XC season.

Leonard Chesoo, a two-time Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) XC champion, finished second behind Hofbauer in 67:48. Callum Drever of Calgary was third in 1:11:03.

In the women’s half-marathon, Edmonton’s Danielle Thiel took the win in 1:19:35, 11 months after giving birth to her son. “It was great to have him on the course cheering me on,” Thiel told local news. ” I saw him a few times, which made things special.”

Calgary’s Leanne Klassen and Catherine Young took second and third place, respectively.

You can view the full results from the 2022 Servus Edmonton Marathon here.