© Copyright – 2024 – Athletics Illustrated

Sunday morning at the Sevilla Marathon in Spain, Rory Linkletter, became the second-fastest Canadian marathon runner of all time. The 27-year-old clocked a 2:08:01 performance, which is nine seconds faster than the Olympic standard of 2:08:10. He finished in 13th place overall.

Linkletter is now the second fastest Canadian behind only Cameron Levins with his 2:05:36 run from Tokyo last March.

Since working with American Ryan Hall, Linkletter has stepped up his game running a sub-four-minute mile and a new half-marathon personal best of 1:01:02 in Houston in January.

Currently, only Levins and Linkletter have qualified for the three Canadian men’s positions available. Ben Preisner came close but still needs to formally qualify. Meanwhile fellow Tokyo Olympic Trevor Hofbauer still also has yet to qualify. Preisner clocked a personal best of 2:08:58 earlier this month at the Beppu-Ōita Marathon.

On the women’s side, Malindi Elmore is in. Fellow Tokyo Olympic Natasha Wodak missed the mark in Houston in January and will have one more go in Rotterdam at the end of April. She will need to run sub-2:26:50. She is the current Canadian record holder at 2:23:12 from Berlin 2022 Berlin Marathon.

In Seville, 17 athletes ran sub-2:08:10 to hit the Olympic standard. Global ranking (top 80) also factors into the selection.

Results

  1. Deresa Geleta Ulfata (ETH) – 2:03:27
  2. Morhad Amdouni (FRA) – 2:03:47 – French record
  3. Gashau Ayale (ISR) – 2:04:53
  4. Yemaneberhan Crippa (ITA) – 2:06:06
  5. Tefese Delelegn Abebe(ETH) – 2:06:11
  6. Ghirmay Ghebreslassie (ERI) – 2:06:49
  7. Eyob Faniel (ITA) – 2:07:09
  8. Melaku Belachew Bizuneh (ETH) – 2:07:28
  9. Suldan Hassan (SWE) – 2:07:36
  10. Ibrahim Chakir (ESP) – 2:07:48
  11. Daniel Meucci (ITA) – 2:07:49
  12. Samuel Russom (ERI) – 2:07:57
  13. Rory Linkletter (CAN) – 2:08:01
  14. Petro Mamu Shaku (ERI) 2:08:01
  15. Mohamed El Talhauqui (MAR) – 2:08:03
  16. Phil Sesemann (GBR) – 2:08:04
  17. Carlos Martin Diaz Del Rio (CHI) – 2:08:04
  18. Yitayal Atnafu Zerihun (ETH) – 2:08:17
  19. Abdi Ali Gelchu (BRN) – 2:08:22
  20. Dario Ivanovski (MKD) – 02:08:26