Canada’s Linkletter narrowly close to winning his 1st-ever marathon, placing 2nd in Ottawa

The Ottawa Marathon nearly went according to plan for Rory Linkletter.

The Calgary-born runner, who wanted his first-ever victory in the distance to occur on home soil, finished second on Sunday morning in two hours eight minutes 31 seconds.

Linkletter charged late in the 42.2-kilometre event and could see the back of leader Albert Korir over the final metres before reaching the finish nine seconds behind the Kenyan, who broke the tape in 2:08:22 and also won the 2019 Ottawa race.

Korir, who missed the Boston Marathon a month ago with an ankle injury, was third (2:08:00) in the New York City Marathon last November, while Linkletter was nearly four minutes behind him in 15th.

The 28-year-old Linkletter went 2:07:02 for sixth in Boston, a 59-second personal best and fastest time by a Canadian at the event. He also ran 2:08:01 on Feb. 18, 2024 to automatically qualify for the Paris Olympics.

Linkletter was 47th in his Summer Games debut last summer, a race that fuelled his determination to become the best marathoner he can be by the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Linkletter will try to lower the Canadian record in the fall rather than compete at the Sept. 13-21 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

Cam Levins of Black Creek, B.C., holds that title after running a North American record 2:05:36 in the 2023 Tokyo Marathon.

Linkletter’s next race will be a half marathon at the Aug. 17 Edmonton Marathon, where he’s “excited” to perform in front of family.

Comeau top Canadian in women’s marathon

Tristan Woodfine of Cobden, Ont. near Ottawa, was seventh on Sunday in 2:13:21 while fellow Canadians Blair Morgan (2:19:36) and Arnaud Francioni (2:23:07) were ninth and 10th.

Mercy Chelangat of Kenya won the women’s marathon in 2:23:33, with Anne Marie Comeau of Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges, Que., grabbing top Canadian honours with a fourth-place finish (2:33:10).

Meanwhile, a day after winning his first Ottawa 10K in Canadian record time, Quebec City’s Charles Philibert-Thiboutot said it was “one of the best racing experiences of my career.”

The 34-year-old broke away from Levins in the ninth kilometre and finished in a personal-best 28 minutes six seconds on a chilly Saturday night to lower Ben Flanagan’s national mark from last year by three seconds.

“It felt amazing to have things fall in place — good weather, fast pace, fitness — and give an effort that produced a win and record,” Philibert-Thiboutot told CBC Sports. [It] was a true reflection of the work put in [since] March.”

The two-time Olympian, who’s in his final season of competitive racing, was coming off a sixth-place finish (28:51) in the Vancouver Sun Run on April 27. Levins was second (28:23) in that race following a fast start.

“I was expecting the same type of strategy,” Philibert-Thiboutot said of Levins, the Canadian record holder in the men’s half marathon and marathon. “However, this time my fitness was much better.

“Things turned around for me in Flagstaff [Ariz.] during training camp the last few weeks and I was confident I could challenge him for most of the race. He is to be credited for my record as he [pushed] the pace for 8K before I took over.”

Larkin upends defending women’s 10K champ Elmore

Philibert-Thiboutot will return to the track June 7 and run the 5,000 metres at the FAST5000 World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger event. From there, he will enter 1,500m races in hopes of qualifying in the distance for the world championships.

New dad Flanagan of Kitchener, Ont., had planned to defend his Ottawa 10K title but was forced to withdraw due to a hip/quad flare up.

In the women’s race, Gracelyn Larkin, who was running only her second road 10K, posted a come-from-behind victory over early leader and 2024 champion Malindi Elmore.

Larkin, 24, stopped the clock in 32:43 while the 45-year-old Elmore reached the finish in 33:01. The Kelowna, B.C., resident was hoping to run faster than last year’s 32:50 winning time as a “benchmark performance” as she prepares to enter a 10th marathon build for her world championship debut.

“On the one hand I’m really pleased that there is some up-and-coming talent that’s 20 years younger than me,” Elmore, who held a 12-second lead on Larkin midway through the race, told Race Results Weekly.  “Because, you know, we need a new generation ready to shine.  But, it’s always a little disappointing because I wanted to win today.”

Hamilton’s Erin Mawhinney was third in 33:09, while Lanni Marchant of London, Ont. and Toronto’s Rachel Hannah were fifth (33:28) and sixth (33:38).

Natasha Wodak, who won in 2023, withdrew on Wednesday with lower-body soreness, stating in an Instagram post she had “maybe” one good workout the past month.

“I couldn’t get through my workout on Wednesday,” said the Canadian record holder in the women’s marathon. “My glute is still not great. My quad is lighting up. My hamstring doesn’t feel good.

“I’m looking at the big picture, which is competing [in the marathon] at the World [Athletics] Championships.”