Toronto Yonge Street 10K to host epic east-west battle

Toronto’s premier 10K race will mark the occasion of the first East versus West elite team contest in Canadian road racing history on April 13.

The Toronto Yonge Street 10K  is expected to attract more than seven thousand runners chasing a fast times and enjoying festivities. The race will finish near historic Fort York in front of a large crowd of spectators.

Among those who will toe the start line are some of the country’s best racers who will compete for a challenge trophy.

“I think the East-West challenge idea is an excellent one,” says Richard Lee, coach of the BC Endurance Project, who will oversee the West team. “The more friendly rivalries and strong club or group structures we can have in Canada the better for everyone.

“It harkens back to the 1980s with the Toronto Olympic Club and the Etobicoke Husky Striders versus the Richmond Kajaks and the [University of Victoria] Vikes. That produced many of the strongest distance runners in Canadian history. The competition between clubs, groups or regions, adds a little more importance, excitement and flavour to events like the Toronto Yonge Street 10K.”

Lee will bring several athletes from his group, including Canadian international marathoner Rob Watson and Natasha Wodak, who won the Modo Spring Run-Off 8K last weekend in Vancouver.

Defending Yonge Street 10K champion Kip Kangogo will also add his significant presence to the West all-star team. The 35-year-old is a resident of Lethbridge, Alberta and is awaiting his Canadian citizenship. In the meantime, he has been making an enormous impact on the Canadian running scene. A year ago he was the Canada Running Series overall champion.

The East team is managed by Chris Moulton of the University of Guelph. Moulton is a manager of Speed River Track Club and the University of Guelph’s track and cross country teams.

Moulton points out that the East team includes two-time Canadian Olympian Eric Gillis, Krista DuChene, who represented Canada in the 2013 IAAF World Championships marathon and Tarah Korir, the 2012 Toronto Yonge Street 10K champion. Korir is returning to Canada following six months of high-altitude training in her husband Wesley’s native country of Kenya.

The times of the top two males and top two females on each team will be added together and the team with the lowest total time will be declared the victor.

“As our team sits right now, we think we have an outstanding shot at having a highly competitive race with the West team,” Moulton adds. “We love this concept and are happy to take on our friends from the West and defend our turf.”

The men’s race will likely come down to a tussle between defending champion Kangogo and Eric Gillis, but Watson could spring a surprise. Both Gillis, who is a member of Speed River Track Club and Watson are preparing for the Ottawa Marathon and see this race as an important test of their fitness.

Meanwhile, Tarah Korir, Natasha Wodak and Krista DuChene will provide the excitement at the front of the women’s race, but we shouldn’t forget Toronto’s own Rachel Hannah, who was second last year.

A well organized, fast course, 10 great charities to run for and excellent post-race entertainment will ensure the seven thousand runners have a great day in Toronto. Now, we’ll also see who reigns supreme, East or West?

Edited from a press release.