On an unseasonally warm and windy Sunday morning in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood, Canadian marathoners Natasha Wodak and Andrew Alexander put together stellar performances to set new course records at the BlackToe Holiday 10K.
Six weeks after finishing 10th overall at the 2024 Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Alexander was back racing on the city’s streets and found himself on top of the podium. Alexander, who grew up just a few kilometres away from the start at Toronto’s Kew Beach, used the home course to his advantage, pulling away from Canadian XC Nationals runner-up Max Turek of Whitby, Ont., in the final two kilometres.
There were speedy times across the board in the men’s race, as Alexander’s winning time of 28 minutes and 41 seconds was the fourth-fastest 10K time by a Canadian this year. Turek finished seven seconds behind, in 28 minutes and 48 seconds. Alexander and Turek were two of four men who finished under the 30-minute barrier, with last year’s winner Phil Parrot-Migas of London rounding out the podium in third at 29:02.
Olympian Wodak shines again in Toronto
Two-time Canadian Olympian Natasha Wodak was the biggest name in the field at Sunday’s race, and she delivered, winning the women’s 10K in a course record 33:35 over last year’s champion, Emily Setlack. This was Wodak’s first race after finishing as the top Canadian woman at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in October.
Setlack finished as runner-up behind Wodak in 33:46, and Rachel Hannah of Port Elgin, Ont., was third in 34:11.
Wodak’s winning time was also a course record, earning her CAD $750, which she chose to donate to the race’s charity sponsor, Centre 55. Centre 55 provides much-needed support to individuals and families during the holiday season in the Beaches and East York community. The holiday-themed race had a goal of raising $25,000 for the local charity, and doubled the amount. They raised a total of $54,000 for Centre 55.
For full results from the 2024 BlackToe Holiday 10K, check here.
