We’ve just received our tentative shirt designs for this year’s Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k participant t-shirts and now we need your input! Take a look at the two options above, then vote on your favourite style. The most popular version will chosen for the 2017 Asics race shirt that all participants will receive.
Voting closes at midnight on January 12.
Click to enlarge
December 31, 2016 – By Alan Brookes, Race Director
Thank you all for another remarkable year with Canada Running Series! More than 53,000 of you ran in this year’s Series. Another 5,000+ were volunteers and area managers. Tens of thousands more came out to cheer loved ones and friends. Together, you produced so many great moments. Of course, great moments are intensely personal: setting and achieving new personal goals; going the distance for a charity that is a vital part of your life, or in memory of a loved one; returning from a major injury, or coming back from childbirth to top fitness; qualifying to represent your country in the Olympic Games. What follows, then, is my own personal list of highlights from our year together. Even that has been enormously difficult to pick, so apologies to those I’ve missed!
My highlights, I think, reflect 3 key aspects of our 2016.
2016 was an Olympic year, and the exploits of our Canada Running Series stars featured prominently for me: our super-nice, fellow runners like Eric Gillis or Krista DuChene regularly lit up our races, and then went on to represent us and our country so proudly on the world’s greatest athletics stage.
Our ongoing, shared commitment to “building community through running” was another outstanding feature.
Finally, change was another important aspect of 2016. Just as we see an astonishing rate of change in the broader world around us, so our Series is caught up in this, driven by technology and the need to be fresh, new, innovative, to create a leading-edge, international-class running experience.
Here then, are my top 10:
The other side of what we do at CRS, besides athletic performance, is building community through running and your combined performance for community in 2016 was nothing short of spectacular. Together, you raised $5,595,834 and created vital awareness for a record 342 mostly-local charities. To put that in perspective, that’s an average of $104 raised for every participant across the entire Series! I could fill all of this Top 10, certainly a Top 100, just with stories of great courage and achievement amongst our charity runners. As examples, let me mention two, both in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge at STWM.
Four years ago Robert MacDonald fell 30 feet while vacationing in Los Cabos, Mexico. He dislocated his spine in two places, fractured nine vertebrae, broke eleven ribs and his scapula, and punctured a lung. The fractured vertebrae pinched his spinal cord, obstructing vital blood flow; the longer the obstruction went on, the more extensive the damage. He was given a 5% chance of ever being able to walk again. Cared for by the physios at Toronto Rehab Institute, maniacally determined, Robert worked tirelessly, one step at a time. Last year, he completed the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half-marathon. This year he formed Team “I Will” and together they finished the full STWM 42k, raising a fabulous $90,000 for the institute (see header photo at top). The journey: “First patient. Then fundraiser. Now Board Member. Always a Believer.”
Last year JP Bedard astounded us by running a Triple STWM – that’s running the Waterfront Marathon 3 times, back to back to back, the final time with every else from the mass Start – to raise awareness for survivors of childhood sexual abuse. This October JP went a few steps more, forming “JPs Team”, successfully completing four x STWM, or a total of 168.78 kilometres, and raising funds for Gatehouse and Little Warriors. JP began his journey at 2pm on Saturday and it was a special moment to be at the Finish line his final time around on Sunday afternoon with his family, friends and JPs Team.
Surprise the runner in your life this holiday season with a gift certificate to their favourite race!
Gift registrations are available for every race in the 2017 Canada Running Series in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. Eligible races include:
Race Roster Spring Run-Off 8k, 5k & Kids Run | Saturday April 8th 2017
Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal et 10k, 5k et course des enfants | Saturday April 22nd – Sunday April 23rd, 2017
Toronto Waterfront 10 | Saturday June 24th, 2017
Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon & 5k | Sunday June 25th, 2017
Vancouver Eastside 10k | Saturday September 16th, 2017
Oasis ZooRun 10k, 5k & Cub Run | Saturday September 23rd, 2017
Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Half Marathon & 5k | Sunday October 22nd, 2017
How to purchase a gift certificate:
Visit the registration page of the race of your choice (listed above) and select “Gift Registrations” from the left side menu.
After you checkout, Race Roster will email you a unique, 100% off code to pass along to that special someone.
Gift registrations are available all year round or until the race sells out, so you can give the gift of running for any occasion.
Gift certificates are non-refundable but giftees may transfer their race to another runner or sell their spot in the race via the event transfer tool.
Please send any questions regarding gift certificates to info@canadarunningseries.com.
December 6th, 2016. By Paul Gains
As he crossed the finish line of the 2016 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in fifth place, Eric Gillis knew he had capped off a brilliant year.
The 36 year old Guelph, Ontario resident won both the Canadian championship and the overall Canada Running Series title with this performance in Toronto. And, coming just nine weeks after a superlative 10th place finish in the Rio Olympic marathon, it signaled he has more running in his legs – not to mention a little more cash in his bank account.
The CRS overall winner earns $5,000.
“As soon as I finished Toronto (Waterfront) I assumed that my points would have been enough from the three races to probably win (the CRS title),” the three time Olympian admits. “It was on my mind. It was one of the reasons I went out to Vancouver to race the Eastside 10k in September. Credit to (race director) Alan (Brookes) for putting the series together and for putting that amount of money up for winning the overall series. I feel really fortunate to be the overall champion.
“There is not a lot of guaranteed money in this sport. Until I finished that race in Toronto – you have to finish all three races – so you can’t take anything for granted. It gets myself out racing on Canadian soil which I enjoy. It’s definitely a help to have that $5,000.”
Along with scoring the maximum 60 points by winning the Canadian marathon championship as well as the Vancouver Eastside 10k, Gillis emerged the victor at the Toronto Waterfront 10k which he used to gauge his fitness going into the Olympics. His total points score of 180 easily beat second place Kip Kangogo.
Kangogo, the Kenyan born Lethbridge resident, who gained his Canadian citizenship two years ago, finished with 142 points on the strength of his silver medal Canadian Marathon Championship performance in Toronto (9th place overall) and a pair of victories at the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon and Banque de Scotia 21k de Montreal. The latter two events were lesser weighted in terms of point value than the three events Gillis won.
The Toronto Waterfront Marathon, for instance, is an IAAF Gold Label event the highest international level awarded by athletics governing body. Kangogo, who is equally supportive of the Series, earned $2,000 for finishing second.
The women’s overall winner was another Olympian, Krista DuChene. She topped the table with 165 points having won the Canadian Marathon title and the Toronto Waterfront 10k, which were both worth 60 points. Her victory at the Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal earned her an additional 45 points.
This isn’t the first time DuChene has emerged at the top of the CRS points standings. She also won the overall CRS title in 2012.
“The funny thing is the first time I won it I didn’t even know,” the 39 year old from Brantford, Ontario says laughing. “Now obviously, having run with Alan all these years, first of all it’s an honour, I never take my competition lightly. So to win the series overall is an honour.
“I think the three races that I won, that allowed me to win the series, all three were pretty important. The Montreal Half Marathon was where I proved my fitness to get the (Athletics Canada) stamp of approval for Rio. And it was the first time I had run the course since I broke my leg on the course. So that was pretty special.”
“And the 10k was the first time that race had been run. So that was exciting to run and win it for the first time. Toronto (Waterfront Marathon) was the icing on the cake after coming back from becoming an Olympian and winning a national title. I couldn’t ask for a better season really.”
On January 9th DuChene will turn forty and has her eyes set on beating some of the Canadian masters records as well as improving her personal best times. No shopping sprees are planned so the $5,000 CRS prize will help pay down the mortgage on her house.
The Canada Running Series also recognizes the achievements of the country’s best masters runners too. Kevin Smith (Mississauga) by the slimmest of margins (93 to 91) beat Jerry Ziak of Vancouver to the overall men’s masters title. He earns $1,000 while Ziak takes $500 for second. The pair never met in head to head competition.
Montreal’s Sandra McLean was overall women’s masters champion taking maximum points at the Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal (45 points) and at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (60 points).
While the Canada Running Series serves runners of all ages and abilities there is also an incredible fundraising initiative which accompanies the program. In 2016 more than 53,000 runners raised a total of $5,595,834 for 342 mostly local charities. That translates to roughly $104 for every participant in the series.
The 2017 Canada Running Series launches April 8th with the Race Roster Spring Run-Off 8km an annual tradition in Toronto’s High Park for almost forty years. Some exciting changes lie ahead for the Series including the inclusion of both a 5km and 10km with the Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal, an initiative designed to give more runners an opportunity to participate in a spring time event.
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For more information:
https://canadarunningseries.com/#races
Toronto, ON. October 25, 2016– At the recent Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon held Sunday October 16th, 12 of Toronto’s top neighbourhoods and their charities battled it out to see who had the BEST cheering section. Known internationally for its vibrant neighbourhoods, Toronto’s waterfront came alive to welcome more than 25,000 runners from 68 countries, and to cheer them on in what for many is a life-achievement.
Now in its 13th year, the Neighbourhood Challenge is part of Scotiabank’s commitment to local communities. Together with the Scotiabank Charity Challenge, this year’s race will raise over $3 million for 182 local charities. Despite some early rain, this year’s neighbourhood cheering sites were some of the best ever, and the event judges undoubtedly had one of the toughest challenges of the day. After careful consideration, we are pleased to announce this year’s winners!
First Place – St. Lawrence Neighbourhood for Jamii Esplanade.
NCE 12 – $6,000.00
Second Place – Riverdale/Woodbine Park for South Riverdale Community Health Centre.
NCE 10 – $3,000.00
Third Place – Greektown Eastern/Broadview for Greek Community of Toronto.
NCE 9 – $2,000.00
Honorable Mention 1 – Liberty Village/King West for West Neighbourhood House.
NCE 3 – $1,000.00
Honorable Mention 2 – The Beach for Pegasus Community Project for Adults with Special Needs.
NCE 11 – $1,000.00
Awards and prize cheques will be presented at the STWM awards night on November 28th at Scotiabank.
For further information contact:
Bonnie Taylor
tornadotaylor@icemice.ca
Cell: 647-401-0974
www.stwm.ca
Le populaire et prestigieux événement devient festival : deux jours de course et de collecte de fonds, et une nouvelle épreuve de 10 km.
Montréal, le 27 octobre 2016 – Le rendez-vous printanier numéro un des coureurs à Montréal, l’événement Banque Scotia 21k, fait peau neuve pour sa 15e année! La populaire et prestigieuse collecte de fonds se convertit en un festival dont la 1re édition se tiendra la fin de semaine des 22-23 avril 2017, et répartira les courses – auxquelles s’ajoute une épreuve de 10 km – entre le samedi et le dimanche. Comme par le passé, le tout aura lieu sur l’emblématique circuit de Formule 1 Gilles-Villeneuve, ainsi que dans le cadre magnifique du parc Jean‑Drapeau. « Nous sommes on ne peut plus heureux de poursuivre la croissance et le développement de l’événement Banque Scotia 21k, déclare François Lecot, directeur de course du Circuit du Canada. Le 10 km a été ajouté à la demande générale, et favorisera l’évolution de la course comme événement sportif d’envergure nationale et comme précieux véhicule de collecte de fonds, tant pour les Montréalais que pour les coureurs qui profitent de l’occasion pour visiter la métropole quelques jours au printemps. »
Le populaire 5 km sera déplacé le samedi 22 avril 2017 et commencera à 11 h; il suivra le 10 km, qui aura débuté à 9 h. Le 21 km sera toujours le dimanche avant-midi, soit le 23 avril. Il s’agira de la 15e édition de la course, qui porte le nom de son commanditaire, la Banque Scotia, depuis maintenant 11 ans. Fait intéressant : à sa création en 1999, la course faisait 10 km; ce n’est qu’en 2003 que « La Grande Course de Montréal 10k » s’est divisée en une épreuve de 21 km et une autre de 5 km.
Attirant plus de 5 000 participants chaque année, l’événement Banque Scotia 21k de Montréal est la plus grande course printanière sur route à Montréal, et se double de la plus importante collecte de fonds en son genre au Québec grâce au Défi caritatif de la Banque Scotia. En 2016, 66 organismes de bienfaisance locaux ont recueilli plus de 1,2 million de dollars dans le cadre du Défi. Au cours des huit dernières années, l’événement a permis la collecte de plus de 5,3 millions de dollars pour les jeunes et les œuvres caritatives de Montréal. Avec le nouveau format sur deux jours et l’ajout du 10 km, il va sans dire que l’on s’attend à accueillir plus de participants et à recueillir plus de fonds pour la soixantaine d’organismes visés!
Et c’est sans compter que le 21 km attire traditionnellement certains des meilleurs coureurs de fond du pays. L’événement a été l’hôte du Championnat canadien de demi-marathon d’Athlétisme Canada de 2009 à 2014, et l’édition du printemps dernier a été marquée par le retour de Krista DuChene, qui est venue décrocher les lauriers de l’épreuve féminine et démontrer sa « forme olympique » avant les Jeux de Rio. Eric Gillis, qui s’est classé 10e parmi les hommes au marathon de Rio – le meilleur rang pour un athlète masculin du Canada depuis la sixième place de Jerome Drayton à Montréal en 1976 – est d’ailleurs quadruple champion du 21 km de Montréal.
D’après Carole Chapdelaine, première vice-présidente, Québec et Est de l’Ontario à la Banque Scotia, « l’événement a eu de belles retombées dans la collectivité et a permis aux œuvres caritatives locales d’en faire plus. À la Banque Scotia, ajoute-t-elle, nous avons à cœur de redonner à notre milieu de vie et de travail, et c’est donc avec immense plaisir que nous contribuons à la croissance de cet événement d’envergure. »
Les inscriptions pour les épreuves 2017 (le 5 km, le 10 km et le 21 km) ainsi que pour la collecte de fonds dans le cadre du Défi caritatif de la Banque Scotia sont maintenant ouvertes au https://canadarunningseries.com/banque-scotia-de-montreal/inscription/.
Au sujet du Circuit du Canada
Le Circuit du Canada est un circuit de course à pied de haut niveau comportant sept événements : quatre à Toronto, deux à Vancouver et un à Montréal. Chaque année, quelque 60 000 personnes participent à ces événements, qui permettent d’amasser plus de six millions de dollars ensuite remis à environ 320 organismes caritatifs, la plupart locaux. Le circuit comprend le marathon Waterfront de la Banque Scotia à Toronto, certifié Or par l’IAAF, et les championnats canadiens de marathon d’Athlétisme Canada. Mondialement reconnu pour son innovation et son organisation depuis 1999, le Circuit du Canada se donne la mission d’offrir une expérience hors pair aux coureurs de tous niveaux, qu’il s’agisse d’athlètes olympiques canadiens, de vedettes internationales ou de personnes qui veulent simplement rester en forme ou appuyer une bonne cause, en plus de contribuer à intégrer le sport au développement durable des villes et des communautés.
À propos de la Banque Scotia
Grâce à sa stratégie mondiale d’investissement dans la collectivité, la Banque Scotia et ses employés appuient des causes qui répondent aux besoins des populations locales. Reconnue comme chef de file au chapitre des dons de bienfaisance et des activités philanthropiques, la Banque Scotia a versé, en 2015, 67 millions de dollars pour aider les collectivités dans le monde.
La Banque Scotia est la banque internationale du Canada et un leader parmi les fournisseurs de services financiers en Amérique du Nord, en Amérique latine, dans les Antilles, en Amérique centrale et en Asie-Pacifique. Elle s’est donnée pour mission d’aider ses 23 millions de clients à améliorer leur situation au moyen de conseils et d’une vaste gamme de produits et de services, dont des services bancaires aux particuliers, aux entreprises et aux sociétés, des services bancaires privés, d’investissement et de gestion de patrimoine ainsi que des services liés aux marchés des capitaux. Au 31 juillet 2016, l’effectif de la Banque Scotia s’élevait à plus de 88 000 employés et son actif à 907 milliards de dollars. Les actions de la Banque Scotia sont cotées en bourse à Toronto (TSX : BNS) et à New York (NYSE : BNS). Les communiqués de la Banque Scotia sont diffusés par Marketwired. Pour en savoir davantage, veuillez consulter le www.banquescotia.com et suivre le fil @ScotiabankViews sur Twitter.
Renseignements et demandes d’entrevue
Deborah Bourne
High Road, pour la Banque Scotia
514-798-6149
deborah.bourne@highroad.com
Jenna Pettinato
Circuit du Canada
416-944-2765, poste 511
jenna@canadarunningseries.com
Popular prestigious running and fundraising event expanding to 2-day festival and introducing new distance.
MONTREAL, October 27th, 2016 – Montreal’s number 1 Spring running event, the Banque Scotia 21k de Montréal, is bringing in big changes for its 15th edition. The prestigious running and fundraising race is transforming into a weekend running festival for the first time on April 22 and 23, 2017, with races on Saturday and Sunday. A whole new distance, 10km, will also be introduced for the first time. All courses will remain on the iconic Gilles Villeneuve Formula 1 Circuit and the surrounding rounds of magnificent Parc Jean Drapeau.“We are thrilled to continue the growth and expansion of the Banque Scotia 21K weekend,” said Race Director Francois Lecot of the Canada Running Series. “The addition of the 10K has come from popular demand, and it will facilitate our continued evolution of the race as both a national sporting event and a vital community fundraising event, for both Montrealers and those using the run as a great reason to visit the city for a long-weekend in the Spring.”
The popular 5K will move to Saturday, April 22nd, 2017 with an 11 a.m. start, following the 10K that will start at 9 a.m. The 21K will remain on Sunday morning, April 23. This will be the 15th edition of the race, and Scotiabank’s 11th year as title sponsor. Interestingly, the event began as a 10K back in 1999, “La Grande Course de Montreal 10k”, before changing to the 21k and 5k event in 2003.
With more than 5,000 participants annually, the Banque Scotia 21K de Montreal is the largest Montreal road race in the Spring season, and the #1 fundraising road race of the year in Quebec, driven by the Scotiabank Charity Challenge. In 2016, 66 local charities raised more than $1.2 million through the Challenge. Over the last eight years, the event has raised more than $5.3 million for young people and Montreal community charities. With the new two day format and the addition of the 10k race, higher participation and greater fundraising numbers for the 60+ local charities are expected!
The 21K also has a tradition of attracting some of Canada’s best distance runners. The event hosted the Athletics Canada National Half-marathon Championship from 2009 to 2014, and this past Spring Krista DuChene returned to take the women’s crown, and show her final “proof of fitness” before the Rio Olympics. Eric Gillis, who placed 10th in the Rio men’s marathon – the highest place for a Canadian man since Jerome Drayton’s 6th at Montreal 1976 – is a 4-time champion at Banque Scotia 21K de Montreal.
According to Carole Chapdelaine, Senior Vice President – Quebec & Eastern Ontario, Banque Scotia, “the event has helped make such a positive impact in the community, helping local charities make a difference. At Scotiabank, we are committed to giving back to the communites we live and work in, and we are delighted to support the continued growth of such a powerful event”
Registration for the 2017 Banque Scotia 21K, 10K and 5K runs, and for fundraising in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge is now open at https://canadarunningseries.com/banque-scotia-de-montreal/inscription/
About Canada Running Series
Canada Running Series [CRS] is the nation’s premier running circuit with 7 events: 4 in Toronto, 2 in Vancouver and 1 in Montreal. It annually attracts some 60,000 participants and raises more than $6 million for some 320 mostly local charities. The Series includes the IAAF Gold Label Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, and the Athletics Canada National Marathon Championships. Since 1999, CRS has gained international recognition for innovation and organization. It is strongly committed to staging great experiences for runners of all levels from Canadian Olympians and International stars, to healthy lifestyle people and charity runners, and to making sport part of sustainable communities and the city-building process.
About Scotiabank
Through our global community investment strategy, Scotiabank and its employees support causes at a grassroots level. Recognized as a leader for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, in 2015, Scotiabank contributed $67 million to help our communities around the world.
Scotiabank is Canada’s international bank and a leading financial services provider in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America, and Asia-Pacific. We are dedicated to helping our 23 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 88,000 employees and assets of $907 billion (as at July 31, 2016), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (TSX: BNS) and New York Exchanges (NYSE: BNS). Scotiabank distributes the Bank’s media releases using Marketwired. For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.
For more information or interview requests:
Deborah Bourne
High Road for Banque Scotia
514-798-6149
Deborah.bourne@highroad.com
Jenna Pettinato
Canada Running Series
416-944-2765 ext 511
jenna@canadarunningseries.com
October 24th, 2016 – By Amy Friel
In the days leading up to the 2016 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, it seemed as though everyone’s mind was on one matter: the weather.
Photo Credit: Photo Run
“Throughout the week I was pretty worried,” recalls marathoner Calum Neff, who had spent the better part of a summer preparing to run down a Guinness World Records title at STWM.
Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, including rain, wind, and high humidity, Neff — along with four-year-old daughter Aley — captured the title for fastest marathon while pushing a pram (stroller), finishing in a blistering time of 2:31:21 and bettering the existing mark by more than ten minutes.
“I just said, you know, anything can happen, but I trust that it’ll be okay,” he says. “It was a little bit rainy, but I decided I wasn’t gonna let the wind be a factor on the day, and decided to get after it.”
But while the combined 60-pound weight of stroller and passenger made headwind the decisive factor for Neff, fellow Guinness record-chaser Jen Wilson was far more concerned with precipitation.
“I was starting to get nervous,” she recalls. “They were calling for torrential rain, and there was no training for that.”
Wilson had her eye on the Guinness World Records women’s title for fastest half-marathon in a suit. But the threat of a downpour exposed what she worried might be a weakness in her preparation.
“I didn’t do any training runs in my suit in the rain because, I mean, who does that?”
Clad in dress pants, a blouse, vest, tie, and blazer, Wilson (along with a handful of fellow Guinness World Records contenders) cut a conspicuous figure in a start corral packed with the usual shorts-and-singlet set.
“Everyone was kind of staring on the morning of like, what is this person doing?” she says. “But in comparison to the girl in the motocross gear, I looked downright comfortable.”
After a rainy first 5K, Wilson and her many wet layers toughed out the remaining miles to clinch her first-ever Guinness World Records title in a time of 1:42:42.
Photo Credit: Christine Cater/Canada Running Series
At the finish line, she was congratulated on her race by a Guinness official. A laughing Wilson recalls accepting her certificate, smiling for a photograph, and then immediately stripping off the many layers of her sopping wet suit, as fast as humanly possible.
“I’ve never been so happy to be wearing a sports bra in public,” she jokes.
But though the rain proved less-than-ideal for running in a suit and tie, one thing it did not seem to impact was the spectators who came out to cheer. For Toronto chef and record-chaser Daniel Janetos, it made all the difference in the world.
“Race day, I had an incredible experience, as far as all the people that came out,” he says. “Friends, family, my girlfriend — there was a ton of support.”
Janetos claimed the Guinness World Records title for fastest marathon dressed as a chef, finishing in a time of 3:56:21, and beating the existing record by a whopping ten minutes. His race doubled as a fundraising endeavour for the National Wildlife Rehabilitation Foundation, ultimately raising about $5,000 for the charity.
“It kind of re-inspired me,” he says. “Just the way you can turn something little into a huge success.”
But whether struggling with a soaked suit and tie, pushing a stroller into a headwind, or lugging some cookware along for the ride (Janetos’ costume required that he carry a pot), the biggest challenge facing record-chasers remained the race itself.
“The pot wasn’t as bad as everyone might have thought — it was more just my legs,” Janetos recalls. “It was a really, really difficult last 10K.”
“It was a typical marathon, so it wasn’t easy by any means,” agrees Neff. “We really loved the Beaches, but that was a long uphill, and then you turn around and get the downhill right into the wind. That final 10K was the absolute toughest.”
Struggling over the final miles, Janetos was paced to the finish line by a friend and fellow runner from the Night Terrors Run Crew. That, along with the friends and family who made it out to cheer, carried him home to claim his Guinness World Records title.
“Without that support, I probably wouldn’t have been able to do it,” he says.
Photo Credit: Todd Fraser/Canada Running Series
Along with fellow runners Bridget Burns, Robert Winckler, and Jasper Moester, a total of six new Guinness World Records titles were set at STWM 2016.
Despite worries about the wind and rain, Neff recalls a day that ultimately unfolded exactly to plan.
“I was having one of those magical days you always hope for in a race,” he says. “Everything was kind of perfect.”
TORONTO – October 17th, 2016. By Paul Gains
Ed Whitlock has made headlines once again for an outstanding road running performance.
The 85 year old from Milton, Ontario carries expectations into every race as he sets record after record and again did not disappoint his supporters at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Crossing the line in 3:56:38 he added the over 85 age class world record to the half marathon record he set this past spring.
“Have you seen the Globe and Mail?” he asks more out of astonishment than boastfulness. “They have a photograph of me on the front page of the sports section. Scotiabank and (race director) Alan (Brookes) will be well pleased.”
Whitlock laughs but admits the effort has taken its toll.
“I feel Ok. My legs are not the best,” he admits laughing. “They are very, very stiff but apart from that everything else is ok.
“I had got in sort of the bare minimum of appropriate training preparations and I had a couple of months of serious long distance training runs and I felt that was enough. Certainly, ideally, I would have liked six months instead of two months but I felt that was just enough to get by.”
Roughly one hundred yards from his house is a cemetery which he uses for training on a daily basis. The man who caught the road running world’s attention when he became the first man over 70 to beat three hours in the marathon – he ran 2:54:49 at age 73, also set on his hometown Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon course.” – still runs laps of the cemetery for hours on end.
He calls it ‘very fast walking’ with his customary humour. But as age tries to catch up with him and his future marathons will be nearer four hours, he knows he must do more.
“I actually got up to three and a half hours this time,” he says. “The thing is three hours doesn’t do it anymore. That’s the hell of it. I need four hours now. And it’s only going to get worse.”
Laughing again he turns serious when asked if he can further reduce the record in subsequent marathon races.
“I think 3:40 would have been possible if the weather had been perfect and if I had had six months training,” he declares. “I really think 3:40 would have been possible.”
Well-wishers surround him at every race and he is asked to appear at various events and dinners. In many ways he is a reluctant hero. Notoriety doesn’t suit him. Indeed, after the race last night his 56 year old son, Neil, himself a two time Boston marathon finisher, drove him home where he had a minor celebration with his wife, Brenda. They cooked dinner together then opened a bottle of Bordeaux, the race and the crowd of well-wishers now a fond memory.
“I don’t know how to respond to them. Well how do you respond to that?” he says laughing again. “I suppose it’s nice for people to say I inspire them but I am somewhat embarrassed and I don’t know what the appropriate response is to that.
“I don’t consider myself to be an inspiring person. I am not one to stand up on the stage and say ‘you all can do this.’”
Whitlock will gradually overcome this year’s marathon race and before long will be out on that cemetery road churning out the miles. There are more races to run and more records to chase. And if he inspires many to keep running as they age then that’s a good thing too.
Post-race interview by Canadian Running Magazine.
October 16th, 2016 – By Paul Gains
Warm temperatures, high humidity and a light drizzle conspired to prevent course records at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon today.
World class fields had arrived for this IAAF Gold Label race targeting fast times but when it was over, Kenya’s Philomen Rono had won the men’s race in a time of 2:08:27, while Shure Demise of Ethiopia became the first woman to successfully defend her Toronto title.
Photo Credit: Todd Fraser/Canada Running Series
Demise crossed the line in 2:25:10 well off the course record of 2:22:43, held jointly by Sharon Cherop (Kenya) and Koren Yal (Ethiopia) and far slower than the world under 20 world record she set a year ago in Dubai. That time of 2:20:59 seemed a distant memory as she battled compatriot Tadelech Bekele (second in 2:26:31) and Kenya’s Rebecca Chesir (third in 2:28:54).
“I have a great deal of happiness for winning,” Demise said before praising her friend Bekele. “About 35km I knew that I would win the race. I would have been as happy if she won. She is my friend and we are very close; we come from the same place so I would have been just as happy.
“When we started I wasn’t sure what was going to happen with the rain. I was a bit conscious of that but it got better.”
For her part Bekele revealed she had suffered stomach cramps around 38km and slowed. She wasn’t the only athlete to have health issues.
While he was warming up Rono was injured when a barricade he was using to stretch his hamstrings tipped over. It crashed down on the side of his head opening up a bloody gash and stunning him temporarily.
His agent called one of his colleagues in Holland to discuss the predicament. They agreed Rono could start but if he felt awkward in the opening kilometres he should drop out. Evidently he felt fine.
“I was not expecting to win today,” he said at the finish. “It was a surprise. When I fell and hurt my head I thought I would not run.”
The winner trains in the same camp as Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge and drew inspiration from his friend’s success in Rio.
“Eliud (Kipchoge) is my training partner,” Rono offered. “I thought after he won the Olympic games I should win this race. We are training partners so it was a good marathon for me. He told me I would win this race so I was very confident.”
Seboka Dibaba of Ethiopia was the last of Rono’s competitors to give way. That occurred just five kilometres from the finish when he said an old injury had flared up. He finished second in 2:09:47 while twenty two year old Albert Korir earned a podium place with his 2:10:23 performance.
The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon was, once again, the Canadian Marathon Championship and two of the country’s Olympians emerged victorious.
Photo Credit: Todd Fraser/Canada Running Series
Eric Gillis finished 5th overall in a time of 2:13:44, just eight weeks after his historic 10th place finish in the Rio Olympic marathon while Krista DuChene was crowned Canadian women’s champion in a time of 2:34:02.
Rachel Hannah was second Canadian woman (7th overall) in a time of 2:34:37 proving she will be a force to reckon with over the next few years. The bronze medal went to Dayna Pidhoresky who ran 2:40:41 after running very quickly over the first 25 kilometres at one point a few hundred metres ahead of DuChene. She was legless at the end and was taken to the medical tent in a wheelchair.
The winner recognized the strength of the women’s field and paid tribute to her younger rivals.
Photo Credit: Todd Fraser/Canada Running Series
“This is an emotional Krista day not a happy Krista day,” DuChene, 39, said. “I am happy. I really wanted this win. This was my year with Rio and then deciding to do this. I wanted a national championships again. I knew with the conditions that fast times weren’t going to happen so it was all about being patient and using my marathon experience. It was my thirteenth one. So I knew I just had to wait.
“Dayna was someone I was looking to the whole time but then I knew Rachel was right behind me. So it’s exactly what you want to happen because it might end up in a footrace in the end and no marathoner wants that.”
DuChene became teary eyed when she thought of the tremendous support she has received from her coach and her family this year.
“I am lost for words. This is how I wanted it to be. I am just so blessed with my husband being so supportive,” she explained.
“My kids did the housework this summer. It was about me this time. I really want to savour this moment I am just so grateful for this moment, It’s all about my faith and how God can use me in any way He wants.”
Gillis admitted he was not at his best after running the Olympics just eight weeks ago and was disappointed with his time.
“I am fitter than that,” he revealed. “But I am glad I went out at 65 minutes I don’t think I would have been happy if went out in 66 minutes and ran 2:13 I wouldn’t be happy but I probably would have felt better. It’s a decent race after Rio.
“It was tough out there. I really completely felt the opposite to what I felt in Rio. My hips tightened up and my right knee was sore. I think its a fine line keeping that balance on wet pavement.”
Although the professionals could not approach the course records there were, however, world records set on the day. Ed Whitlock who finished the marathon in 3 hours 56 minutes 38 seconds for an age 85 best.
Photo Credit: Todd Fraser/Canada Running Series
Earlier this year he set a world half marathon record for his age group in Waterloo, Ontario and decided there was no point in trying to beat his record over that distance. Hence his quick decision to run 42.2km
The Guinness Book of World Records will soon include the name Calum Neff, 32, who knocked some twelve minutes of the fastest marathon completed while pushing a pram (stroller). His daughter Ally was the beneficiary of a course tour in 2:31:26. Neff was surprised to learn he had finished 5th overall in the Canadian championships. 5 other Guinness World Records were also set today.
Photo Credit: Todd. Fraser/Canada Running Series
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