Ottawa, March 25, 2009 – Runners interested in smashing the world record for the 10 kilometre distance could be $100,000 richer if they do it in Ottawa in May.
Run Ottawa today announced it will offer the largest Canadian prize purse ever to any man or woman who breaks the current world record in its MDS Nordion 10K Race.
Haile Gebrselassie of Ethopia holds the current men’s 10K world record of 27:02 minutes – won in 2002 in Doha, Africa. The women’s world record was set in 2003 in San Juan, Peru by Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain in a time of 30:21.
“The Ottawa Race Weekend is a world-class event,” said Manny Rodrigues, Vice President, Run Ottawa. “So we’ve put together a world-class prize to attract the sport’s top runners to Ottawa.”
The MDS Nordion 10K race attracted more than 8,418 runners in 2008. The race was won by Julius Kiptoo of Kenya in 28:37 minutes. The fastest woman was Emebet Bacha (Ethiopia), who completed it in 32:42:01 minutes.
The record to beat in the MDS Nordion 10K event was set by Ottawa Race Weekend’s Race Director John Halverston in 1988, who burned up the course in 28:12 minutes.
“The MDS Nordion 10K is a highly recognized, competitive race that continues to attract world-class athletes,” said Steve West, President, MDS Nordion. “We’re excited about the new prize and hope it will motivate this year’s runners to beat the world record.”
The Ottawa Race Weekend will take place May 23-24, 2009.
The MDS Nordion 10k race will be held Saturday, May 23, at 6:30pm. The race will start on Laurier Avenue near Elgin and finish at the Ottawa Race Plaza, located near Ottawa City Hall.
ABOUT THE OTTAWA RACE WEEKEND
The Ottawa Race Weekend, Canada's premier running festival, combines competition, participation and fundraising to make a distinctive contribution to the health of the community. The 2008 Ottawa Race Weekend welcomed more than 32,873 participants in seven races, including the Ottawa Marathon and the MDS Nordion 10K. Run Ottawa, the organization behind the Ottawa Race Weekend, is run by a volunteer Board of Directors.
Website: www.runottawa.ca.
Men's Lead Pack in the 10K - 2008
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