Sunday’s Tamarack Homes Ottawa International Marathon was chilly, windy and rainy–but thrilling, nonetheless. While no saw Canadians reached the women’s podium, Quebec’s Élissa Legault was the top Canadian, placing eighth overall with a second straight sub-2:30 performance.
Ethiopian-Swedish star Abeba Aregawi dominated the event, stopping the clock in 2:23:12 (within a minute of the 2:22:17 course record) to win by more than two minutes. Ethiopia’s Tahoe Kuftu took second in 2:25:33, while Kenya’s Betty Chepkorir ran 2:25:51 for third.
“I’m very tired, but I’m so proud,” Legault told Canadian Running. “It was so nice to hear everyone cheering on the course–I heard my name so many times, and that really pushed me.”
For the first half of the race, Legault, 31, ran in a pack with Canadian marathon record holder Natasha Wodak, before pulling away shortly before the 30K mark. She said the course was hard–especially with the hills and the wind. “The last 5K [was the hardest part],” she said. “We had quite a headwind for a good part.”
Rising through the Canadian ranks
The performance fell within seven seconds of her 2:29:05 personal best. She set that mark at the Valencia Marathon in December, taking more than four minutes off her previous best (2:33:27, set in 2022) and recording the ninth-fastest marathon in Canadian history. She entered Ottawa believing that with the right conditions, another PB was possible, but was primarily focused on positioning herself well among the top Canadian finishers.
Since her debut at the 2018 Marathon du P’tit Train du Nord in Quebec, where she ran in 2:59, Legault has lowered her time by more than 30 minutes.
Élissa Legault and Jade Bérubé embracing after the 2026 Ottawa Marathon. Photo: RunOttawa
Wodak was the second Canadian finisher, taking 11th overall in 2:33:15, while Quebec’s Jade Bérubé, making her marathon debut, was the third Canadian and 13th overall in 2:36:09.
See here for results.