US Marathon Champion Sara Hall Running Ottawa
On the heels of the U.S. women’s record performance at the Boston Marathon, organizers of the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend are pleased to announce that the 2017 U.S. Marathon champion Sara Hall is planning to run the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon on Sunday, May 27, 2018.
Over the past year, Sara has proven to be a force in the marathon distance with her times improving with virtually every race. Sara ran a 2:27:21 personal best time at the 2017 Frankfurt Marathon in October. She finished 9th at the 2016 TCS NYC Marathon (2:36:12), took 6th place at the 2017 Tokyo Marathon in March (2:28:26), and capped off a great season by winning the 2017 U.S. Marathon Championships in December (2:28:10).
“I’m very excited for the opportunity to race the Ottawa Marathon, which I’ve heard has a fast course and great atmosphere. I’ve done the best marathon work I’ve ever done this winter and spring, and can’t wait to put it to the test on race day alongside an IAAF Gold label field of women,” says Hall.
Sara is married to U.S. Olympic marathoner Ryan Hall with whom she adopted 4 Ethiopian sisters in 2015.
Kiptanui vs Tsegay: 2017 champion to head off against 2014 course record holder
OTTAWA – The men’s race at the 2018 Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon could prove to be very competitive as Ethiopian course record holder Yemane Tsegay returns to Ottawa to defend his title against last year’s champion, Kenyan Eliud Kiptanui. Tsegay set the course record of 2:06:54 in 2014. Kiptanui won the 2017 event in 2:10:14.
Click Here: NRL Telstra Premiership
Joining the two men will be 2016 Boston Marathon champ Haile Lemi Berhanu, who holds an impressive personal best (PB) of 2:04:33 and his Ethiopian counterparts Deriba Robi (PB 2:05:58) and Adugna Takeli Bikila (PB 2:08:51).
Tigist Tufa, the Ethiopan female course record holder (2:24:31), is also returning to Ottawa hoping to defend the title she also set in 2014. Tufa went on to win the 2015 London Marathon. Competing against Tufa will be her compatriot Gelete Burka, who boasts a 2:20:45 personal best from earlier this year, and crowd favourite American Sara Hall, who just came in 2nd at the US half-marathon championships, on May 6.
Canadians to watch at the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon include Tristan Woodfine of Cobden, Ontario, who won the Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal (1:05.42) last month, 2017 Mississauga Marathon winner Lucas McAneney, and Lioudmila Kortchaguina who won the 2017 BMO Vancouver Marathon.
The 44th Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon will take place Sunday, May 27 at 7:00 a.m. (ET). The race will be tweeted live @ottawamarathon, and broadcast live on www.runottawa.ca and locally on Rogers-22.