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Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Archives - Page 14 of 14 - Canada Running Series

Jun 08 2015
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Toronto Duo Hoping to Earn Tickets to Rio. By Paul Gains

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TORONTO June 8th 2015. Canada sent three male marathoners to the 2012 Olympics and with the qualifying period for Rio 2016 having opened in January there is speculation that three men will toe the line in Rio next year.

Just who will wear the maple leaf, however, is the big question.

The standard of 2 hours 12 minutes 50 seconds will take some doing. Two members of the Newmarket Huskies have made the commitment to achieving it and to realising a dream of representing Canada at the highest level.

Matt Loiselle and his training partner Sami Jibril will begin their buildup towards the 2015 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon next month. They both feel that Canada’s pre eminent marathon, which is the country’s only IAAF Gold Label marathon, is the venue to produce their lofty goal.

Matt Loiselle 2 ResizedLoiselle has a best of 2:16:01 from the 2011 Toronto event. A professional coach when he’s not putting in the miles, he understands that this time is a far cry from the standard. Nevertheless, he believes it is possible.

“I think so,” he declares. “I have got up to about 30k at 2:12 pace. Both times that I ran the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon I got to 30k at 2:12 flat pace. That’s when the pacemaker dropped out.

“I know the things I need to work on now and I will talk to (Coach) Hugh (Cameron) about it and make some adjustments and compare to previous buildups. If you look at my best half marathon time, which is under 1:04, I think it’s doable. I just believe in myself and I believe we will get good training in. And, it will help having Sami there too. If I didn’t believe it was possible I wouldn’t be really going for it. It has always been the goal.”

The 30 year old has represented Canada twice before, most recently at the 2009 IAAF World Half Marathon championships where he placed 55th in 1:04:59. He is fully aware that he and Jibril might well be fighting for one place.

Already Reid Coolsaet, a 2012 Olympian at this distance, has achieved the standard by running 2:11:24 in Rotterdam this past April. And Eric Gillis ran a personal best in Toronto last October with 2:11:21, albeit before the qualifying period.  Both he and Coolsaet are good bets to return to the Olympic race and, with only three to qualify, it leaves the Newmarket Huskies pair chasing one place.

“I totally expect that, actually,” Loiselle continues. “I think it will similar to what it was in 2012 probably under 2:12 (will be required). Look at Gillis. He is running as well as he ever has. Reid had a good one in Rotterdam.  And you can never really count Dylan (Wykes) out. Who knows who might be able to come out and surprise? I would be surprised if 2:12:50 did get you in actually.”

And this leads to the question what if he makes the team and Jibril is left behind? How would he feel about that?

“Yes, if I knocked him off the team it would hurt him and if he knocks me off the team it would hurt me,” he says laughing.  “It’s 42.2k and we have the same goal. Obviously if he makes the team and I didn’t I would be happy for him.”

“It’s kind of funny. I had a talk to a group of grade sixes yesterday. One guy asked me ‘Are all the guys you’re running against enemies?’ And I said ‘Well I guess when you start on the line you are enemies and then afterwards you respect each another and you can be friends. But we all have the same goals. We want to beat each other.’”

Sami Jibril Resized

Jibril, now 25, first came to national attention when he won the 2013 Harry’s Spring Run Off in Toronto’s High Park. That victory surprised many. At the time he was more attuned to running on the track and used road racing to break up the routine of winter training. Since then he has become a consistent road racer. A year ago he took the silver medal at the Canadian Half Marathon Championships, hanging on to Eric Gillis for most of the race.

“That is a tactic that I do once in a while, ‘dying to success’ as Coach Hugh calls it,” Jibril reveals. “Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t but in that race I had one option to run with Eric or separate early. I committed and it was a good run. I ran a huge personal best by 90 seconds. I definitely got good results off of that.”

“I think that was a perfect tactic. I don’t think I could have run faster if I didn’t go with Eric. The way he runs helped me out because he goes out so evenly paced, and conservative. He definitely helped me over 15 or 16k, however far we went together. It was obvious more than three quarters of the race.”

Born in Rome, Jibril is the son of Somali-Ethiopian parents who fled the strife in that region of East Africa.  He was a mediocre runner at Heart Lake Secondary School in Brampton, Ontario but under Hugh Cameron’s guidance has developed well these past three years. Loiselle speaks highly of their partnership.

“When I first met him he barely said a word,” Loiselle says with a laugh. “I thought he was pretty shy. So I had to gradually try to get him out of his shell.  Now he will actually come and hang out. We have a group of friends who will go out for a drink or for dinner and so we are starting to socialize more.”

“At least three times a week we train together. We do our intervals Tuesday and Friday and a long run on Sunday. Today I ran into him on our easy day – we run the same places. He is a great guy to train with.  No ‘BS’, we get along and we talk about anything really when we are running. I enjoy training with him.”

For his part Jibril points out that when he first began training with Loiselle he was working the graveyard shift at the Toronto Transit Commission as a mechanic and barely had any time to socialise. Now he works the 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. shift and has weekends off. The pair train at 7:00 a.m. usually.

This year the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is also the official Athletics Canada National Championship Marathon so there is added incentive for the top Canadians to contest the race. Both Jibril and Loiselle hope they run fast enough to earn a place on the Rio bound Olympic team, for that would be a dream come true.

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Apr 20 2015
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Opening My Heart to Boston

By | Community Leaders, Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments

By CRS Community Leader Jodi Lewchuk

Jodi CRS Gear“Let it give your feet wings,” she said, and smiled.

In desperation, with about a month left in my training schedule for my first Boston Marathon, I was sitting across from someone I hoped could help me release the load I was carrying in my heart. It was weighing me down.

I mean that figuratively, of course, but as I entered the final days of preparation for the Holy Grail of marathons for endurance runners, I knew something wasn’t right. Something was holding me back. Running itself had told me so.

Oh, sure. Toronto has just experienced its coldest winter on record, which made for some of the most challenging training I’ve done in the three years since I’ve taken up distance running seriously. But I’ve run in frigid weather conditions before, and it didn’t slow me. In fact, it had made me stronger and faster. This time, something was different. Something was off. Something was wrong.

My coach had put together a plan for Boston that would stretch me in ways I hadn’t been stretched before, but nothing she asked me to do was beyond my potential. The time goal we set for the 20 April 2015 race was tough. But it wasn’t impossible. And yet the harder I worked to fulfill that potential, the farther away the target seemed. I was defeated by tempo runs. My finishing kick was often nowhere to be found. Worst of all, on Sunday long runs, which I usually look forward to, I would be labouring along, feeling like I was giving everything I had, only to look down at my watch and see a pace time that was at least 30 to 40 seconds slower than my usual “autopilot” speed.

Running, which for so long had been my place of refuge and strength and achievement, suddenly felt like the enemy.

For anyone not familiar with my story, I took up distance running after the end of a long-term relationship. I ran my way back to myself during that time, and discovered running was the perfect metaphor for life: both joy and pain are temporary, and if you keep running, keep pushing, keep believing, you always end up somewhere – often a place better than you ever imagined. I qualified for Boston in my first marathon the year I turned 40, and I saw my race times improve each and every time I toed the line. Running became my wellspring of confidence.

And so it shook me in a very deep place when that confidence was stripped away as I battled each and every workout on the road to Boston. I thought about scaling back my time goal. I thought about not going to Boston at all. I thought about quitting running altogether.

It took time, but I eventually realized that running Jodie's Shoeshadn’t turned on me. It wasn’t trying to trip me up. Running was trying to tell me something. Running was trying to save me.

When you are the fittest you’ve ever been and there’s no medical reason for running slower than you did when you first started, it’s time to look elsewhere for answers. It’s time to look within.

If you ask me what my biggest strength is as a runner, I’ll tell you it’s my heart. There’s no doubt that I’ve conditioned my body to be lean and strong. I’ve also got an iron will. But I truly believe it’s my heart that propels me. It’s big and it’s deep, and when it decides to open to something — or someone — it does so wholly and fully and unabashedly. It flings open with abandon.

I can’t imagine living my life any other way; facing each day with such an open heart brings great rewards. It can also bring great heartache. And that’s precisely where I found myself as I entered the homestretch of my training for the 2015 Boston Marathon: bogged down in a heavy heart that was dragging my mind, and my legs, down with it.

Thus my plea to the person I entrusted with helping me release my burden. I told her I would do whatever was needed to leave it behind and move on. Her advice took me by surprise.

“Why would you want to leave something so special behind?” she asked me. “Wouldn’t it be better to find a place where its magic can always exist within you, inspire you, and open other doors? It doesn’t have to be a weight. Open your heart to it, and let it give your feet wings.”

It’s amazing what a different perspective will do. Carrying a memory wasn’t a problem; I just needed to carry the right parts of it in the right way.

The difference in my running was almost immediate. It’s like my legs woke up. I watched my pace times speed up run by run. I hadn’t left anything behind, and yet I felt lighter. I nailed my first tempo run. Going long started to feel fun again. And for the first time in the training cycle, I began to feel genuine excitement about lining up in Hopkinton for the race into downtown Boston.

All it took was someone to remind me of my own motto: “Head up. Heart open. Run.” Sometimes we say things and forget what they truly mean. But on the morning of the 119th Boston Marathon, I will open my heart with purpose. I will be grateful for everything that got me to the most legendary marathon there is — joy, tears, elation, pain, hills, valleys. I will be grateful to carry a memory that reminds me what it feels like to soar. I will fling my heart wide open and I will run where it leads me, fast or slow or somewhere in between, to Boylston Street and beyond.

It will be magic.

Mar 31 2015
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Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon becomes first event in Toronto to earn Silver Level Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport

By | Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments

We are proud to announce that the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon has achieved Silver Level Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport. The Council’s certification program is for social and environmental responsibility at sporting events. The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon joins the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5K as the only two events in Canada to currently achieve this recognition. We are also honoured to join a select group of major international marathons including Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Austin, and Mexico City who are also certified “green” by the Council for Responsible Sport. For full details, see the official press release below.

Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon becomes first event in Toronto to earn Silver Level Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport. 

Eugene, OR—March 19, 2015—The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (STWM), held October 19th, 2014 and hosted by Canada Running Series, has achieved Silver Level Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport. Organizers earned credit on 38 of the best practice standards offered in the Council’s certification program for social and environmental responsibility at sporting events. The marathon, which hosted over 26,000 participants in 2014, is now the first-ever event in Toronto to be certified by the Council for Responsible Sport.

Certification is achieved by complying with standards across five categories: planning and communications, procurement, resource management, access and equity and community legacy.

In an effort to be greener, the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Running, Health & Fitness Expo was held at the Allstream Centre, a building that features a 30-storey wind turbine and a geothermal plant that replaces conventional heating and cooling systems to save electricity and natural gas. It was the first conference center in Canada to achieve LEED silver status from the Canada Green Building Council.

The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon also scored points through its waste prevention efforts. The entire event utilizes paperless registration both online and in person at their Expo. Of the trash produced by the event, nearly half (47 percent) was diverted from the landfill through recycling efforts. Additionally, 120 pairs of lightly used running shoes were collected for redistribution to those in need, and organizers sent 2,900 pounds of food to Second Harvest, a local food bank who diverted the food to those in need. Also, in an effort to reduce vehicle carbon emissions, a free bike valet service was offered to participants and spectators in partnership with Cycle Toronto.

“This is a huge accomplishment for our event and within the sporting event industry as a whole,” said Senior Manager of Operations and Certification Director David Gilchrist.  “With the help of our entire crew, suppliers, partners, and participants, Silver Certification acknowledges the hard work, dedication and values we apply year over year, in order to leave a positive lasting impression on our planet.  It’s an honor to be at the forefront of the movement where Canadian events are becoming more environmentally sustainable and socially responsible.”

The Scotiabank Charity Challenge helps to make runner’s participation meaningful by fundraising for causes important to them. Scotiabank adds an additional total of $33,000 in cash awards to the participating charities who recruit the most runners, fundraise the most dollars and who raise the most on average per fundraiser. In 2014 the Scotiabank Charity Challenge hosted 173 charities who raised over $3.6 million for their causes through the event platform.

Overall the total economic activity of STWM and The Running, Health and Fitness Expo is estimated at $33.5M for the city of Toronto.

“We are hugely grateful to The Council for Responsible Sport for their help, encouragement, and wonderful recognition,” said Race Director Alan Brookes. Canada Running Series is passionately committed to ‘building community through running’ – and that means the cities we live in as well as the sport we love. Sustainable communities; green, healthy cities for people, and the organizing of environmentally responsible runs are core values for us. Thanks for moving us forward along the right road. We’re proud of this achievement for our city, and the certification will inspire us to do more.”

About the Council for Responsible Sport: 

The Council’s vision is a world where responsibly produced sports events are the norm and its mission is to provide objective, independent verification of the socially and environmentally responsible work event organizers are doing and to actively support event organizers who strive to make a difference in their communities. The current version of the Council’s Certification standards (v.4.2) was developed by an outside working group of both sustainability and sport industry experts, reviewed by a wide range of stakeholders throughout 2013 and implemented in January 2014. www.CouncilforResponsibleSport.org

About the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon:

An IAAF Gold Label race, the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Canada’s premier, big-city running event, and the Grand Finale of the 8-race Canada Running Series. In 2014 it attracted more than 26,000 participants from 60 countries, raised $3.67 million for 173 charities through the Scotiabank Charity Challenge, and contributed an estimated $35 million to the local economy. In 2014 it also became the first marathon to be livestreamed globally on YouTube, attracting viewers from 115 countries. In 2015 it will host the Athletics Canada National Marathon Championships and the international Bridge The Gap movement. www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com

Feb 13 2015
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2015 Canada Running Series Launches Next Month in Vancouver

By | Harry's Spring Run-Off, Modo Spring Run-Off 8k, Scotiabank Vancouver Half, Toronto Yonge Street 10K | No Comments
By Paul Gains (@PaulEGains)

TORONTO. February 13th 2015. Relief from winter’s most challenging conditions may seem a long way off but there is comfort in knowing that the 2015 Canada Running Series launches next month.

The eight race series kicks off with the Modo Spring Run Off 8k (March 22nd) in Vancouver’s scenic Stanley Park and concludes October 18th with the flagship event – the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (STWM).

In addition to being named the 2015 Canadian Marathon Championship the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon was awarded the prestigious IAAF Gold Label recently, making it one of only four marathons in the Americas to earn that distinction. Considering the other three are Boston, New York and Chicago – all part of the World Marathon Majors – it is indeed a wonderful recognition of years of hard work.

The full series calendar includes Modo Spring Run Off 8k (March 22, Vancouver), Harry’s Spring Run Off 8k and 5k to Fight Prostate Cancer (April 4, Toronto High Park), Toronto Yonge Street 10k (April 19), Banque Scotia de 21k & 5k de Montreal (April 26), Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon and 5k (June 28), Oasis ZooRun 10k (Toronto September 12), Vancouver Eastside 10k (September 19) and Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (October 18).

Thirty years ago Race Director Alan Brookes set out to create Canadian races where participants of all levels can race on a safe, accurately measured course and receive an accurate finishing time. It would seem it’s a case of ‘mission accomplished.’ The CRS team has grown to include15 full time staff.

Striving to stay up with changing times they continually seek fresh ideas to give participants the best race experience possible.

For several years the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon – which has seen its participation grow by 36% over the past five years –  has been a member of the Chicago Marathon Best Practices Group. Members travel to each others‘ races to work and to experience other leading race organization. Indeed, CRS staff managed the water stations at the 2012 US Olympic trials in Houston and will be handling the technical end of the upcoming 2015 Pan Am Games marathon and race walks.

The CRS prides itself on its community building events and at the core is a massive charitable component.  Last year 58,009 entrants participated in the series raising $5,843,468 for charities bringing the total amount of money raised over the past five years to a staggering $28,306,914.

Alongside the fitness runners, charity fundraisers and novice runners some of Canada’s best distance runners line up at CRS events competing for prize money. In addition, points are awarded based according to position in their best three CRS races. In addition, the races are given weight depending upon the quality of the fields. The top Canadian finisher in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon for instance earns 60 points while he/she would earn 30 points for victory in the Harry’s Spring Run Off 8k, the Oasis Zoo Run and the Scotiabank Toronto Half Marathon.

Blog TYS10K Rachel Hannah

Defending Champion Rachel Hannah at the Toronto Yonge Street 10K

The defending CRS overall champions are Eric Gillis who resides in Guelph, Ontario and Toronto’s Rachel Hannah.

A year ago victories in the Toronto Yonge Street 10k, Oasis Zoo Run 10k and Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal were enough to secure the title for Gillis. He was also the leading Canadian finisher at the STWM when he finished 9th in a new personal best of 2:11:21.

Hannah, meanwhile, had a spectacular year emerging victorious in the Toronto Yonge St 10k, Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal as well as the Oasis 10k. She also won the Canadian Cross Country Championship. Like many elites the 28 year old credits the series for developing her career.

“The Canada Running Series is very important for offering athletes of all levels opportunities to race in world-class events on home soil,” says Hannah. “We are privileged to have this series in Canada.

“The financial support the CRS offers to runners in this country is outstanding for the sport.  Alan and his team make it more possible for an athlete’s life to be fiscally sustainable and, for that, I know we’re all thankful.”

Following their outstanding season Gillis and Hannah received $2,500 prizes in addition to any appearance money and prize money offered at the individual races. This year the CRS has raised the amount of prize money. The 2015 winners will receive $5000.

Blog TYS10K Eric Gillis

Eric Gillis runs to victory at the Toronto Yonge Street 10K

Gillis is set to run a spring marathon and will therefore is unsure of where he will run his first CRS event.

“The CRS provides excellent racing opportunities in Canada to both developing, and pro distance runners,” Gillis declares. “I’m a beneficiary of this and credit the Series with helping me reach the athletic level I’m presently at.

“The doubling of overall champion’s prize money is great news, it’ll only further incentivize athletes to race in Canada and increase the interest, and presumably the depth of this great Series.

“The thing I like about CRS races is the atmosphere surrounding the races. Each event has a little different flavour, and I like the mix of competition and participation, something for everyone.”

The series is likely to see several leading Canadian internationals mark their return following injuries. Dylan Wykes and Reid Coolsaet who along with Gillis represented Canada in the London 2012 Olympic marathon, are back in the fray while  Dayna Pidhoresky  the 2011 CRS overall champion is training again. Then there is Natasha Wodak whose 2014 season was ended abruptly when she succumbed to plantar fasciitis. Now training hard again she appears wanting to make up for lost time.

Rachel Cliff and Natasha Wodak at Modo Spring-Run Off Vancouver, 2014

Rachel Cliff and Natasha Wodak at the Modo Spring-Run Off 8K

“I’m so excited to be back racing this year,” she says. “I’ve got lots of races planned, so I’m really hoping I can stay healthy this year. I am being very careful and proceeding cautiously.”

Her winter schedule includes the Modo Spring Run Off 8k as well as the world cross country championships in China – she and Hannah will be teammates representing Canada – before she takes to both the road and track in preparation for a possible Pan Am Games berth.

“A fall marathon is in the plan as well,” she adds. “My major goal for the year though is just to stay healthy. The CRS races are always competitive, which creates opportunities to run fast.  And running fast is what it’s all about.”

A year ago Kelly Wiebe (24:04) and Wodak (26:39) emerged victorious in the Modo Spring Run off 8k event and are plotting to defend these titles. Neither will have an easy time.

Wodak faces her rival Rachel Cliff who finished 2nd in last year’s Modo 8k. Meanwhile Cliff’s fiancee, Chris Winter the defending Canadian Cross Country champion, will tackle Wiebe. The pair were teammates when Canada competed at the 2013 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Bydoszcz, Poland and will be fighting for local bragging rights.

Up until February 17th runners can purchase a ‘Combo Pack’ which offers discounts when they sign up for multiple CRS events at the same time. www.RunCRS.ca

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