© Copyright – 2017 – Athletics Illustrated
A few fast Canadian women took in the Monterey Bay Half Marathon Sunday, Nov. 13th looking to either qualify for or solidify their position for the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships that will be taking place March 24, 2018 in Valencia, Spain.
Vancouver’s Natasha Wodak and Rachel Cliff took in the race. Dual citizen Kinsey Gomez, who resides in Boise, ID, competed as well, as did Sarah Inglis, a Scot, who attended Trinity Western University and has lived off and on in Langley, BC for a few years.
The standard for Canadian women to qualify for Valencia is to run under the time of 1:16:00.
Going into the race, nine women (including Inglis) have run under the benchmark, their performances are listed below.
Sunday, Wodak finished second to Kenyan Monicah Ngige.
“I am very pleased with my performance,” shared Wodak. “I wasn’t racing for a fast time; I was racing to compete well. Our plan (with Coach Lynn Kanuka) was to stay with the pack until about an hour into the race and then make a move. I did this and was able to drop the pack, except Monicah. She went with me and then surged ahead shortly after.”
Ngige finished in the time of 1:12:55. Wodak crossed the line in the time of 1:13:19.
“I am happy with a second-place finish in a field of very talented ladies, but I definitely know there is more in the tank,” added Wodak.
Wodak has run as fast as 1:12:58 during the qualification window, which is second to Toronto’s Sasha Gollish, who ran three seconds faster in San Jose, Cal on Oct. 8 this year.
Emily Setlack of Cold Lake, AB sits third with her personal best performance of 1:13:28 from her race May 7 this year in Vancouver, which is the same race that Wodak set her time.
Wodak has run as fast as 1:11:20 in the New York Half Marathon in 2015.
Gomez crossed the line fourth overall in the time of 1:13:30, while Inglis finished six seconds back for fifth.
“Monterey was great,” shared Inglis. “I was aiming for a personal best and to finish as high up as possible in the race. So, I am happy with the race, finishing just off of third place.”
Cliff finished seventh in the time of 1:14:25. Cliff set a new personal best time in the half-marathon in New York this year, crossing the line in 1:12:07, however, the performance took place outside of the qualification window.
Inglis will be looking to compete well in Houston in January as well as set a new personal best. Houston offers a fast course and should offer another quality field.
“As for Monterey Bay, she said, “The course was challenging, hilly, but so
beautiful along the coast; I will definitely be back next year. And, yes, next up looking to go sub-73 at Houston, if I can get in.”
Athlete tracking list before the Monterey Bay Half Marathon:
1:12:55 GOLLISH, SASHA ON UTTC 1981 San Jose, USA October 8th, 2017
1:12:58 WODAK, NATASHA BC PIHR 1981 Vancouver, BC May 7th, 2017
1:13:28 SETLACK, EMILY AB FTRS 1980 Vancouver, BC May 7th, 2017
1:13:43 COATES, VICTORIA ON DVTC 1991 Indianapolis, USA November 5th, 2017
1:13:45 PIDHORESKY, DAYNA BC UNBC 1986 Montreal, QC April 23rd, 2017
1:14:21 INGLIS, SARAH BC UNBC 1991 Victoria, BC October 8th, 2017
1:14:41 BOYD, CLEO ON PHYS 1993 Toronto, ON October 22nd, 2017
1:15:08 KORIR, TARAH ON UNON 1987 Vienna, AUT April 23rd, 2017
1:15:54 RABY, ARIANNE QC CAVD 1988 Montreal, QC April 23rd, 2017
