TC10K Sunday: New men’s and women’s course records on tap as Richard Allen and Natasha Wodak lead elite fields

© Copyright – 2026 – Athletics Illustrated

Victoria, British Columbia, at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, earns its nickname, the Garden City. In spring, flowers are everywhere, even in the trees, as Japanese cherry blossoms reach full bloom. The renowned Butchart Gardens burst into colour, joined by Abkhazi Garden, Beacon Hill Park, the historic Government House Gardens, and the Japanese and Italian gardens at Hatley Park, home to stately Hatley Castle. Finnerty Gardens at the University of Victoria and the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific add to the display, among many others.

The city even hosts an annual community flower count, where locals have somehow tallied 86,268,791,360 blossoms for 2026—an obvious exaggeration, delivered with tongue firmly in cheek.

Saying that, only spectators will be tiptoeing through the tulips on Sunday.

The elite fields

Women

The Times Colonist 10K or “TC10K” is set to go on Sunday, cresting 11,000 registrations and elite fields led by Richard Allen of Huddersfield, UK and Natasha Wodak of North Vancouver.

Both athletes are coming off fourth-place finishes at the massive Vancouver Sun Run held Sunday, April 19, in Vancouver. Allen clocked a 29:10 performance and Wodak 32:47, respectively.

Wodak is a past winner of both the Sun Run and TC10K. Her personal bests are 31:41.59 on the track (10,000m) and 31:59 from the 2015 Ottawa 10K held during the Ottawa Marathon, which Wodak will be racing on May 24. She holds the Canadian record in the marathon at 2:23:12, and her “31” on the track was the national record for several years.

It has been 15 years since Wodak won the TC10K in a modest, for her, 34:18. The year she set the national record in the marathon, her 10K time was 32:42. She has rounded into form this spring.

Katelyn Ayers should give Wodak a run for her money. Ayers is coming off a 5K road performance from the Bazan Bay 5K, having clocked a new personal best of 16:02. She has run 15:37.51 on the track.

Hot off the track and Athlete of the Year honours is Madelyn Eybergen, who competes for the University of Victoria Vikes.

Eybergen is just two years removed from a high jump career. She surprised the USport running league with her dominance on the track and in cross country; it was one giant leap in progress. She is far from a dark horse, but is an unknown factor in that she could pull out more surprises on the roads. Her 3000m best of 9:01.64 suggests a 32:44 finish time. She won the Harriers Pioneer 8K in the time of 26:22 in January.

Men

In the men’s field, Richard Allen appears to be the clear favourite, having just run a new personal best of 29:10 in Vancouver. On his heels will be Liam Dwyer of Victoria, who sports a best of 30:03. But, likely, David Mutai a master’s athlete (over 40) of Vancouver and Brandon Vail of Victoria will form a pack and finish fighting for second. However, Vail and Dwyer have a home-course advantage.

Vail, originally from Edmonton, was a UVic Vike and is now representing the club team Speedfarm. He has made his name known locally, winning and placing on the podium at all Vancouver Island Race Series events in 2024, 2025 and 2026.

Dwyer, a former University of British Columbia Thunderbird, ran 31:05 last year in the TC10K. His best performance has been in the half-marathon, which he ran in Vancouver in February in 65:19.

Also, on their heels will be former Vikes Karl Robertson and Thomas Riva, who are looking fit, as is Daniel Mulushet Zewdu. Athletics fans may recall Riva winning the national 1500m championships against big names like Cameron Levins in a tactical race. The race went out so slowly that the flowers decorating the podium wilted. At 1300m into the race, Riva had had enough and blasted the field over the final half lap to take the win.

That won’t be happening Sunday on the streets of Victoria, as the athletes will be challenging the current course records and blowing the cherry blossoms off the trees as they fly by.

Elite fields