For many runners, this weekend has had a circle on the calendar for quite some time. Ottawa Race Weekend is the largest sporting event in the nation’s capital, and this year’s edition delivered in a big way — entries topped 40,000 for the first time in a decade, drawing competitors from across the country and around the world. Among the tens of thousands who flooded the city streets was a large pride of Lions, chasing finish lines and personal bests on home turf.
The turnout was nothing short of impressive. Over 110 current Lions athletes toed the line across the weekend’s events, to say nothing of the many Club alumni who also laced ’em up. And the current crop didn’t just show up — they showed out. With more than 60 personal bests, 22 all-time age-class top 10 performances, and one outright victory, Lions athletes made their presence felt.
Setting the tone for the entire weekend was Ken Lorbetskie, who stormed to victory in Saturday’s 5km. The Lions veteran crossed the line in 15:45 — just three ticks of the watch off his personal best set in 2024 — holding off Gatineau’s Sean Ibbott by five seconds in a tight finish. Teammates Zachary Sikka (16:00) and Barrett Goold (16:21) weren’t far behind, finishing 7th and 11th respectively.
Bringing some serious heat was a collection of younger Lions, headlined by the remarkable Lilah Saibil. The 12-year-old crossed the line in an eye-popping 18:31 — third overall among the women — and won the U14 section by well over a minute. In doing so, Saibil obliterated not one but two Club records, besting both the U14 and U16 marks for the event, the latter of which had stood since 1985. Eleanor Fraser (19:47) added to the record-breaking afternoon, also dipping under the previous U14 standard.
Meanwhile, Jaiden Taft is quietly putting together one of the more impressive months in recent Club memory. Saturday marked the third time this month he has lowered his personal best — his 16:52 finish came over 45 seconds faster than where he started May, moved him into fourth on the Club’s all-time U16 list, and slotted him sixth in the U20 category.
For the second year running, Elliott Tyman took the non-binary section, finishing in 19:51 — nearly a full minute faster than their winning time in 2025. The University of Ottawa student continues to raise the bar.
If the 5km belonged to Lorbetskie, the 10km belonged to Daniel Cova — and the performance he put up in his debut at the distance will have Lions fans buzzing for a while. The U20 athlete stormed to a 31:49, placing 44th in a stacked field and coming within just four seconds of a Club record that has stood since 1985, when Rick Hellard set the U20 mark. For a first attempt at the distance, it was the kind of run that makes you wonder what happens when he comes back for more.
Zoe Gardiner and Elizabeth Vroom kept the momentum going, finishing in 37:13 and 37:49 respectively to place 38th and 47th among the women, with Vroom’s effort earning her a spot in the U23 top 10 to boot. Then came high schooler Charlie Fee, who didn’t just compete in the U20 section — she won it outright. Her 41:00 clocking captured top spot and moved her to seventh all-time among U18 Club athletes, with teammate Edit Petrescu-Comnene finishing just 39 seconds back in second.
If there was one performance this weekend that deserves to be celebrated beyond the Club, it’s this one. Liz Maguire is in the final months of the 55-59 age category — she turns 60 later this year — and she made sure to go out with a bang. It wasn’t a straightforward victory either. At the 40km mark, Maguire trailed Elisabeth Ruel of Oka, QC by 13 seconds, but she found another gear when it mattered most, reeling in Ruel and crossing the line 3:19:05 for a seven second cushion. The time stands as the fastest recorded for the 55-59 category in Canada this year, according to Athletics Canada, and marks her quickest marathon since the 2023 Boston Marathon. On a weekend with 40,000 stories, hers stands among the very best of them.
