Mary Keitany breaks Ottawa 10K record

Lanni Marchant Ottawa Race Weekend

Mary Keitany Ottawa Race WeekendKenyan superstar distance runner Mary Keitany blew a world-class field of women wide open on Saturday evening in Ottawa at the Lowertown Brewery 10K.

Keitany led from early on in the race and extended her lead through the 10K. By the final kilometres there was the only runner in sight. She won by one second shy of a full minute.

The former women’s world half-marathon record holder ran 31:31 to narrowly break the event record which was set in 2005 by compatriot Grace Momanyi.

Lanni Marchant of London, Ont. was the top Canadian female runner, finishing seventh overall in 33:14. Close behind in eighth was Toronto’s Rachel Hannah, finishing in 33:22.

Marchant said her goal after being caught by some of the men, who started four minutes after the women, late in the race was to try and not be caught by many. “It put a bit more pep in my step”

The men’s race was a bit closer.

Kenyan Wilson Kiprop won the men’s race in 28:00, a solid time but still over a half-minute back from the course record, set in 2009, but countrymen David Kogei and Geoffrey Mutai were close behind in 28:06 and 28:08, respectively. Kiprop didn’t break away from the others until the final 800m.

Lanni Marchant Ottawa Race Weekend“I was trying to control the pace and slightly upping the pace,” said Kiprop after the race. “That helped to drop the guys, one by one. […] I’m used to staying with guys until late in the race and then I start to move,”

Dylan Wykes was the top Canadian finisher in 29:40, finishing ninth overall. Wykes missed most of last year with injury. This was his first time back competing since his recovery.

“It was a bit slower than I’d hoped for,” said Wykes. “The second half was a bit rough. I ran most of it on my own. […] It’s just nice to be back training, so we’ll go from there.”

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