Canadian marathon record holder wins Canada Running Series title

The points have been tallied now that the Canadian road racing season is over. Lanni Marchant of London, Ont., and Kip Kangogo of Lethbridge, Alt., are the Canada Running Series champions for 2013.

The series is scored using a set number of point for position in any races put on by CRS, but certain races have larger multiplier numbers, making placing well in them more valuable. As an example, finishing first is worth 30 points, but the Waterfront marathon has a two-times multiplier, making winning that race worth 60 points.

Marchant had a outstanding 2013 year. She won the Yonge Street 10K in the spring before representing Canada at the world championships in Moscow. After returning from Russia she won the national 10K championships at the Zoo Run in Toronto and finished second to Krista DuChene in the Vancouver half-marathon.

Capping off an already stellar season, her headline race came in October when she broke the Canadian women’s marathon record at the Toronto Waterfront marathon, running 2:28:00. The record was Sylvia Ruegger’s from 1985.

Marchant scored 157 points over the year. Krista DuChene finished second with 149.

Kip Kangogo won the men’s title after a season that finally saw him take the Yonge Street 10K crown. He finished fourth in 2010 and has inched one position closer each year until his win in the spring. He also finished second at the Zoo Run. Those two races clinched him the title.

Kangogo scored 157 points, the same as Eric Gillis, but a tie is decided by head-to-head results. He bested Gillis is both races where the two met this year.

The winners take home a prize purse of $2,500 each.