Ottawa's MacDonell Sets Women's 70-74 Marathon Record

Jennifer MacDonell ran 3:23:59 at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, beating the previous mark by more than three minutes.

Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Running

Expressive editorial sports illustration of a solitary elderly runner in a teal singlet mid-stride on a waterfront path under warm autumn light. — Ottawa's Jennifer MacDonell, 70, set a women's 70-74 marathon world record of 3:23:59 at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 18. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Jennifer MacDonell set a new marathon world record for women aged 70-74, finishing the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 18 in 3:23:59. The time is more than three minutes faster than the previous record of 3:27:00 set by Laurence Dupont Alnet of France in 2024.

Why it matters

The result shows that a runner can still set world-class marks well into later decades of life. MacDonell's time has been submitted to World Masters Athletics for ratification, which will make it official.

MacDonell improved her time by about six minutes through training with coach Steve Boyd. The 3:23:59 finish came with 200 metres to go, when she celebrated before crossing the line.

The players

Jennifer MacDonell

A 70-year-old runner from Ottawa who set the new women's 70-74 marathon world record at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon after training with coach Steve Boyd.

World Masters Athletics

The international governing body for masters athletics, which will consider MacDonell's submitted time for ratification as a world record.

Laurence Dupont Alnet

A French runner who held the previous women's 70-74 marathon world record of 3:27:00, set in 2024.

The details

MacDonell, who is 70 and lives in Ottawa, crossed the finish line at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 18. Her husband Norman also ran in the race, and she had previously competed in the Boston Marathon in 1997 and the Chicago Marathon in 2021.

Mid-1990s: MacDonell began regular 15-minute jogs along the Rideau Canal in her mid-30s.
1997: MacDonell competed in the Boston Marathon.
2021: MacDonell competed in the Chicago Marathon.
2024: Laurence Dupont Alnet set the previous record of 3:27:00.
October 18: MacDonell set the new world record in Toronto.

Season Trajectory

MacDonell's result lowers the women's 70-74 marathon benchmark that Laurence Dupont Alnet established in 2024 by more than three minutes. It also shows how masters runners in Canada can challenge established international standards in their age group.

The result gives recreational runners in their seventies a concrete benchmark for what targeted training can achieve. Runners training for their own races can look to MacDonell's approach of adjusting physical and mental work from spring onward.

The takeaway

Consistent, gradual training can produce major gains at any age, as MacDonell's six-minute improvement shows. Starting a routine with short, regular runs, as she did along the Rideau Canal, is a practical first step for anyone looking to build endurance.