Nderebas take on Canada’s best at Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal, presented by Asics: Canadian Half Marathon Championships

MONTREAL, QC. March 26th, 2008 — Organizers announced today that current World Champion and Olympic silver medalist, Catherine Ndereba of Kenya, and her brother Samuel, will go head-to-head against Canada's best distance runners in the 6th edition of the Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal on Sunday April 20th—this year's Canadian Half Marathon Championships.

Samuel, who won 21k de Montreal in 2005 and 2006, persuaded his sister to use the event as one of her key "sharpening" races in North America as she prepares for the Beijing Olympic marathon this summer. The event is part of the prestigious Circuit du Canada, and is also an important fundraiser for the MIRA Foundation, providing Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Lioudmila Kortchaguina of Toronto, the reigning Canadian women's marathon champion, defending champion at Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal, and course record holder on the flat, fast course around Parc Jean Drapeau, has also confirmed her participation. Tara Quinn-Smith, Lauren King and Beth Wightman from the Brooks Canada Distance Project in Toronto, and Montreal's Nathalie Goyer [current champion of the Quebec City and Mississauga Marathons] and veteran Isabelle Ledroit, will all do battle against "Catherine the Great".
Catherine Ndereba

Superlatives hardly suffice for the 35 year old Ndereba. In addition to her impressive, hard-fought victory at last year's World Championship marathon in Osaka, she was 2nd in the 2005 World Championships and winner in 2003. She was 2nd at the Athens Olympics in 2004 on another very tough day [2:26:32]. She has won the famed Boston Marathon 4 times [2000, 2001, 2004, 2005]; Chicago once, where she ran her PR and then-world-record of 2:18:47 in 2001; she won the New York City Half Marathon in 2006 [1:09:43], and was 2nd last August in 1:10:33. She has a PR for the Half of 1:07:54 [2001].

"Catherine the Great" will be ably supported at Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal by Kenyan teammates, Caroline Chepkorir and Neriah Asiba. Chepkorir is a fresh, new talent. Just 20 years old, she is starting her 2nd season on the North American roads. She had a strong 2007 in the US, where she placed 2nd in the BAA Boston Half in 1:13:07. The 26 year old Asiba has raced in Mexico the past few years, where she ran her PR of 1:10:24 [2006].

It is hoped that Ndereba's presence will pull the strong group of Canadian women to fast times in this year's Canadian Half Marathon Championships. This is the first year that Montreal will host the Championships, which offer $11,000 in cash prizing and are the trials for the World Half Marathon Championships, to be run in Rio de Janiero on October 12th. They are also a vital test on the road to the National Marathon Championships in Ottawa on May 25th, and possible selection to represent Canada in Beijing.
Lioudmila Kortchaguina

Realistically, the 36 year old Kortchaguina, who has represented Canada in the World Championships and Commonwealth Games, is the one most likely to stay closest to Catherine. Lioudmila won last year's Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal in 1:14:42, and is the course record holder with a 1:14:24 which she ran in 2003. She has run a 1:10:50 half in Vancouver, but that was also back in 2003; more recently, she has a 1:12:55 to her credit at Houston in 2005. An immigrant from Ykaterinberg, Russia, in 2000, it is her dream to represent Canada in the Olympics.

Right on her heels are likely to be Tara Quinn-Smith from the Brooks Canada Distance Project, who won the Naples [Florida] Half on January 20th in 1:13:53 on a hot, humid and windy morning; teammate Lauren King, who ran 1:15:37 in 2006; and BCDP's Beth Wightman, who ran 1:17:57 in Naples. All are tracking Lioudmila on the path to Montreal, then Ottawa, in the hope of making it to Beijing.

The men's race also promises to be hotly contested, with Samuel Ndereba trying to keep it a family affair. Hoping to stop him gaining a third victory at 21k de Montreal, will be a group of fellow Kenyans and some of Canada's best men. In addition to his wins in Montreal, Samuel has notched a 61:50 half, in Philadelphia in 2006, and placed 1st and second in the Boston Half in 2006 and '07. He had a great 2007, where he set a personal best of 28:01 at the Azalea Trail 10K in March, then another PR of 46:46 at the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler in Washington in April, and was 9th at Boston later that month. Josephat Ongeri, 19 year-old Elijah Muturi, David Ndirangu and Moses Macharia will help form a major Kenyan phalanx around him.

Hard on their heels will be a large pack of hungry Canadians, who should provide a great battle and a thrilling championship. Former Canadian marathon champ, Matt McInnes, also in Toronto's Brooks Canada Distance Project, has a 64:54 half PR; teammate Andrew Smith was 3rd in the men's division in Naples in 65:14; Vancouver's Jerry Ziak has run 65:22; Guelph's Taylor Murphy has represented Canada at the World Cross and has a 65:52 to his credit [Austin '07]; and Langley, BCs Steve Osaduik has run 65:25, as well as winning the Victoria Marathon in '06 in 2:16:49, to break a 25 year old record for that challenging course. Montreal's Fethi Oukid, who ran 66:20 last year, hopes to carry the standard of the host city high, and place in the top 10, if not on the podium.

"The Fédération Québécoise d'Athlétisme (FQA) is delighted to be associated with the Canadian Half Marathon Championships, being run in Montreal for the first time," said Jean-Paul Baert, President Director General of the Federation. "With this being an Olympic year, with 21k de Montreal being an important step to the National Marathon Championships encouraging fierce competition, plus Catherine Ndereba's participation, we expect a thrilling race. This will be a major boost to road racing in the province and we hope to see a number of Canadian distance athletes in Beijing!"

Although the beautiful course around Ile Ste-Helene, Ile Notre Dame, the Olympic Rowing Basin and the Formula 1 Gilles Villeneuve Circuit has a limit of 2,500 participants, some places still remain for recreational runners to sign up to run with "Catherine the Great" and a tip-top Canadian field. There is also a 5K fun run. All participants in the 21k receive an Asics technical t-shirt and a souvenir finishers' medal.

Online entry and charity pledging is available at www.canadarunningseries.com/monthalf/.

Canada Running Series