Elites attending the news conferences
Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon news conference Friday, May 23, 1pm Marriott Hotel, 100 Kent Street, Wellington Rm - 3rd floor
Men's Marathon • Wesley Korir KEN • Bazu Worku ETH • Yemane Tseguay ETH • Eric Gillis CAN
Women's Marathon • Ehitu Kiros ETH • Agnes Kiprop KEN • Etalemahu Kidane ETH • Rhiannon Johns CAN Updated: May 15, 2014
2014 Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon Bazu Worku Ethiopia 23 years old
Ranked: 3rd PB: 2:05:25 - 2010 Berlin Marathon
Career Highlights: . 2009 Paris Half Marathon Champion (1:01:56) . 2nd – 2009 Paris Marathon (2:06:15). His debut at the distance. . 2nd at the 2010 Ethiopian National 30km Championships.
Interesting Facts: . Ran 2:07:32 at the 2014 Houston Marathon – January 19th . His 2:06:15 in Paris was the fastest ever run by an 18 year old. . Won two marathons in 2013 – Houston Marathon and Grandma’s Marathon (USA).
2014 Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon Eric Gillis Canada 34 years old
Ranked: 11th PB: 2:11:28 – Toronto, Canada – 2011.
Career Highlights . Qualified for the 2012 Olympic Marathon at the 2011 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon with 2 seconds to spare. . Last Race: 2014 Toronto Yonge Street 10k Champion (28:32)
Interesting Facts . Graduate of the University of Guelph . Represented Canada at the Chiba Ekiden, a distance running relay style race held annually in Japan. . Ran 1:03:30 – NYC ½ Marathon – March 16th, 2014.
2014 Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon Wesley Korir Kenya 31 years old
Ranked: 1st Marathon PB: 2:06:13 – 2012 Chicago Marathon
Career Highlights: . 2012 Boston Marathon Champion (2:12:24) . Two-time Los Angeles Marathon Champion 2009/2010 . Half Marathon PB of 1:01:19 in New York City
Interesting Facts: . In 2013 Korir became an elected Member of Parliament for the Cherangany District in his native Kenya . Korir appears in a distance running documentary “Transcend” by Michael Del Monte. . Last Race: 1:03:34 – NYC ½ Marathon – March 16th, 2014.
2014 Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon Yemane Tsegay Ethiopia 29 years old
Ranked: 2nd PB: 2:04:48 – 2012 Rotterdam Marathon
Career Highlights . Represented Ethiopia twice at the IAAF World Track & Field Championships in the marathon. . His half marathon PB is 1:01:37 – Praha, 2010
Interesting Facts . Four of his five listed personal bests have been run in 2012 all in Rotterdam, Netherlands. . Last Race: 2:06:51 - Milano,Italy - April 6th, 2014. . 1:02:29 ½ Marathon - Marugame, Japan – February 2nd, 2014 . Tsegay’s 2:04:48 in 2012 is the 17th fastest marathon of all-time.
2014 Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon Agnes Kiprop Kenya 34 years old
Ranked: 2nd PB: 2:23:54 - Frankfurt, Germany 2012
Career Highlights . Has achieved nine 1st place medals. . Has won races in Prague, Reims, Turin and Frankfurt. . Winner of the 2009 Kenyan National Cross Country Championships.
Interesting Facts: . Took time off of distance running in 2007 to start a family. . Has a 10km PB of 31:57 – 2012. . Last Race: 2:27:51 – Nagoya, Japan Marathon – March 9th, 2014.
2014 Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon Ehitu Kiros Ethiopia 26 years old
Ranked: 1st PB: 2:23:38 - 2013 Dubai Marathon
Career Highlights: . 2nd at the 2013 Dubai Marathon . 6th at the 2013 Chicago Marathon (2:27:42) . Half marathon PB of 1:09:38 – 2009, Praha
Interesting Facts: . Kiros is one of two women who will compete in the 2014 Scotiabank Marathon with a PB of sub 2:24:00 . Improved her marathon time by nearly 14 minutes between 2011 and 2013
2014 Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon Etalemahu Kidane Ethiopia 31 years old
Ranked: 3rd PB: 2:25:49 - 2012 Hamburg Marathon
Career Highlights . 1st at the Hengshui Marathon in 2012 (2:28:03) . Has finished top three in the marathons of Cologne, Hamburg and Hengshui . 1st – 5000m - 2004 African Championships.
Interesting Facts . Won the Belfast International Cross Country Championships three years in a row (2005-2007) . Very fast track speed (15:04 – 5000m) (8:54 – 3000m) . Last Race: 2:31:53 – Mumbai Marathon – January 19th, 2014
2014 Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon Rhiannon Johns Canada 23 years old
Ranked: 12th PB: 2:40:24 - Birmingham, USA 2014
Career Highlights: . Broke UAB’s outdoor 1500m record as a junior in 2011 (4:28.59) . Ran 34:14:04 for 10,000m at the 2011 Stanford Invitational. . Half Marathon PB of 1:14:25 – Indianapolis, USA 2013
Interesting Facts: . A native of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. . Attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). . This will be her first Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon. . Last Race: 1:17:37 – Montreal ½ Marathon – April 27th, 2014.