Oakville, Ontario’s Ben Preisner and Smithers, British Columbia native Eliyah Brawdy each won the Vancouver Half Marathon on Sunday, June 22.

edit (9:33 AM PST, June, 23, 2025). Course was deemed short by 275m. A letter of apology and explanation went out to all participants.

Men’s race

Ben Preisner won the Vancouver Half Marathon in a time of 1:04:35. Taking second was Vancouver native Brendan Wong, and finishing in third was masters runner and fellow Vancouver resident Craig McMillan. Wong finished in 1:06:33, while McMillan rolled in at 1:07:57, respectively. McMillian competes in the 45-49 age category. The Canadian 45-49 record was 1:08:20 set by Jim Finlayson of Victoria, BC. It was set in Copenhagen in 2018.

Ben Preisner won the race in 1:04:35.

McMillan’s Canadian record time is dependent on ratification.

Preisner’s personal best is 1:02:24 from the Houston Half Marathon in January 2025.

Women’s race

In contrast to how the men’s race played out, the women’s race was almost too close to call. Eliyah Brawdy and Victoria resident Katelyn Ayers were nearly inseparable at the line, with Brawdy edging her at the finish banner to claim first place. They finished in 1:13:22 and 1:13:23, and taking third was North Vancouver’s Natasha Wodak, recording a 1:14:06 and the masters win.

Eliyah Brawdy (R) and Katelyn Ayers (L) race to the finish at the Vancouver Half Marathon.

Brawdy recapped the close finish, saying, “With 500 metres to go, I could hear her breathing behind me and then with 300 metres, she passed me, and then I knew I would have to sprint it to the finish. I thought she had me at one point. I was like, “I’ve got to go, I can’t come this far and not try to be the first one through.”

Alan Brookes says this “was the most exciting women’s race he’s seen at this event in his 27 years as president of Canada Running Series.”

Half Marathon Male:

  1. Ben Preisner – 1:04:35
  2. Brendan Wong – 1:06:33
  3. Craig McMillan – 1:07:57

Half Marathon Female:

  1. Eliyah Brawdy – 1:13:22
  2. Katelyn Ayers – 1:13:23
  3. Natasha Wodak – 1:14:06

There was a record 5,000 participants in the half marathon and just over 1,400 in the 5K. The runners came from eight Canadian provinces and 35 countries.

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