With Canadian stars Rory Linkletter and Natasha Wodak headlining the 2026 Tamarack Properties Ottawa Worldwide Marathon elite area, we knew we have been in for an thrilling race on Might 24. However on Wednesday, the occasion launched its official elite begin checklist, that includes a robust Ethiopian contingent that may problem the Canadians for the race title and the accompanying $24,000 prize.
5 further high Canadian elites have been named, together with Canadian Working‘s personal debutant John Homosexual, becoming a member of Linkletter and Wodak on the beginning line.
Linkletter to bounce again after Boston
For the second straight yr, Linkletter will race in Ottawa simply 5 weeks after competing on the Boston Marathon. This yr, he’s recent off one other private finest of two:06:04 and a 14th-place end. Now, he seems to be to raised final yr’s runner-up consequence.
Kenya’s Albert Korir was final yr’s winner; he was later suspended for a optimistic doping take a look at.
Ethiopia enters with a six-strong contingent of athletes; solely two personal sooner marks than Linkletter: Shura Kitata and Asrar Hiyrdeneach with PBs of two:03:59. Kitata is a five-time world main medallist, together with a win on the 2020 London Marathon. He additionally took second on the 2018 London and New York Metropolis Marathons, second at NYC 2022 and third in 2023. He set his PB en path to the win at February’s Seville Marathon, ending neck-and-neck with Hiyrden, who gained the occasion in 2022.
Vancouver’s Thomas Broatch may even toe the road; he ran his 2:10:35 private finest for eighth on the 2025 Houston Marathon. His profession highlights additionally embrace a win on the 2023 Canadian Marathon Championships (a part of the Toronto Waterfront Marathon; he positioned sixth total amongst worldwide opponents), in 2:16:25. Extra just lately, in fall 2025, he gained the Vancouver Underneath Armour Eastside 10K.
River Glade, N.B.’s Lee Wesselius enters with a 2:13:52 private finest from his runner-up end on the 2024 Canadian Marathon Championships (ninth place amongst worldwide Toronto Waterfront Marathon opponents). Wesselius was additionally the high Canadian on the 2023 Ottawa race and the 2024 Copenhagen Marathon.
Homosexual to make his debut
The Shakeout Podcast host and Canadian Olympic steeplechaser Homosexual can be making his marathon debut. “Taking a correct crack on the marathon distance has at all times been one thing I needed to do throughout my ‘prime,’” Homosexual stated. “With my eyes on making it again to a different Olympic Video games, I consider the earlier I can start studying the ropes of the gap, the higher my probabilities of placing collectively a qualifying run for LA.”
Homosexual represented Canada at Tokyo 2020 and several other world championships. To this point in 2026, Homosexual has put down sturdy efforts, taking second to Broatch on the Vancouver St. Patrick’s Day 5K and once more on the Vancouver Solar Run.
“Marathoning in Canada and globally is at an unprecedented excessive proper now, one thing that makes pursuing one in every of simply three Olympic spots each extremely daunting–but in addition very thrilling,” Homosexual stated. “The competitor in me is fired up by the notion that the privilege of representing Canada on the Olympics can be hard-fought.”
Males’s elite area
Shura Kitata (ETH) — 2:03:59
Asrar Hiyrden (ETH) — 2:03:59
Rory Linkletter (CAN) — 2:06:04
Gebretsadik Abraha (ETH) — 2:06:16
Mulugeta Debasu (ETH) — 2:06:36
Gizealew Ayana (ETH) — 2:06:48
Afewerk Mesfin (ETH) — 2:07:08
Daniel Mesfun (USA) — 2:08:24
Luke Kibet Cheruiyot (KEN) — 2:08:45
Elvis Cheboi (KEN) — 2:09:20
Kipsambu Kimakal (KEN) — 2:09:41
Ben Rosa (USA) — 2:09:47
Elkanah Kibet (USA) — 2:10:02
Thomas Broatch (CAN) — 2:10:35
Lee Wesselius (CAN) — 2:13:52
John Homosexual (CAN) — Debut
Wodak up towards a quick Ethiopian area
Regardless of having raced the Ottawa 10K numerous occasions, this can mark Wodak’s Ottawa Marathon debut. It is going to be her first marathon since taking thirty first at September’s 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. To this point in 2026, she’s raced a number of occasions, together with two half-marathons (1:11:51 for the win at Vancouver’s First Half, and 1:10:56 in Berlin) and two 10Ks in Vancouver.
Wodak can be up towards 11 Ethiopian athletes, three of whom boast sub-2:20 bests: Meseret Belete, Rahma Tusa and Yebrgual Melese. Belete, who holds the quickest time within the area, 2:18:21, from her win on the 2023 Amsterdam Marathon, can also be the world U20 half-marathon document holder, with a 1:07:51 finest. Tusa gained the 2024 Houston Marathon in her finest of two:19:33. Melese positioned second on the 2015 Chicago Marathon and ran her 2:18:21 finest in 2018 earlier than taking a hiatus from competing from 2020 to 2024. Her newer performances embrace an eighth-place consequence from the 2024 Berlin Marathon (2:21:39).
Rising Canadian stars
The 2023 Canadian half-marathon champion, Elissa Legaulthas additionally been on a current tear. She ran her sub-2:30 private finest of two:29:05 at December’s Valencia Marathon (the ninth-fastest in Canadian historical past), and her half-marathon better of 1:11:25 (Canadian No. 8) on the Mission 13.1 occasion in March. Former Université Laval athlete Jade Bérubé, who has moved as much as highway occasions over the previous two years, can be making her marathon debut.
Ladies’s area
Meseret Belet (Ethiopia) — 2:18:2
Rahma Tusa (Ethiopia) — 2:19:33
Yebrgual Melese (Ethiopia) — 2:19:3
Meskerem Assefa (Ethiopia) — 2:20:36
Alema’s youngsters (Ethiopia) — 2:22:28
Tahir Kuftu (Ethiopia) — 2:22:53
Meseret Gebre (Ethiopia) — 2:23:11
Natasha Wodak (Canada) — 2:23:12
Birke Debele (Ethiopia) — 2:23:19
Elfinesh Demise (Ethiopia) — 2:23:30
Abebech Yearbook (Ethiopia) — 2:23:33
Betty Chepkorir (Kenya) — 2:23:45
Anna Dibaba (Ethiopia) — 2:23:56
Élissa Legault (Canada) — 2:29:05
Abeba Aregawi (Sweden) — Debut
Jade Bérubé (Canada) — Debut
Prizes
Prize cash can be awarded to the highest eight finishers in each the lads’s and girls’s races, with every winner taking dwelling $24,000. Canadian athletes may even be eligible for a separate bonus pool, with $5,000 awarded to the highest Canadian finisher.
Extra incentives are on the road for record-breaking performances: a $10,000 bonus can be awarded to any athlete who eclipses the course document or any Canadian who breaks the nationwide mark.
The lads’s course document of two:06:04 was set by Andualem Belay Shiferaw in 2022, whereas the ladies’s mark stands at 2:22:17, set by Gelete Burka in 2018. Cam Levin (2:05:36, 2023) and Wodak (2:23:12, 2022) are the present Canadian document holders.
