Alexander and Caron take top spots in Ottawa 10K

With more than 40,000 participants, 2,500 volunteers, and sellouts in every event, this is the biggest race weekend the capital has seen since 2017.

More than 8,100 runners participated in the 10K under overcast skies and 19 degrees. Once again, the event hosted the Canadian 10K Championships, bringing together some of the country’s top distance athletes. The elite men’s field included Canadian standouts such as Ben Flanagan and Thomas Fafard, as well as rising talents from across the country.

Flanagan had aimed to reclaim the Canadian 10K record—28:06, set at this event in 2025. But it was Andrew Alexander who claimed first place in the men’s division with a time of 28:19. Alexander and Thomas Fafard ran neck and neck for most of the race, but Alexander beat out Fafard in the final metres in an exciting finish.

In the women’s category, Florence Caron and Erin Mawhinney were among the favourites heading into the race. But it was Caron who took top honours, finishing in 32:31 in 10K road race debut. Caron maintained a substantial lead for most of the race, finishing more than 200 metres ahead of her closest competitors.

Starting at Ottawa City Hall, the 10K course took runners down Elgin Street, along the iconic Rideau Canal, around Dow’s Lake, and back up Colonel By Drive before crossing the Pretoria Bridge to a roaring finish on Queen Elizabeth Drive. Thousands of spectators lined the route, creating one of the most electric atmospheres in Canadian road racing.