Natasha Wodak

2x Olympian and Canadian record holder Natasha Wodak is set to take center stage at the 2024 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. The 42-year-old Canadian record holder returns to Toronto to race the marathon for the first time in 11 years and she's targetting her first-ever national marathon title.

She has had a rollercoaster journey over the past 18 months from attempting to qualify for Paris 2024 but falling short. Despite these challenges, she’s coming off a strong year and now she's approaching the TWM with a new mindset, enjoying the chance to race in front of family and friends without the pressure of Olympic standards.

With a personal best of 2:23:12, Wodak’s goal is to secure the Canadian title. Hear about the various chapters of her running journey, her love for training, and how she’s embraced the marathon’s challenges with resilience and determination.

LIVE from the 2024 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon Expo!

Hosts:

Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram

Karen Lesiewicz | @kare_les on Instagram

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

LEVER MOVEMENT: Elevate your running with the LEVER system, just like Olympian Eilish McColgan. Reduce impact on your joints, boost your training volume, and recover faster with this portable, easy-to-use treadmill system. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Save 20% with code CITIUS20 at LEVERMOVEMENT.COM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Natasha Wodak, Canada's fastest female marathoner, is taking on the Hamburg Marathon this weekend in her bid to qualify for a third Olympic team at Paris 2024. She chats with Trillium Running Podcast host John Shep about how she navigates the adversity in competition, but also the collective soul of Canadian athletics. They also take a detour to celebrate all things Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend, as it is the 50th Anniversary of that amazing race!

We also get a visit from the Running Physio and Canada Running Series Foundation, who are hosting 3rd annual Freestyle 5K and 1K Kids Run in support of Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. This event is open to participants of all ages and abilities and we learn how to join them at Sunnybrook Park on Saturday, May 4th, 2024 to support creating a world of possibilities for kids and youth with disabilities.

Find out more about Natasha Wodak on IG: https://www.instagram.com/tashawodak/

Find out more or sign-up to take part in Canada's biggest road race party of the year at https://www.runottawa.ca

Register for the Freestyle 5K at: https://raceroster.com/events/2024/83521/2024-the-freestyle-5k-and-1k-kids-run

Register to be an Athletics Ontario member: https://athleticsreg.ca/#!/memberships/athletics-ontario-2024-membership

Canadian marathon record holder Natasha Wodak joins the show ahead of competing at the 2023 World Athletics Championships marathon. She previously represented Canada at the 2016 and 2021 Olympics + the 2017 and 2019 World Championships. Last fall, she broke the Canadian marathon record in 2:23:12 at 40 years old. She spills her keys to longevity and what her goals are for this race and chasing the Paris Olympics qualifying standard.

Hosts: Chris Chavez, Kyle Merber and David McCarthy

Guest: Natasha Wodak

CITIUS MAG's coverage of the 2023 World Athletics Championships is powered by ASICS.

CITIUS MAG LIVE AT WORLDS: The show will air on the CITIUS MAG YouTube Channel between the morning and evening sessions of competition (Every day at 8 a.m. EST in the U.S.). 

CHAMPS CHATS ON THE CITIUS MAG PODCAST DAILY: The CITIUS MAG team of Chris, Kyle, David McCarthy, Jasmine Todd and Katelyn Hutchison will unpack all of the day’s biggest surprises and offer up their insights and analysis from being at the new National Athletics Centre and interviewing athletes each day. The podcast recording will be streamed on YouTube at the end of every day and will also be available on The CITIUS MAG Podcast feed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to shows. 

DAILY CITIUS MAG NEWSLETTER: David Melly will recap all of the biggest moments, highlighting his must-watch athletes and events for each day while also pulling together some of our best content, photos and social moments that the CITIUS MAG team captures.

It's always a fantastic day when I get to catch up with the incredible Natasha Wodak. It’s been a hot minute since we last spoke, so we had a lot to talk about: her Olympic experience running with Malindi Elmore, the Boston Marathon, and oh just a couple more Canadian national championships under her belt. No big deal. Natasha also now trains with Trent Stellingwerff, and she talks about what it’s been like to make that transition. We also chatted about what her race season might look like after she missed the London Marathon due to injury and illness. Don't miss our rapid-fire questions at the end of the interview. I'm kind of getting addicted to them...

Find Natasha on Instagram @tashawodak

THEME MUSIC CREDIT: Joseph McDade

Putting the "can" in Canadian, Natasha Wodak is the country's record holder in the marathon, after posting a 2:23 marathon in Berlin this past fall... as a master's runner. On this episode of The Drop, we talk about that race, her running journey, go-to race mantras, and nutrition while racing.  Follow Natasha on 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tashawodak  

You can still sign up for Winter GRIT Lite for only $30! Register at believeintherun.com/grit. 

This episode is sponsored by Inside Tracker, which helps you optimize your body and running, using science and technology to deliver ultra-personalized guidance for your training and health. Drop listeners save 20% on any product (no code necessary): https://www.insidetracker.com/dropin

A quick episode to talk about the year that was with highlights from Malindi Elmore, Natasha Wodak, Gabriela DeBues-Stafford, Lucia Stafford, and Filsan Abdiaman. I also answer a couple of listener questions and discuss show goals for 2021. 

Natasha Wodak became the second-fastest Canadian woman running the marathon in 2:26:19 on December 20th at The Marathon Project in Chandler, AZ. And I wanted to know EVERYTHING. She and I dug deep on everything from committing to the start line, how training went, to how the miles all rolled out. You don't want to miss this chat with one of the coolest women in running. 

One of the fastest women in Canada, Natasha Wodak holds multiple Canadian distance records and just this year became the first Canadian woman to run sub-70 minutes in the Half Marathon. Natasha opens up about social media, travel and racing and the challenges of self criticism.