Press Release - The Ottawa Marathon - 5/22/09

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 2009 Boston Marathon winner to compete in Ottawa Race Weekend 10k Event
      Ethiopian confident he can snag world record and $100,000 prize

May 22, 2009, OTTAWA - Fresh off his winning time of 2:08:42 at the 2009 
Boston Marathon in April, Ethopian Deriba Merga is taking a shot at beating
the world 10k distance record of 27:01 for a $100,000 prize offered at the 
Ottawa Race Weekend tomorrow.

Deriba took a short break after Boston before starting a short but intense 
training program to smash the current world record.

"I feel ready," says Merga, adding he's in good shape heading into the 
race. "If the weather is good and the pacemakers do their job, I have a 
shot at it."

"We're offering a world class prize to attract athletes to a world class 
event," says Manny Rodrigues, Vice President, Run Ottawa. "We're excited by
the possibility that Saturday night's 10k race could make history."

ABOUT THE OTTAWA RACE WEEKEND

The Ottawa Race Weekend, Canada's premier running festival, combines 
competition, participation and fundraising to make a distinctive 
contribution to the health of the community. The 2008 Ottawa Race weekend 
welcomed more than 32,873 participants in seven races, including the ING 
Ottawa Marathon and the MDS Nordion 10K. Run Ottawa, the organization 
behind the Ottawa Race Weekend, is run by a volunteer Board of Directors.

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