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Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Archives - Page 8 of 14 - Canada Running Series

Aug 17 2016
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Digital Champions Blog: Urban vs Suburban Running

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By Charles Minor
Toronto August 17th, 2016

Remember the TV show ‘Green Acres?’ In the show, the two main characters have opposed lifestyle choices- one loved the city, while the other loved the countryside. Watching a re-run of this show made me think: what kind of environment do I like running in the best? The urban hustle-and-bustle or the more relaxed, quiet suburban style? Both have their pros and cons and I’m sure people have their preference, so let’s explore some of the features of both venues together!

I have to admit that running downtown is relatively new for me. As a “Scarberian” I grew up running in the suburbs and similarly, I have spent most of my adult life living and running in Aurora/Oak Ridges. My initiation into downtown running came a few years ago when I joined the RunTOBeer crew and Canada Running Series for a training run in the Toronto core. One of the first things I noticed while running downtown is the “start and stop” nature of running; you are a slave to the traffic lights downtown, and man are they everywhere and frequent! It takes some getting used to waiting at a stop light when you are used to running with little to no stopping in the ‘burbs. I can only imagine what a long run must be like downtown! During a Sunday long run in Aurora, you can go ages without coming near a traffic light and it is not uncommon to not see a car or another person for your 2 plus hour run! Suburban running tip: make sure to bring water, cell phones and money with you on long runs. There are no stores, bus stops or bank machines to hit along the way should you find yourself thirsty or tired!

Another thing that struck me while running downtown is the “Spartan Race” style! There are obstacles everywhere! Garbage cans, parking meters, humans or bicycles, man you gotta be aware of your surroundings or you could get seriously injured. Urban running tip: you have to have your wits about you in both environments but be prepared to dodge hazards downtown! In the burbs, the biggest obstacle is…well…nothing! While running on the sidewalk or the shoulder of a road, the only concern is the local traffic, and maybe the occasional bit of roadkill or the neighbour’s dog).

In both urban and suburban venues, safety is a number one concern for runners! Here are some tips for both types of running:

  • Be visible, wear lights and bright colours.
  • Make eye contact with cars when you enter an intersection, make sure they see you.
  • Bring a cell phone and carry ID.
  • Tell someone where you are running and when you plan to come back.
  • Avoid ear phones. I know most people love their music when running, but it doesn’t allow you to stay aware of your surroundings. If you must wear ear phones, use only one or keep the volume low.
  • Mind your manners. Obey road rules and be polite and courteous to drivers – it’s contagious!

I guess now that I think about it more, I don’t have a preference! I love running downtown as it is so exciting, full of energy and it prepares you for race day, especially if you are running the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon! My downtown runs are like a mini dress-rehearsal where I get to practice getting to a venue, as well as running in a possible new environment. I also love running in my home turf of the suburbs as it is peaceful, quiet and it allows me to focus on my inner thoughts when I run as opposed to focusing on my surroundings! If you run strictly downtown: go to the burbs and check it out-you won’t be disappointed! To my fellow suburban runners: get downtown and enjoy the excitement and energy that can be found running in the city!

About Charles Minor: Hi everyone! Like a lot of people, I started running in public school on cross country and track and field teams. As a kid I always dreamed of one day running a marathon but it always seemed so daunting to me. Completing my first marathon was one of the best accomplishments of my life, something I always look back on with pride and happiness. Now as a busy parent, running has been an outlet for me to unwind and to stay physically fit. Running has taught me how to set and achieve goals, to act as a role model for my students at school but most importantly it has allowed me to strengthen the bonds that exist with my family members and to create new friendships with other runners. I look forward to sharing my Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon journey with all of you! Connect with Charles on Twitter and Instagram. 

Aug 15 2016
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A Glimmer of Hope: Robert MacDonald and Team I Will

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August 15th, 2016 – By Amy Friel 

Robert MacDonald knows how bright a glimmer of hope can be.

Four years ago, the Toronto-area native lay broken in a hospital bed, unable to move (or even to feel) anything from the waist down.

While vacationing with friends in Cabo, Mexico, MacDonald fell thirty feet from a hotel balcony, dislocating his spine in two places, fracturing nine vertebrae, breaking eleven ribs and his scapula, and puncturing a lung. The fractured vertebrae pinched his spinal cord, obstructing vital blood flow; the longer the obstruction went on, the more extensive the damage.

In need of immediate surgery, MacDonald was taken via air ambulance to St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, where a team of surgeons straightened and secured his spine using a computer-guided 3D intra-operative scanner. In terms of spinal cord injury, it was the gold standard in care: the fastest, most precise, and least invasive intervention possible. Even still, his diagnosis — asia B paraplegia — did not paint a promising picture.

For seven agonizing days, the twenty-six-year-old MacDonald struggled to come to terms with a future he could never have imagined. The lifelong athlete and former hockey and squash player now had a one-in-twenty shot of ever walking again.

“For those first seven days, nothing in my lower body moved,” MacDonald recalls. “I was in the ICU and I was pretty banged-up, and I thought, you know, I’m not gonna walk again. I know I’m not gonna walk again. I can’t feel anything in my lower body, I can’t move it. This is it.”

And then something happened — something terribly ordinary, yet quietly significant:  the big toe on his left foot began, ever so slightly, to twitch.

It wasn’t much. But for MacDonald, that small twitch was enough.

“I basically took it as a sign,” he says. “If my toe can twitch, well then, something else can move. I kept thinking, if you just keep moving, keep doing, keep thinking, keep positive — you’ll be able to heal.”

Robert MacDonald Treadmill

Once he was medically stabilized, MacDonald was transferred from St. Michael’s Hospital to Toronto Rehab’s Lyndhurst Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Centre, where a team of specialized physiotherapists designed a program to help him transition back into ordinary life. For someone with his diagnosis, this meant potentially learning to adapt to life in a wheelchair — a future that MacDonald was unwilling to accept.

“I believe that you alone are responsible,” he explains. “When you are potentially not ever going to walk again, you really realize quite quickly how dependent you would be on others. And that was a huge motivator for me. So I said, you got yourself into this — you’ve gotta get yourself out of it.”

His journey toward healing was measured, as he puts it, “in small muscle twitches.” Over time, he found he was able to voluntarily wiggle his toe, and began to regain the sense of touch in parts of his legs. After one month, he was able to stand with assistance. At three months in, he began to walk on his own.

The rehabilitation program was painful, tedious, and fraught with setbacks; each new milestone was hard-won. But throughout the process, MacDonald was undeterred.

“It didn’t matter if it was wiggle my toe, or get up to go to the bathroom, or walk for the first time, or stand up out of my wheelchair, or complete a 5K run,” he recalls. “It was just, I will, I will, I will. And that kind of became my mantra.”

As spinal cord injuries go, his case defies the odds. After months of inpatient treatment, a newly-discharged MacDonald walked, unassisted, through the doors of the Lyndhurst Centre, towards the independent life that once appeared to have been all but taken from him.

It’s a gift he does not take for granted.

“From what I understand, if I had had my injury ten years ago, I am definitely not walking again,” he says.

Determined to give back, and in the defiant spirit of the I Will mantra that carried him through his gruelling rehabilitation, MacDonald set his sights on running the 2015 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Half-Marathon, fundraising for the Toronto Rehab Foundation and the Lyndhurst Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Centre.

“They were hugely crucial to my recovery,” he explains. “I obviously don’t count my own self out — my attitude, work ethic, and all of that individual stuff that went along with it — but I think equally important is the health care that was provided by that facility.”

What began as a personal challenge quickly grew to include family and friends; by race day, 72 runners had joined MacDonald’s Team I Will, raising over $73,500 for the Lyndhurst Centre.

True to form, MacDonald did more than simply cover the distance.

“I gave it as hard as I possibly could in the last kilometre,” he recalls of the race. “So I wasquite out of breath. And I don’t know if you’ve ever heard anyone cry and cough at the same time? It is not a pleasant sound. I was crying, coughing, and laughing all at once.”Robert MacDonald STWM

For MacDonald, his half-marathon finish line represented more than just a personal goal: it was a celebration of a life he fought tooth-and-nail to get back, and of all those who had helped to make his fight possible.

Now in training for his first-ever full marathon, MacDonald and his Team I Will plan to return to the Scotiabank course this October, with a goal of fielding a team of 150 runners in every distance from the 5K to the marathon. MacDonald hopes to double the team’s fundraising to a goal of $150,000. At the top spinal cord research facility in the world, it’s a goal that could mean one more glimmer of hope for someone just like him.

“This isn’t for me,” MacDonald says. “This is for the next me.”

To join Robert MacDonald and Team I Will, please contact Vanessa Sousa at  vanessa.sousa@uhn.ca or call 416-597-3422 ext. 3724. 

Aug 10 2016
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Digital Champions Blog: Raising the Bar

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By Cathy Vandergeest 
Toronto August 10th, 2016

Why did I start running? I started running to maintain my weight, get in a good workout and tire out my high-energy dog. Along the way I found an absolute passion for running. I wasn’t a sporty kid, so being able to do something athletic as an adult made me proud. ‘Runner’ became a title I adopted with great pride.

In that first year, I immersed myself in all things running to learn more. Magazines, on-line articles and social media – which was jam-packed with a welcoming community of runners constantly talking about running, just like me!

Over the next two years, I’ve learned something else that I think is incredibly important for all runners to remember.

New runners come across articles and posts by experts, elites and every day runners talking about speed, technique, distance, pace and races. We get lured in, thinking, okay, this is how to do this! While running tips, tricks and information can be great teaching tools and motivators, the ‘how-to-be-the-best-runner-ever’ advice can also lead runners down a slippery slope.

We feel the pressure to push the envelope. To raise the bar. To be faster. Better. Best. And ultimately, this means every runner out there–with hugely varying abilities–is using the exact same gauge of success. With this only-the-best goal, we feel that we have to make excuses when we don’t achieve a perfect performance. “Oh, I was injured.” “I didn’t fuel properly.” “It was a really crowded course.” Instead of feeling pride when crossing the finish line, we feel guilt.

This realization has helped teach me that my goals can be–and should be–different than those of my running friends. It’s helped me look at the bigger running picture, my skills and to focus on what I want really to accomplish. I can choose to base my goals on the areas of running I’m best at, the parts that really challenge me or the parts that I simply enjoy the most.

Remember, we are all different, we shouldn’t have to set our goals and measure our success with the same ruler.

About Cathy Vandergeest: Even though it’s been over three years since I started running I still get giddy when friends describe me as a runner. I’ve raced every distance up to 30K and train outside year-round. While I strive to live a healthy lifestyle, I also understand the need to add ice cream into the equation! Initially running started out as something just for me, but I’ve found the running community to be one of my biggest sources of inspiration, motivation and information. I love to be able to pay-it-forward and assist or motivate runners just starting or struggling. When not running I keep busy as a graphic designer in a large format print shop, enjoy cooking, gardening and spending time with my family, dogs and friends. Connect with Cathy on Twitter and Instagram. 

Aug 08 2016
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Recipe for a Record: Toronto’s Marathon Chef takes on the Guinness World Records challenge

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August 8th, 2016 – By Amy Friel 

For Toronto chef Daniel Janetos, food has always been a passion.

“I love cooking,” he says. “The only thing I love more than cooking, is eating.”

The founder of the city’s new and wildly popular Mac and Cheese Festival, Janetos has a wealth of experience that covers every aspect of working in the food industry.

“From when I was 11 or 12 years old, I’ve been in the industry,” he recalls. “Anywhere from folding cardboard boxes or doing dishes, to being a line cook, and then working my way up to being a head chef.”

Janetos’ passion for good food has taken him across the world; by his own estimation, he has travelled and cooked in over fifteen different countries. It’s an experience that has allowed him to become intimately acquainted with the peculiarities — both the good and the bad —  of working in the food industry.

“You get to see a cross-section of some pretty badass dudes and girls, who are just cooking because they’re passionate,” he says. “It’s an industry that’s high intensity, high in pressure, and high in habits. Chefs, and people within the industry, are known for getting off of work and drinking beers all night. It can be kind of a downward spiral.”

A former football player turned fitness and yoga enthusiast, Janetos was not about to let his passion for health and wellness conflict with his passion for food. So in 2014, when he heard about newly-formed crew The Food Runners, he was quick to join their ranks.

A niche offshoot of Toronto’s Nike Running Club, The Food Runners is a crew comprised of some of the city’s most talented chefs. Their goal is simple: to use running to foster a culture of healthy living among food industry professionals.

“The initial inspiration was just to throw some positivity into the industry,” Janetos explains. “At the beginning, guys were having cigarettes and beers before and after the runs. It was just a social activity.”

But what started as a friendly Wednesday morning ritual quickly turned into a dedicated training regimen, with crew members taking on increasingly challenging races and goals.

For Janetos, this training culminated in the completion of his first-ever marathon at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon last October. Recovering from an injury but determined to capitalize on his training, his race experience was by turns both grueling and rewarding.

Afterwards, like so many marathoners before him, Janetos doubted he would ever revisit the formidable distance.

“I promised myself, if I finish this marathon in under four hours — which I barely did — I’m never gonna push myself to run another marathon. I’m just gonna run for fun,” he recalls. “And then this email came through that said, ‘Hey, do you wanna set a Guinness World Record?’”

Quickly, Janetos found himself toying with the idea of capturing a Guinness World Records title that would double as a unique homage to his professional life and running crew: the fastest marathon dressed as a chef.

An athlete at heart, with a fiercely competitive spirit, Janetos is accustomed to chasing down goals. But he’s also, perhaps paradoxically, hyperaware of his own limitations; his athletic ambition is grounded in the memory of a childhood that was fraught with health concerns.

“I couldn’t eat anything,” he recalls. “I couldn’t run very far. If it was a smoggy day, I’d almost pass out. I went into anaphylactic shock a bunch of times.”

It’s an experience that taught him to value his health, and to take nothing for granted.

“All of that — not being able to eat, not having a good set of lungs — translated into me becoming a chef and loving sports, because I always wanted to have a healthy, active lifestyle.”

As for the demands of marathon training with an already demanding work schedule, Janetos isn’t one to complain — quite the contrary, in fact.

“Running gives you this extra energy, to get up in the morning and do more with the same number of hours in a day,” he explains.

But when the going does get tough (who among us can’t find ten good excuses to blow off a three-hour mileage run?), Janetos is quick to credit his Food Runners crew mates for providing the inspiration and accountability necessary to keep his training on track.

“It’s fairly small and tight-knit — never any more than twenty people,” he says of his crew. “But for the people that get out there, we see true growth. Everyone’s in a similar position, since it’s all people within your industry. So it’s a pretty powerful team, in terms of the ‘no excuses’ thing.”

No longer a rookie marathoner, and with a no-excuses attitude, Janetos now sees a Guinness World Records title on his horizon. As for the existing record of 4:07:17, his intentions for October are clear:

“My goal is to smash it.”

Applications are now being accepted for Guinness World Record attempts at the 2016 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon & Half-Marathon! Find out how you can apply to break your very own Guinness World Record: http://runcrs.co/1TROjVx  

Aug 04 2016
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Toronto Bound Kenyan Duo Inspired by Olympic Teammate

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August 4th, 2016 – By Paul Gains

As the fall marathon season approaches many of Kenya’s top runners are huddled together in rustic training camps deep in the Great Rift Valley training hard while their managers negotiate their entries into the lucrative races.

Two of them, Philemon Rono and Nicholas Rotich, have agreed to run the 2016 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 16th a decision greeted warmly by the organizers who are eager to see Derissa Chimsa’s 2013 course record (2:07:05) beaten. Toronto Waterfront is an IAAF Gold Label race.

The pair train in a 30 person group in Kaptaget near Eldoret under the direction of renowned Kenyan international Patrick Sang, the 1992 Olympic 3000m steeplechase silver medalist.

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From left to right: Rodgers Chumo (junior), Geoffrey Kamworor, Nicholas Rotich, Eliud Kipchoge, Philemon Rono.

Amongst Sang’s athletes is the reigning Olympic marathon champion Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda, Geoffrey Kamworor, the reigning IAAF world half marathon champion, and the man favoured to win the Olympic marathon August 21st, Eliud Kipchoge.

Clearly both Rono and Rotich have benefited as well as been influenced by their association with the group and with Kipchoge in particular.

“Eliud is a lot of inspiration for me and the same applies for the group we train in,” says Rono, who sports a personal best time of 2:07:07 recorded at the 2014 Hamburg Marathon. “I want to be like him and that’s my dream which I hope to achieve one day.”

“We are reporting each Monday to the camp and leave again on Saturday afternoon. We have a break on Sunday and spend the time with our families. Our first training starts at 6 am. Eliud is the one who wakes us every day at 5.45 am. It depends on the training. It can be a long run from 30-40k or track training. Otherwise it’s a 1 hour 20 minute long run.”

Rono, 25, shares a room with steeplechaser Brimin Kipruto, the 2008 Olympic champion, when he is at the camp.

“We always take our breakfast after training. We like to have chai with bread,” Rono adds. “We have a chef who cooks for us every day. Our menu is very balanced. We do have electricity at the camp. After dinner I like to watch a video and then we go to bed early to get enough sleep for the next day’s training.”

Without question the atmosphere in the camp is focused completely on generating world-class performances and thereby providing a good lifestyle for the athletes and their families.

Earlier this year, Rono was selected to represent Kenya at the African Cross Country Championships – he had raced the previous year for Kenya at these championships – but turned down the invitation in favour of a half marathon race on the roads the same weekend. The African Cross Country Championships would not be an earner, and as Rono has put his career as a qualified policeman on hold to chase athletic excellence, he needs all the financial support he can secure to support his family.

Another member of this magnificent training group is Laban Korir the 2014 Toronto winner. He too has been helpful in advising the athletes on his trip to Canada.

“I am training with Laban,” Rono adds. “He told me about Toronto and he said it’s a very good race. So I am looking forward to go there myself. I heard it has a flat course and has great fans. My goal is to win the race.”

STWM 2015. Photo Credit: Photo Run

STWM 2015. Photo Credit: Photo Run

While Rono has had to rely on Korir for his ‘intel’, Rotich, just 19 years old, has at least been to Toronto and run 30 kilometres of the course. A year ago he was a pacemaker for the men’s A group, comfortably taking them through half-way in 63:45 and 30k in 1:31:23. This year’s race will mark his debut at the full marathon distance.

“Yes, it will be my marathon debut. My training partners advised me to be patient and persevere,” he reveals. “I am nervous as it will be my first race.  Although I paced several marathons, finishing is something new to me. But I hope to be among top three in Toronto.”

Rotich joined the group in 2013 and has great aspirations in marathoning, also pointing to Eliud Kipchoge as his mentor. And, if he had not been encouraged to take up running during primary school, like so many other Kenyans, he knows he would struggle to earn a living as a farmer.

Marathon racing can be lucrative and is one of the prime motivators for these runners. The prize money in Toronto for instance is $25,000 Cdn to the winner of both the men’s and women’s races, $15,000 for second, $8,000 for third down to $2,000 to the eighth place finisher.

Although the Olympic marathon is being run on a Sunday and the athletes return to their families on Saturday afternoon, the group are hatching plans to watch Kipchoge go for Olympic gold either in Eldoret or in the town of Kaptagat on the 21st.

Should Kipchoge win the Olympic gold, as most experts predict, Rono and Rotich will certainly be further inspired as they prepare for the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. And we may well see that course record shattered by one of these two.

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For more information and to run with the Kenyans: www.STWM.ca

Aug 03 2016
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Digital Champions Blog: It Runs in the Family: Baby Knox

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By Amanda Bond. 
Toronto August 3rd 2016.

I didn’t run last week.

I’m in week 8 of my fall marathon training and I didn’t even run once. I went swimming, and I went to yoga, and I went on lots of walks, but I didn’t run. I’m not injured, but I did spend lots of time in bed having naps.

Here’s the thing: I have a baby who just cut his first tooth, and the appearance of the second one is imminent. He’s sad and he needs cuddles and kisses and soothing. He needs to be held close. He only wants to sleep on me. During swimming he’s pretty much attached to me as it’s a mom and baby class, and at yoga it’s the same. I wear him when we go walking. But when we run he’s stuck in our jogging stroller, and last week that was something he couldn’t really deal with, so we didn’t do it. Could I have gone very early in the morning or late at night? Probably. But sleep is a loose term for us these days with his teething, so I prioritized taking naps whenever I could get them and running didn’t happen. He only gets his first teeth once.

Amanda Bond Blog PhotoRunning runs in our family, so to speak. My dad is a marathoner and I ran my first one with him. A couple of years back, I wrote about that. Since then, we’ve registered for a few races together, and one of those turned out to coincide with the first trimester of my pregnancy with Knox. As I was under doctor’s orders to refrain from strenuous physical activity due to a recent miscarriage, I dropped down to a shorter distance and walked the event with my sister and my dog Sam. My dad caught up to us just before the end, and we celebrate the photo above as my son’s first finish line photo.

It was a big deal. Knox has had a couple more finish lines since – once while I was about 6 months pregnant and I ran/walked a 5K, and once on the outside at the end of his first jogging stroller race, the Waterfront 10 in June (you can read a recap of that one here if you’re interested).

These are really special to me. I have been able to take something that has meant a lot to me my whole life – something that I’ve shared with my Dad since I was a kid – and share it with my own child. And while I won’t be running many more stroller races, Knox is helping me train for my fourth marathon, which will take place about a month before his first birthday.

Amanda Bond Blog Photo 3Marathon training with a baby has its pros and cons. On one hand, gone are the days of just putting on running shoes and going. Every run needs planning and packing. We don’t leave the house without Knox’s bag of things: diapers and wipes, soother and strap, easy stroller snacks, a sun shade, hat, sunscreen, a change pad and blanket, some stroller toys, a sippy cup and water, a change of clothes, a sling in case he needs to come out of the stroller. These are the basics.

I try to leave as he’s getting sleepy so that he’ll nap on the go. He’s come along for distances up to 16K and he’s a really good sport about it. When we stop at red lights, we take water and snack breaks, get some face to face time, and chat a little. If he’s awake while I’m running, we sing and I point out things to him that he may find interesting. I try to narrate what we see. I listen for signs that he needs a break. When he sleeps, I try to find that groove as much as possible, despite the fact that my arms aren’t swinging and my stride is different and I’m pushing a beast of a stroller with a baby in it around the city. Stroller running is a good workout, but it doesn’t allow me to run quickly. My legs aren’t used to running fast and during this cycle, they won’t be.

These are the realities: the missed runs, the forethought, the slow pace, the fact that any time I set out to run a certain distance, Knox’s needs come first and while I can maximize the chances that I’ll get the whole run in, I can in no way totally predict or account for the changing mood of a little person with a big personality and his needs. I used to run to relieve anxiety. Stroller running doesn’t exactly promote that kind of mental mood.

Amanda Bond Blog Photo 4But running with Knox has changed me in some big positive ways. I used to focus on very different things. I was a runner with a lot of technology – GPS watch and music and my phone. I used to check my pace constantly and this was a factor in my quitting road running in favour of trails for a while before I became pregnant – I would obsess over it and it wasn’t fun. If I was having a bad day, I would feel utterly defeated. This kind of thing was terrible for my mental health in general. Now that I run with a stroller, I don’t bother with things like pace because it’s irrelevant. I pre-plan my routes so that I know my distance and I leave my watch at home. I don’t run with music anymore because I listen to and talk with Knox. I feel much more present in my runs now. Stroller running has freed me from the numbers and the distractions that were such a big part of it for me before. And I mean, what run isn’t made better by seeing this little face?

As he grows, I’m so excited to learn what interests Knox; who he’ll be. He may or may not be into athletic pursuits at all, or running specifically; even if he is, maybe races won’t be his thing. And that’s great. Really, this training cycle is the only one I’m guaranteed to be able to share with him, because he kind of has to come along for the ride. And whatever he’s into, I look forward to telling him about the time marathon training was so easy for him that he did the majority of it in his sleep. There are photos to prove it.

About Amanda Bond: I’m Mandy and I’m a new mom. My son was born in November of 2015. After some significant time off of running due to a miscarriage, my subsequent pregnancy, and the birth of my son, I’m spending this year building back strength and endurance so that I can complete my fourth marathon. I’m also navigating my shifting priorities and how that has affected my relationship with running. As someone with a history of anxiety, depression, and anorexia, as well as active postpartum depression, I run mostly for mental health reasons. Though these days you can generally find me pushing a jogging stroller around the city, trail running is one of my true loves and I hope to run my second ultramarathon next spring. Connect with Amanda on Twitter and Instagram. 

Jul 28 2016
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Canada Running Series and BMW Canada Partner to Combine Their Commitment to Excellence

By | Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Uncategorised | No Comments
TORONTO July 28, 2016 

Canada Running Series is delighted to announce a partnership with BMW Canada, making the German manufacturer the Official Vehicle of the 27th edition of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Half-Marathon & 5k.

“Our partnership with the Canada Running Series is part of a global movement towards running that will provide BMW with a unique opportunity for new customers to experience our BMW i electric vehicles,” said Marianne MacNeil, manager, event marketing for BMW Canada. “To further support our investment in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, we are hosting a series of training events at BMW i Retailers in the Greater Toronto Area through August and September, followed by a test drive experience at the Running, Health and Fitness Expo during race weekend in October.”

The training event dates are outlined below, with route details to be posted to www.STWM.ca in the coming weeks. All events are scheduled to begin at 6:30pm.
August 11th – Policaro BMW
August 25th – BMW Toronto
September 1st – Town & Country BMW
September 15th – Budds’ BMW Oakville

BMW is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2016, and has a long history of supporting global endurance sporting events including the BMW Berlin Marathon and Tokyo Marathon – both World Marathon Majors – along with the Frankfurt, Munich, Vancouver and BMW Dallas Marathons.

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Marianne MacNeil, Manager, event marketing for BMW Canada and Alan Brookes, Canada Running Series Race Director

“We are thrilled to have such an outstanding global brand as BMW as a partner for Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon,” said Alan Brookes, Race Director and President of Canada Running Series. “We share a passionate commitment to excellence, community and sustainability, and we look forward to sharing the road to success with the entire team at BMW Canada.”

An IAAF Gold Label race, the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (STWM) is Canada’s premier, big-city running event and the Grand Finale of the eight-race Canada Running Series. More than 26,000 runners from over 60 countries will participate in the 27th edition of the event on October 16th, which also serves as the Athletics Canada National Marathon Championship.

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Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon

An IAAF Gold Label race, the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Canada’s premier, big-city running event, the National Marathon Championships, and the Grand Finale of the 8-race Canada Running Series. In 2015 it attracted more than 26,000 participants from 63 countries, raised $3.5 million for 173 charities through the Scotiabank Charity Challenge, and contributed an estimated $35 million to the local economy. The livestream broadcast regularly attracts viewers from over 100 countries, and in 2015 the event also hosted the international Bridge The Gap movement of running crews. www.STWM.ca.

BMW Group in Canada

BMW Group Canada, based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW AG and is responsible for the distribution of BMW luxury performance automobiles, Sports Activity Vehicles, Motorcycles, and MINI. BMW Group Financial Services Canada is a division of BMW Group Canada and offers retail financing and leasing programs and protection products on new and pre-owned BMW and MINI automobiles, as well as retail financing for new and pre-owned BMW Motorcycles. A total network of 47 BMW automobile retail centres, 20 BMW motorcycle retailers, and 30 MINI retailers represents the BMW Group across the country.
For more information, contact:

Ian Cater
Marketing Coordinator
Canada Running Series
(416) 944-2765 ext. 512
ianc@canadarunningseries.com

Jul 27 2016
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Digital Champions Blog: Go Your Own Way(s).

By | Digital Champions, Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments
By Dan Grant.
Toronto July 27th 2016.

It took me a while to understand what it is about running I love so well. I had heard plenty of reasons I should love it, but nothing ever resonated.

I was a solo runner – and adamantly so – not because I had found the elusive high others hinted at. It was simply a means to escape and be alone with my thoughts, letting them run as far as they liked. Running was therapy, plain and simple. And that was enough.

Then, one day in 2014, in a bout of depression WinterBeerMileor desperation or maybe inspiration – I honestly don’t remember, just that my life needed a kick in the ass – I sent out a plaintive tweet in search of anyone who might want to join me for a 5k run to a brewery.

What has evolved into RunTOBeer taught me the beauty of falling in with like-minded runners. Until then, run clubs had never appealed to me, with their focus on results, photos and/or the latest branded merchandise. I just wanted to run and have beer.

That’s how I discovered others were looking for something similar. RunTOBeer might not be your thing (but there’s no cost and it does involve free beer… just sayin’), however I do believe there’s something more out there for pretty much everyone. If you’re not a beer fan, maybe you’re a foodie. Conquer the castle or cruise the beach. Out at dusk or up before dawn. Or maybe there’s another concept just waiting for you to breathe life into. In the past couple years many other new packs have formed, built by and for people that love running their own way. And that’s beautiful.

Even if it’s working for you now, don’t get stuck doing the same thing until it grows stale. If you’re part of a group you love, try some solo runs as well. Mix it up with different crews. Try running in the snow. Sprint. Go somewhere you’ve never been.

Some (probably most) trials won’t be your thing, but what have you got to lose? You’re going to learn more about yourself, and you might just find something else you grow to adore.

One of the most gratifying aspects of RunTOBeer is that in two-and-a-half years we’ve never had to ask anyone to be less of a jerk. Runners are generally kind, supportive individuals. Give yourself a chance to learn from more of them.

For me, personally, I’ve learned I’m capable of going so much faster than I thought. Even though my thighs have always been bigger than my wife’s waist, I assumed I was only a distance runner. I never planned to enter a race shorter than a half marathon, because what was the point when I run lesser distances with RunTOBeer anyway? What would I gain by doing it in a more organized setting? Did I need another reminder I’m not speedy?

2016-07-02 | 2016 Pride & Remembrance RunThen I tried the Race Roster Spring Run Off. Then the Waterfront 10, then the Pride & Remembrance 5k. A couple weeks ago, while in Buffalo, I saw signs for a four mile race that same evening and entered on a whim. It turns out I’m hooked on something I always thought I’d be lousy at… and generally finishing in the top 15%! Who knew?

By placing myself in different situations I’ve not only become a much more well-rounded runner, but I’ve also found new connections to both introspection and community. I’ve become simultaneously more at peace and ambitious. I find myself endlessly inspired by other runners’ discoveries and enthusiastic about sharing my own (hence, bringing City Running Tours to Toronto).

If the role of a Digital Champion is to provide inspiration, the best advice I can share is this: give yourself the opportunity to inspire yourself. Explore what’s there for you. You wouldn’t have read this far if you weren’t curious, so go get it! It’s there for the taking. Play around, because running isn’t just running, it’s also beer at the finish line if that’s what you want. It’s the sun rising over the lake. It’s friends you haven’t met yet. It’s wooded trails with bird songs and the sound of your feet hitting the dirt. The possibilities are enormous, so go find out what kind of runner(s) you are. You won’t regret it.

About Dan Grant: If you’re running with me, chances are we’re finishing with a beer. The crew I co-founded in 2014, RunTOBeer, takes 100 or more sets of legs to breweries and craft beer bars a few times each month. Earlier this year I also brought City Running Tours to Canada and completed a 50k “beer run” to raise money for Northern Alberta wildfire relief. Check out my blog, From Pint A to Pint B, at RunningMagazine.ca. Connect with Dan on Twitter and Instagram. 

*Photo Credits:
1. Header Image: STWM 2015 – Closing in on the finish line of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.
2. Winter Beer Mile with RunTOBeer co-founder Tej Sandhu – Ever tried a Beer Mile in Winter?
3. Pride and Remembrance 5k – I’m not sure the wig helped, but it was way more fun this way.

Jul 26 2016
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Tarah Korir Running For World Championship Berth and For Kenyan Kids

By | Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments
July 26th, 2016 – By Paul Gains 
STWM15_TarahKorir

Tarah Korir, STWM 2015

Any marathoner would be delighted with a personal best time, but Tarah Korir wants this and more when she lines up for the 2016 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 16.

A berth on the Canadian team to the 2017 IAAF World Championships Marathon in London is in the offing should she run fast enough in this IAAF Gold Label race. And, because Toronto is also the Canadian National Championship, there are other considerations and rewards to be considered.

The Kenya-based mother of two was paced to a 2:35:46 time at the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon last May by an exclusive pacemaker, her husband and Kenyan Member of Parliament, Wesley Korir. That was a personal best by some fourteen minutes and opened her mind to greater prospects.

Wesley, the 2012 Boston Marathon champion, will represent Kenya at the 2016 Olympics and the couple had hopes of being the first husband wife duo to compete in the Olympic marathons. But Ottawa was unseasonably warm and Tarah fell short of the Olympic qualifying standard of 2:29:50.

“I am very happy with how that race went,” she says from her home in Cherangany, Kenya. “I think that I ran a smart race given the conditions. I hydrated well before and during the race which helped me to run well despite the heat. I do not usually run well in the heat so running a ‘PB’ in hot weather was great.

“Unlike my first marathon I still was able to maintain a decent pace right up to the end. I knew my chances of getting an Olympic qualifier on my second chance at the marathon was quite a long shot and that everything would have had to come together on race day including the weather. Finishing fifth overall – and first Canadian – also helped to make the Ottawa Marathon a special experience for me. I love racing in Canada where I can get support along the course from family and friends.”

Korir who is from St Clement, Ontario, just north of Waterloo, met Wesley when the two attended the University of Louisville. She has had an impressive year thus far. In addition to that enormous personal best, she represented Canada at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff March 26, finishing 23rd in a very good 1:12:04. Considering that day was marred by cold rain and wind her confidence has grown immensely.

“I think I will decide (my Toronto goal) once I’m further along in my training,” Korir adds. “Of course a personal best would be nice and I wonder what could have been possible on a cooler day in Ottawa.

“I don’t think I will change a whole lot (in training) except maybe trying to do a bit more mileage in workouts and long runs. My second marathon buildup had more mileage that the first but was still relatively conservative. I will see how my body responds to training.”

At this point the couple can’t say for certain whether Wesley will pace his wife, but he would like to. If he runs well in Rio, no doubt he will earn invitations to race a fall marathon. Regardless, Korir expects to have a good run in Toronto. “Wesley has told me he really enjoyed pacing me in Ottawa,” she reveals, “and I enjoyed having him pace me, especially because there ended up not being many other people around us. Wesley would love to pace me again if it works out.”

“I will definitely go in to Toronto with more confidence than the first one because of having now covered the distance twice. My confidence going into Ottawa was based on having good training leading up to Ottawa so my training prior to Toronto will also factor into my confidence level.”

In Kenya she has no shortage of training partners. Occasionally she runs with Wesley on his easy days and with a group of elite Kenyan women on other days. Given the conditions in Ottawa she knows she can run much faster.

IMG_2656

The IAAF announced the London 2017 qualifying standards in March. Women running 2:45:00 or better during the qualifying window, which began in January 1st of this year, are eligible for the race. At this point, Athletics Canada has not released their standards although Head Coach Peter Eriksson has indicated his standards will be superior to the IAAF’s. He says the National Team Committee will announce them “prior to the marathon in October.” That doesn’t sit well with athletes and coaches.

“Of course knowing the standard is nice so that you don’t end up finding out after the fact you were a few seconds off of a particular standard and you have a target to go off of for training,” Korir responds.

“That being said, I think most athletes are always trying to better their own personal times and, sometimes, chasing a particular standard can force people to run at a particular pace that may be too fast. (They do it) just to try to make the standard and then blow up in the second half of the race. But that is part of what happens with racing.”

Korir says she enjoys every opportunity to come back to Canada. Besides being the official Canadian Championship, Toronto represents a chance to further the objectives of the charitable organization she and husband Wesley set up a few years ago called the Kenyan Kids Foundation.

The foundation is one of 185 official charities that are part future-STWMrunnerof the Scotiabank Charity Challenge at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, and is operated by Tarah’s father Blair McKay. Among the initiatives they have undertaken are improvement in dairy farming techniques, clean water and health education as well as general education from pre-school age children and up.

Their fundraising target at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is $15,000. This money will provide scholarships to twenty impoverished high school students as well as fund a pre-school program in Cherangany. Korir is encouraging runners to sign up to run Toronto Waterfront with her and raise money for the team or to make a one-time charitable donation.

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For more information and to join Tarah’s team:

http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/en/charity/kkfc.htm

Photo Credits:
1. Header Image: PHOTO RUN

Jul 13 2016
0

The Girl in the Stroller: Calum Neff Set To Bring Guinness World Record Back To Toronto!

By | Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon | No Comments
By Amy Friel.
TORONTO. July 13th 2016.

Annika Kapral’s advice for setting a Guinness World Record is simple:

“Don’t do anything.”

Michal Kapral

Michal and Annika Kapral, STWM 2004

And she would know; Kapral, now thirteen, was featured in the Guinness Book of World Records at just under two years old – a tiny passenger along for the ride as father Michal set the record for the fastest marathon pushing a stroller.

“I tell her that she’ll always be The Girl in the Stroller,” he jokes.

Kapral’s mark of 2:49:44, set at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 2004, has been bettered several times since then – a Guinness World Records title that is at once hotly-contested and surprisingly fast, by any standard.

“It doesn’t slow you down as much as you might think,” Kapral recalls of racing with a stroller and toddler in tow. “But the whole experience is just totally different because you have so many other things to worry about. Before a marathon, you kind of have enough to worry about, with your nutrition and gear and whatnot. And on top of that I had all the stuff for the stroller, and trying to take care of a toddler. It was like a two-page checklist.”

For his part, Michal says that Annika was a model passenger.

“She was asleep for the first half,” he recalls. “Around the half-marathon mark, she woke up. And when she woke up I immediately had a minor panic attack.”

But his worry proved unfounded as Annika, who had hitched a ride for the bulk of her father’s marathon training (including long runs), happily took in the sights of the race without complaint.

“The best thing that she did was to not complain,” he says. “She was really encouraging, in training and in the race. She was like ‘Go Daddy go!’”

When it comes to competing for a Guinness World Records stroller title, a successful race comes down to equal parts training, dedication, careful planning, and plain old luck. It’s a formula that Calum Neff hopes to replicate this fall, when he tries to once again bring the Guinness World Records title home to Toronto.

Katy Half-Marathon, 2016. Photo Credit: Bill Baumeyer

Katy Half-Marathon, 2016. Photo Credit: Bill Baumeyer

Neff is no stranger to stroller racing; earlier this year, he set the Guinness World Record for the fastest half-marathon while pushing a stroller at the Katy Half Marathon in Texas, with 11-month-old daughter Holland in tow. For Neff, who boasts an impressive 2:22 marathon PR, the stroller record for the full marathon distance was a logical progression.

“I’ve been meaning to race in Toronto for a number of years,” says Neff, who has strong family ties to the Toronto area. “It allows family members to see me run, because most of the time they’re not around when I’m running. It gives them a chance to be a part of it.”

So when he saw that officials would be on-site as part of the Guinness World Records challenge at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, he knew the time had come for him to make his mark on the Toronto course.

“I jumped through a few hoops to do it on my own and get it ratified, since Guinness wasn’t there,” he says of his half-marathon title.

In order to prove he’d run the entire distance with the stroller, Neff streamed the run live on Periscope. For him, the added bonus of having Guinness World Records officials present at the Toronto race means one less thing to worry about come race day.

“It’s pretty special,” he says of the partnership. “It’ll be nice to take that pressure off, and have them actually on-site.”

The special partnership between Guinness World Records and the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon can be traced back to Michal Kapral’s original record-setting run more than a decade ago.

“Marathons don’t usually allow strollers – or really any race, for that matter,” Kapral says.

Like many marathoners who hope to claim a Guinness World Records title, Kapral knew he needed to find a top-level race that would be willing to accommodate his unusual requirements.

“So I checked with (Toronto Race Director) Alan Brookes,” he recalls. “And being the good guy that he is, he gave me a special dispensation to try to set the Guinness World Record pushing Annika in the stroller.”

With that, a unique tradition in the Toronto running community was born – a tradition that has grown steadily over the past decade, with 2016 promising to be the biggest year yet.

Cal Neff 2016-01-13 17.23.32-1

Calum with older daughter Aley.

For his attempt at the marathon record this fall, Calum Neff plans to run with with older daughter Aley as his passenger, in the hopes that his older daughter will be able to take a positive memory from the experience.

“Aley will be turning four in August, and four-years-old is definitely when you start forming those lasting memories,” he explains. “Even though she’s a little bit heavier than Holland, she’ll be able to take it all in. I’m really looking forward to that bonding experience.”

For Michal Kapral, bringing Annika along on the road to his Guinness World Records title proved to be more than just a bonding moment. Over the final gruelling kilometres, his bubbly toddler became a source of inspiration.

“You’re pushing your kid along, and you’re really suffering in the race, but you’ve got this encouragement,” he recalls. “That’s the greatest thing ever.”

Applications are now being accepted for Guinness World Record attempts at the 2016 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon & Half-Marathon! Find out how you can apply to break your very own Guinness World Record: http://runcrs.co/1TROjVx 

*Header image photo credit: Scott Flathouse