Canadian Olympic silver medalist and 5,000m North American record holder Moh Ahmed has made the difficult decision to scratch from his highly anticipated debut at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon this weekend.
Ahmed’s withdrawal comes after the Bowerman Track Club athlete experienced a minor hamstring injury during his final tune-up workout leading up to the race, putting a temporary hold on his debut in the half-marathon distance.
In a statement released on Thursday, Ahmed expressed his regret at having to withdraw from the race.
The injury occurred during his final workout on Wednesday, where he tweaked his hamstring/hip flexor. Ahmed, along with his coach Jerry Schumacher, decided that it would not be in his best interest to line up for the race on Sunday, given the recent injury.
Ahmed’s half-marathon debut was highly anticipated, particularly considering his strong history in the 5,000m and 10,000m on the track.
As the only Canadian distance runner to have medaled in the men’s 5,000m event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, there was considerable excitement surrounding his foray into the longer distance.
The Canadian athlete expressed his disappointment, stating, “After a great few months of training, I was really looking forward to testing myself over the streets of Houston against a great field, but it will have to wait until next year.”
Ahmed’s withdrawal from the race marks a temporary setback in his transition to longer road races, having previously focused on local road races and winning the Canadian men’s 10K title.
Despite Ahmed’s absence, there will still be a strong Canadian presence at the Aramco Houston Half Marathon.
Rory Linkletter, another Canadian athlete, will be competing in the men’s elite half-marathon field. Linkletter aims to prepare for the Sevilla Marathon on Feb. 18, with a target of achieving the Olympic standard of 2:08:10.
Looking ahead, several Canadian athletes will be chasing their Olympic dreams in the full marathon.
Leslie Sexton, Lanni Marchant, and Natasha Wodak aim to meet the women’s Olympic standard of 2:26:50, with two spots open for Paris 2024.
On the men’s side, Tristan Woodfine returns to the marathon, seeking to break his personal best of 2:10:51 and meet the men’s Olympic standard for Paris, set at 2:08:10.
Moh Ahmed’s withdrawal from the Aramco Houston Half Marathon is undoubtedly disappointing for fans eagerly awaiting his debut in the distance.
However, the Canadian presence in Houston remains strong, with other athletes aiming to achieve their goals and Olympic standards.
Ahmed’s focus will now shift to recovery and preparation for future challenges, with the hope of making a return to the Houston Half next year.
