Natasha Wodak to make marathon debut at Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Photo Canada Running Series By Paul Gains, Canadian Running Magazine Canadian 10,000m champion Natasha Wodak says she’ll take her first crack at the marathon distance at the 2013 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on Oct. 20. “I’m 31 years old and I have done a lot of stuff on the track,” Wodak says. “I feel I’m ready to try something new, a new challenge. I’m excited for it. I feel like when I do a longer distance, I’m getting better at it so I wanted to just go for it.” Wodak has a string of strong recent performances on the road, in cross-country and on the track. She set a Canadian record of 25:28 in the 8K with a win at the Pioneer 8K in Saanichton, B.C. In Bydgosczyz, Poland, Wodak was the top Canadian at the 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships, finishing in 24th place, despite suffering from bronchitis. She went on to win the Vancouver Sun Run 10K in 32:42, but unfortunately wasn’t able to achieve the qualifying standard for the world championships 10,000m. Now that she has decided to run the marathon, Wodak has also decided to leave her longtime coach, Brit Townsend. “That was very, very difficult for me,” Wodak says. “I have been with Brit for 12 years … She has been an amazing coach and I have accomplished everything that I have so far because she has been so good to me.” The Toronto Waterfront race felt like a good fit for her debut, Wodak says. “[Race director] Alan Brookes takes really good care of the Canadian athletes. It’s generally a fast course. It’s a good time of the year, there will be a lot of support for me I am going to have some pacers probably out there. And, you really get treated like an elite out there. There will be a lot of competition for me.” Wodak has been training in Vancouver with coach Richard Lee, whose also coaches Canadian Olympic marathoner Dylan Wykes, who ran a PB 2:10:47 at the 2012 Rotterdam Marathon.