ALEXANDER AND CARON WIN CANADA’S 10-KTTIG IN OTTAWA
By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2026 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission.
OTTAWA (May 23) — It was a cloudy and windy evening here in Canada’s capital, but the conditions were fine. Andrew Alexander and: Florence Caron, who won their first Athletics Canada 10-K titles in Ottawa 10-K presented by Otto’s Ottawa. For Alexander, 27, tonight’s victory was his second national title (he was the 10,000m champion in 2024). He was timed in 28:19, two seconds ahead of Thomas Fafard. For Caron, 25, she won her first 10-K title at the distance in her road debut. Running solo for most of the race, he was timed in 32:31. Both athletes earned CAD 6,000 in prize money.
CARON SELF
Despite his lack of experience on the roads, Caron entered tonight’s race as the favorite. The Penn State University record holder for both the 5,000m and 10,000m recently ran a 15:33 5K and said in an interview before the race that she’s “not afraid of running alone.”
“If I feel good, I’m just going to go,” he told Race Results Weekly on Friday. “I like to run fast.”
And that’s exactly what he did tonight. He started with a medium speed clip and only one of his competitors, Cleo Boyd, felt strong enough to go with him. The pair ran the first kilometer in 3:17, but then Caron got serious.
“Three-seventeen was our first ‘K,’ and I felt like I could run the whole way at that pace,” Boyd said. Race Results Weekly. “But then Florence was 3:06 on the second K. So I pulled back at that point because I knew it was too hot.”
From there, Caron had the streets of Ottawa to himself. She said she tried to push him but was careful not to explode.
“I was trying not to slow down,” Caron told reporters. “Ten-K is slower, and I was like, it’s 3:15 pace, so it’s not too bad. I was also trying to see (behind me) because it looked like it would be sad to walk the last hundred meters.”
But Caron, who lives and trains in Ariz. in Flagstaff, Ill., with Hoka Northern Arizona Elite, had little to worry about. He had to soak up the cheers of the crowd, which had brought him to the finish line right next to Ottawa City Hall. He had a chance to reflect on his rise as an athlete who came to Penn State three years ago as just a 4:18 1,500-meter runner, tonight a national champion in the 10-K.
“It’s really special,” he said. “Especially like, here, with so many (good) people competing.”
Although Caron had Lynn Williams’ national 10-K record of 31:44 on his mind, he didn’t chase it today. That will be the future goal, he said.
“I was just trying to survive,” Caron said. He continued. “I’m going to train and try to get it one day (but) not my first 10-K on the road.”
Behind Caron, Boyd also ran alone. A chase group was formed with four women Sevan Ghazaryan, Alexandra Luckey, Anne-Marie Comeau, and: Erin Mowhinney. In the second half, that group got closer and closer to Boyd, and with about 500 meters to go, Ghazarian was able to pull back and pass Boyd to take second place in 33:15. Boyd held on for third place (33:17), while Luckey (33:18) and Comeau (33:37) rounded out the top five.
“I could feel we had a win (over Boyd),” said Ghazarian, who competed for Yale University during his NCAA career. “With about a mile to go I was still feeling strong and it looked like we were closing in on him. I felt like if I timed it right it would help me finish strong.”
ALEXANDER DID ALL THE WORK
The men’s race started the same way as the women’s. Alexander took the lead right from the gun, and Fafard, Ben Flanagan, and: Ehab El-SandalI watched carefully. Both El-Sandali and Flanagan soon fell back, leaving Alexander and Fafard to fight to the finish. Alexander said he wanted to end the race early.
“Going into this weekend, I knew I was in shape,” Alexander told reporters. “At the beginning of this season I was playing too much and I learned the hard way that if you leave people in it, they will get you. So I wanted to be honest from the start.”
Fafard recruited Alexander for almost the entire race, but in the ninth kilometer he moved to the front. Alexander was surprised that his rival did not pull away, but slowed down a bit and gave up the lead.
“Just over the bridge Thomas came up,” Alexander explained. “Then I met him again, and then I felt good enough to race again.”
Fafard later admitted that at that moment he was in a flat state and did not have the strength to attack Alexander again. Alexander launched his final sprint with about 100 meters to go and Fafard was unable to close the gap.
“I got a good shot, so I was happy with that,” Alexander said.
Fafard, who had a personal best of 28:21, was pleased with his time but disappointed not to win.
“Andrew was really, really strong today,” Fafard said. “So he pushed the pace all the way. I tried to let him go at the last hill with a mile to go, but I just didn’t have the legs. After that, it was really, really hard.”
Flanagan, who was running his first race since suffering a torn labrum last October, ran much of the race in no man’s land. He finished a solid third in 28:33 and was clearly grateful to be back in action.
“I think I might have gotten a little bit ahead of myself in terms of expectations as we got closer to the race,” he told Race Results Weekly. “I probably convinced myself that I was further on the schedule than I really am. So I was rusty, but that was good. I was really glad I fought all the way. I kept those guys in sight. The legs never collapsed.”
Thomas Nobbs (28:48) and: El-Sandali (29:14) rounded out the top five.
– – – – – – – –
In the Ottawa 5-K leading up to tonight’s championship race, 100-year-old Roy Allen finished in one hour, 47 minutes and 19 seconds. Mayor Mark Sutcliffe presented him with his graduation medal. Allen has raised over CAD 12,000 for several charities. He was wearing a T-shirt that read: “I’m not old, I’m classic.”
FINISHING
