TransCanada Run with the Champions in Ottawa Saturday October 18
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
For media wishing to attend the event, or to schedule an interview with athletes competing for the Canadian title please contact:
Emily Hooper
ehooper@athletics.ca
Office: 613-260-5580 ext. 3332
Mobile: 613-668-6022
OTTAWA – The 3rd TransCanada Canadian Championships are set for this Saturday October 18, 2008 in the nation’s capital. The event includes the TransCanada Run with the Champions 10km and 5km races, offering the unique opportunity for everyday running enthusiasts to race alongside Canada’s best. This year’s event will feature two athletes from the 2008 Olympic Games team and three from the Paralympic Games team.
The races begin on the picturesque Ottawa River Parkway in front of the Canadian War Museum crossing into Gatineau before coming back to the Parkway for the big finish under the archway.
To register for the TransCanada Canadian Championships or TransCanada Run with the Champions please visit: www.eventsonline.ca/events/transcanada_10k/. The deadline to register online is Thursday, October 16th. Onsite registration will be available on Saturday morning, starting at 7am.
Canadian Titles on the line; Timex National Road Race Series Finale (TNRRS)
Six Canadian titles will be on the line Saturday:
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Men’s and women’s 10km road race
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Men’s and women’s 10km wheelchair road race
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Men’s and women’s Masters 10km road race
The Championships are also the culmination of the Timex National Road Race Series Finale. Canada’s only National Road Race Series, the Timex series encompasses races in every province across the country.
High Performance on Display
A number of elite high performance athletes will line up on the Parkway Saturday, notably Eric Gillis of Antigonish, NS and Taylor Milne of Callander, ON. Gillis and Milne both represented Canada at the recent Olympic Games in Beijing. Gillis competed in the 10000-metres while Milne ran in the 1500-metres in Beijing.
Of note, lining up to vie for the Canadian 10km Wheelchair titles are Josh Cassidy of Port Elgin, ON, Michel Filteau of St. Jean Baptiste, QC and Diane Roy of Hatley, QC. All three athletes were in Beijing competing against the world in September. Roy came away from the Paralympic Games with three medals; Silver in the 5000-metres and Bronze in the 400 and 800-metres.
Also on the watch list –
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Simon Bairu of Regina, SK. Bairu won the inaugural edition of this event in 2006; in 2007 he was a member of the World Championships team which competed in Osaka, Japan.
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Lisa Harvey of Vancouver, BC. Harvey finished 4th in 2006, earlier this year she traveled to Edinburgh, Great Britain to represent Canada at the World Cross Country Championships.
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Matthew McInnes of Toronto, ON. McInnes, a specialist of the marathon, was 2nd at the 2008 Canadian Marathon Championships and won the title in 2007. He also finished 2nd earlier this year at the Canadian Half Marathon Championships.
Athletics Canada’s Youth Development Fund
The TransCanada 10km Championship and Run with the Champions 5km & 10km benefits Canada’s developing athletes - our future Olympians. All proceeds from this event will benefit Athletics Canada`s Youth Development Programs.
Road Closures
Please note the following road closures for Saturday’s event:
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Ottawa River Parkway westbound between Booth and Island Park Drive from 8:00am to 12:30pm (this includes the westbound ramp at Parkdale and the exit from Tunney's Pasture)
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Booth Street north of Wellington including the Chaudière Bridge will have intermittent closures between 10 and 11:00 a.m.
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Eddy Street south of Alexandre Taché/Laurier Street in Gatineau including Chaudière Bridge will be closed and traffic routed east or west between 10 and 11:00 a.m.
Schedule
9:00am - 5km Fun Run
10:00am - Canadian 10km Wheelchair Championships
10:20am - National 10km Championships - Elite Women
10:30am - National 10km Championships and Run with the Champions
11:45am - Award Presentations
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For more information:
Mathieu Gentès
Director, Corporate Services & Public Relations
Athletics Canada
mgentes@athletics.ca
613-260-5580 ext. 3303
Emily Hooper
Coordinator, Corporate Services & Public Relations
Athletics Canada
ehooper@athletics.ca
613-260-5580 ext. 3332
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