Lori Ewing
Natasha Wodak ofCanada celebrates winning the gold medal in the women s 10000m final during the athletics at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2019. Wodak finished fifth in The Marathon Project on Sunday and achieved the Olympic qualifying standard. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Martin Mejia December 20, 2020 - 2:43 PM
In the middle of a global pandemic that cancelled almost every major marathon over the last nine months, Natasha Wodak felt blessed to even be on the start line Sunday.
The 39-year-old from North Vancouver, B.C., made the most of her opportunity.
Wodak ran the second-fastest women s marathon in Canadian history and also raced well under the Tokyo Olympic qualifying standard to finish fifth in the The Marathon Project in Chandler, Ariz.
Canadians Natasha Wodak, Ben Preisner run Olympic qualifying times
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Canadian marathoner Natasha Wodak runs Olympic qualifying time
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Martin Hehir Wins Marathon Project In 2:08:59 at 7 Americans Break 2:10
December 20, 2020
It was a historic day in the desert today, as seven Americans broken 2:10 at the Marathon Project in Chandler, Ariz., obliterating the previous record for most American sub-2:10’s in one race (four at the 2012 Olympic Trials). Between a deep field (11 men with sub-2:12 pbs), perfect weather (in the 30s and 40s during the race, with almost zero wind) and terrific pacemaking, and the super shoe revolution, conditions were ripe for a very, very fast day. And the race delivered.
2:09:00 pace was the goal, and nine men were on track to do that at 35k. In the end, however,
Men’s Marathon Project Preview: With a Fast Course & Perfect Conditions, Sunday Could Be a Historic Day for US Marathoning
December 17, 2020
In the annals of US distance running, a total of 21 men have broken 2:10 in the marathon, doing so a combined 56 times.
There are only six races in history in which more than one American has broken 2:10. The list:
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Race
2012 Olympic Trials
Meb Keflezighi (2:09:08), Ryan Hall (2:09:30), Abdi Abdirahman (2:09:47), Dathan Ritzenhein (2:09:55)
1983 Boston
1982 Boston
2002 Chicago
2010 Boston
2019 Boston
Scott Fauble (2:09:09), Jared Ward (2:09:25)
That list could be due for a major revision on Sunday. While the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a wrench into the traditional marathon schedule the three US-based World Marathon Majors (Boston, Chicago, New York) were all cancelled it has also created opportunities that would not otherwise have existed. Like the Marathon Project.