Ottawa, April 24, 2025 – Two of Canada’s greatest distance runners, Cam Levins and Ben Flanagan, are set to collide in a high-stakes, winner-takes-all showdown for the Athletics Canada Canadian 10K Championships at the Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa, part of the iconic Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend.
This isn’t just a race — it’s a battle for Canadian running supremacy
Levins, the first Canadian to win the NCAA honour for Male Track and Field Athlete of the Year, hails from Black Creek, BC and is widely regarded as one of the greatest distance runners in Canadian history. A national record holder in both the marathon and half marathon, Levins has proudly represented Canada on the world stage across multiple distances and events, including the 5,000m and 10,000m at the London 2012 Olympics and the marathon at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and 2024 Paris Olympics.
Perhaps his most remarkable achievement came at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, where he delivered a historic performance, finishing fourth in the world in the marathon — the highest-ever placement by a Canadian man in the event.
Levins’ current marathon record came during the 2023 Tokyo Marathon, where he almost became the first Canadian to win an official Abbott World Major. His 2:05:36 performance is not only the Canadian Record, but also the North American record.
Flanagan, the pride of Kitchener, ON, is Canada’s road racing phenom. A former NCAA 10K Champion out of the University of Michigan, he’s the current Canadian record holder over both 5K and 10K on the road. Famous for his fearless racing style and explosive finishing kick, Flanagan thrives in high-pressure moments — and he’s coming to Ottawa with one goal: to defend the Canadian 10K crown he first claimed in 2022 and again in 2024.
Flanagan set his Canadian 10K record at the Ottawa 10K presented by Otto’s Ottawa last year, eclipsing the old record by two seconds, a record that was previously held by Levins. After setting another of his Canadian records in Ottawa, Flanagan went on to represent Canada in the 5,000m at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Two stars. One title. Zero room for error.
“We are in a golden age of Canadian distance running,” says Stephen Andersen, Run Ottawa’s Elite Athlete Coordinator. “Between the men’s and the women’s 10K events, as well as Rory Linkletter in the marathon, we have five of the greatest Canadian distance…
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