Oct 18 2026
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Strong International and Domestic Competition at TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

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By Paul Gains

Although the strong international women’s field missed the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon course record this morning it was one of the most exciting athletics contests ever fought on Canadian soil.

Kenya’s Leah Jeruto ran away from her rivals in the final five kilometres to win in 2:21:19, a time only two women have beaten on this course.

It was a massive personal best performance knocking three minutes off the time she recorded at this year’s Cape Town Marathon in May where she finished 4th (2:24:31).

Nigsti Haftu of Ethiopia followed her home fifteen seconds later (2:21:34) while Ayinadis Teshome took third place in 2:22:51. The target had been Ethiopian Waganesh Mekasha’s 2024 time of 2:20:44.

On a cool morning with a cold westerly wind off Lake Ontario to contend with the leading women passed halfway in 1:10:58. There were ten runners following two designated pacers. As the race continued one pacer dropped out with the other continuing to 40km. The pack split up with three women in contention thereafter. But only Jeruto could stick with that pacer who took her another kilometre.

“I feel very happy with my personal best; to go from 2:24 to 2:21,” Jeruto said at the finish adding with a smile, “I like Toronto. I was very excited because I was not expecting a personal best.”

Leonard Langat of Kenya successfully defended his 2025 Toronto Waterfront title finishing in 2:06:51 to claim the CAD$25,000 prize. The 30-year-old was content to remain buried in the pack of twelve men who passed half way in 63:30 but around 35km he emerged to push the pace. His surge split the contenders and the race was on.

Checking his watch periodically, no doubt thinking how much longer he must endure the effort, he continued opening the gap until the finish. His countryman Fanny Kiprotich, who had won both his previous two marathons, finished second 2:07:21. For the third year running Noah Kipkemboi made the podium finishing 3rd in 2:07:25. Kipkemboi was second in 2025 and third in 2024.

“This has been a little bit cold and a very competitive and strong field,” Langat admitted. “I tried my best and I managed to break the group. [Toronto] is like home. I will be very happy to come back next year and forever.”

Along with TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon being a World Athletics Elite Label race it also serves as the Athletics Canada Canadian Marathon Championships.

Dayna Pidhoresky led the Canadian women’s field from the beginning forging a gap that at one point had observers wondering if she might fold. Indeed her pursuers closed to within a few seconds before she pushed on again. She passed the halfway point in 1:13:16 with fifteen to twenty seconds between her and her rivals.

A month shy of her 40th birthday, she was rewarded with a huge personal best crossing the line in 2:26:02, more than three minutes faster than her sole previous Canadian marathon victory in 2019. On that occasion her 2:29:03 earned her an automatic place on Canada’s Tokyo-bound Olympic team.

Her winning time today makes her the third fastest Canadian of all time. It could have been faster still had she not had stomach issues which forced an unscheduled pit stop.

“Coming into this race I was confident,” she said. “I think today was maybe a good day. I had some stomach problems that distracted me. But my body felt very strong. The confidence of having a really good build and setting PB’s in the 10k and the half marathon; I felt ready for another PB because most of my training has been geared towards the marathon.”

She praised Canadian women’s record holder Natasha Wodak for pacing her early on and in particular, the designated pacer, Philip Parrot-Migas.

“Phil was amazing. I feel so lucky to have had him as my pacer through and past 40k which was great on a windy day,” she explained.

The 2026 Canadian 10k and 10,000m champion, Florence Caron, made her marathon debut here and went out conservatively with the intent of laying a mark to shoot at in her next one. Her strategy paid off as the 25-year-old from La Malbaie, Quebec claimed the silver medal in 2:29:37.

“I had multiple goals being my first time and not knowing what to expect the last part,” she said with a smile. “I was on a faster pace early in the race and really got hit (at 35km). I was trying to finish and enjoy the crowd and my family.”

The bronze medal went to Lindsay Lamrock (2:30:49), a sometime training partner of 2025 Canadian champion, Rachel Hannah, who endured stomach distress and finished well back. Lamrock’s time was a personal best by nine minutes.

The Canadian men’s field included several athletes who were making their debuts at the distance as well as two men with personal bests of under 2:11, one of them, Thomas Broatch, who was the 2023 Canadian champion in his debut. So it was surprising to see the unsponsored debutant Andrew Davies in the thick of it as the leaders passed halfway in 64:46.

The Vancouver based runner showed his inexperience when around 24km he missed a bottle station and went back for it. Undeterred, he quickly rejoined the group before pushing on alone for the final ten kilometres. In doing so he not only won the Canadian title but finished 10th place overall.

The fastest marathon debut by a Canadian man until today was 2:09:25 which Cam Levins recorded when beating Jerome Drayton’s 43-year-old Canadian record in 2018 on the Toronto Waterfront course. Davies crossed the line in 2:08:48. He was delighted with his victory but also respectful to the Canadians who are ranked ahead of him — Cam Levins, the national record holder (2:05:36) and Rory Linkletter (2:06:49).

“I have looked up to Cam and Rory, especially, the top two,” he revealed. “And Thomas Nobbs (2:08:35) and I have been racing when I started university and, seeing what they could accomplish in the marathon, it made me think I could do that one day.

“I definitely thought there is no reason I couldn’t run 2:08 one day. We had great weather today today and an incredible pacer.”

John Gay a 2021 Tokyo Olympic finalist in the 3,000m steeplechase had intended to make his marathon debut in Toronto a year ago but a back injury forced him to withdraw. Instead he ran in Ottawa (2:14:16) this past May. Today he was the last of the Davies’ challengers to fall away but hung on for the silver medal with a new personal best of 2:13:01.

The bronze medal went to Perry MacKinnon who also achieved a personal best with his 2:13:35 performance.

Another notable performance was turned in by Jennifer MacDonell who set a new W70-4 World record with a time of 3:23.54. The old record was 3:27:00.

Meanwhile Kristian Jamieson lowered his personal best to 2:27:31 moving closer to his target of beating his great, great grandfather, Tom Longboat’s best of 2:24:24. Longboat, a Six Nations resident, ran that time while winning the 1907 Boston Marathon.

Oct 17 2026
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TCS Renews Title Sponsorship of TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon for Five More Years

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Long-term partnership with Canada Running Series will continue through 2031, building on five years of innovation, sustainability and community impact

TORONTO, ON (October 17, 2026) — Canada Running Series (CRS) is pleased to announce that Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and CRS have extended their partnership for an additional five years, with TCS continuing as the title sponsor of the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon through 2031.

“This renewal is a tremendous vote of confidence in the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon and in what we have built together over the past four years,” said Charlotte Brookes, Chief Executive Officer, Canada Running Series, the organization behind the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. “TCS has been an exceptional partner in helping us innovate, elevate the participant experience and advance our commitment to sustainability. We’re excited to continue that work together and to build an even bigger, more impactful event for Toronto and for the running community over the next five years.”

The continued partnership comes as the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon enters another important chapter. Now in its 37th edition, the 2026 event will welcome more than 30,000 participants and more than 150,000 spectators to Toronto, with runners and supporters coming from across Canada and around the world.

With TCS continuing as title sponsor for the next five years, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon will continue to leverage technology and innovation to build community while creating an exceptional experience for runners, spectators and the city of Toronto.

“We are delighted to extend our partnership with Canada Running Series and the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon for another five years,” said Manmeet Chhabra, Executive Director and Country Head, Canada, Tata Consultancy Services. “Together, we have helped establish this race as Canada’s largest and most sustainable marathon—an achievement we are incredibly proud of. We look forward to continuing to innovate the race experience and build better futures through sports.”

Since becoming title sponsor, TCS has worked closely with CRS to introduce technology and innovation to the event, while supporting its sustainability goals and helping connect participants and spectators through new digital experiences. TCS has also brought its global expertise in running and technology to Toronto, making the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon part of a prestigious portfolio of internationally recognized TCS-sponsored running events.

The partnership has helped evolve the race experience through technology, including the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon race app, participant and spectator engagement tools, and initiatives designed to support the event’s sustainability ambitions. TCS previously committed 32,000 person-hours to help CRS advance the marathon’s sustainability efforts.

The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is also a significant contributor to Toronto’s visitor economy. A 2024 economic impact study found that the event generated $50.3 million in economic activity for the City of Toronto and $56.3 million for Ontario, while attracting tens of thousands of visitors from across Canada and around the world.

The event also continues to make important contributions to charitable causes, with the TCS Charity Challenge providing participants with opportunities to raise funds and awareness for hundreds of Canadian charities. Since its inception in 2003, the program has raised more than $57 million for charitable causes, including over $1.7 million in 2025 alone.

As the 2026 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon gets underway this race weekend, the five-year renewal marks the beginning of the next chapter in a partnership focused on using the power of running, technology and community to create lasting impact.

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About the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Canada’s premier running event and the grand finale of the Canada Running Series (CRS). 2026 will be the 37th edition of the event. Since 2017, the race has served as the Athletics Canada national marathon championship race and has doubled as the Olympic trials. Using innovation and organization as guiding principles, Canada Running Series stages great experiences for runners of all levels, from Canadian Olympians to recreational and charity participants. With a mission of “building community through the sport of running,” CRS is committed to making sport part of sustainable communities and the city-building process. To learn more about the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, visit www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com.

About Canada Running Series (CRS)

Canada Running Series (CRS) organizes the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. CRS is Canada’s premier running circuit with 7 events, 4 in Toronto, 2 in Vancouver, and 1 in Montreal. It annually attracts over 50,000 participants and raises more than $6 million for some 320 mostly-local charities. The Series includes the World Athletics Elite Label TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, and the Athletics Canada National Marathon Championships. Since 1999, CRS has gained international recognition for innovation and organization. For more on CRS visit https://canadarunningseries.com/.

About Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

Tata Consultancy Services (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS) is the technology partner of choice for industry-leading organizations worldwide. Since its inception in 1968, TCS has upheld the highest standards of innovation, engineering excellence and customer service.

It has set an aspiration to become the world’s largest AI-led technology services company and is enabling its clients to transform themselves across the full AI stack, from infrastructure to intelligence.

Rooted in the heritage of the Tata Group, TCS is focused on creating long term value for its clients, its investors, its employees, and the community at large. With a highly skilled workforce spread across 56 countries and 194 service delivery centers across the world, the company has been recognized as a top employer in six continents. With the ability to rapidly apply and scale new technologies, the company has built long-term partnerships with its clients. Many of these relationships have endured into decades and navigated every technology cycle, from mainframes in the 1970s to artificial intelligence today.

TCS sponsors 14 of the world’s most prestigious marathons and endurance events, including the TCS New York City Marathon, TCS London Marathon, Tata Mumbai Marathon and TCS Sydney Marathon with a focus on promoting health, sustainability, and community empowerment.

TCS generated consolidated revenues of over US $30 billion in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026. For more information, visit www.tcs.com

Media Contact:

Melissa DaCunha
Communications Manager, Sutherland Corp.
melissa@sutherlandcorp.ca

Oct 14 2026
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TEN TO WATCH 2026

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WOMEN

AYINADIS TESHOME | 23 | Ethiopia | PB:2:20:51

A year ago Ayinadis watched the 2025 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon on YouTube. One of her training partners, Yihunelign Adane (winner of 2022 Toronto Waterfront Marathon) had told her about the race. She finished 6th in the 2026 Seoul Marathon in a new personal best of 2:20:51. In 2023 she ran a half marathon personal best of 1:08:10 leading to her marathon debut the same year in Cape Town (6th place in 2:29:14). Capable of going faster than her current PB.

BEATRICE CHESEREK | 27 | Kenya | PB:2:21:56

Made her marathon debut in the 2025 Toronto Waterfront Marathon finishing 5th (2:30:25). Then in Seville, Spain on February 15 she took more than 8 minutes off that time running a personal best of 2:21:56. She skipped 2024 as she gave birth to a son called Fabian. In 2022 she won the Cardiff Half Marathon in 1:06:48 an early indicator of her tremendous marathon potential. She has raised her training volume for Toronto. Experienced a 7.1 (Richter scale) earthquake in Colombia this spring after finishing 4th in the 2026 Cali 10km.

MARITU KETEMA | 26 | Ethiopia | PB: 2:21:52

Trains in a group alongside three-time Toronto Waterfront Marathon winner, Shure Demise, and world record holder Tigst Assefa under coach Gemedu Dedefo. At the 2026 Dubai Marathon she finished 5th in 2:21:52. Maritu started out as a 3,000m steeplechaser winning a silver medal at the 2017 African Under 20 championships at age 17. Having gained marathon experience over the past three years she now believes she is capable of dipping under 2:20 if conditions are ideal.

FLORENCE CARON | 25 | Canada | Debut

A 2025 graduate of Penn State University Caron is a native of La Malbaie, Quebec a town on the St Lawrence River. At PSU she finished 14th at the 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championships. After signing with Hoka and joining the Northern Arizona Elite in Flagstaff, Arizona, she has already won two Canadian championships this year – 10km (roads) and 10,000m (track). Can she make it three with success in Toronto?

ELFINESH DEMISE | 21 | Ethiopia | PB: 2:23:30

Elfinesh made her marathon debut with a 6th place finish (2:27:55) at the Lanzhou Marathon (China). Her second attempt at the distance resulted in victory at the Buenos Aires Marathon (2:28:12). Although neither time is extremely noteworthy in February of this year she ran 2:23:30 at the Dubai Marathon. A DNF in Ottawa followed. Since then her training has gone well. Trains with Ayinadis Teshome under coach Nigatu Worku. Given her young age we might be looking at a future champion.MEN

LEONARD LANGAT | 30 | Kenya | PB: 2:05:26

Defending Toronto Waterfront Marathon champion (2:08:04) he went on to finish 4th in the 2026 Cape Town Marathon in May. There he ran a personal best of 2:05:26. The Toronto Waterfront Marathon record is 2:05:00 by his compatriot, Philemon Rono. Langat says he wants to run a new personal best. Does that mean a course record? Langat has started a dairy farm with income from running. Unlike many Kenyan runners he also lives at home to be with his wife and two children and drives to the team’s training camp each day.

GIZEALEW AYANA | 23 | Ethiopia | PB:2:06:48

Another young and very promising Ethiopian runner Gizealew finished 6th in the 2024 Toronto Waterfront Marathon (2:10:49). Since then he improved his personal best to 2:06:48 at the 2026 Dubai Marathon. In May he finished second in Ottawa. Growing up watching his elder brother have running success (Tsedat has run 2:05:47) inspired him to become a runner.

NOAH KIPKEMBOI | 33 | Kenya | PB: 2:07:31

This is Kipkemboi’s third time contesting the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. He has been on the podium on both previous occasions finishing 3rd in 2024 when he set his PB of 2:07:31 and 2nd a year ago. Started out as a pacer for two-time Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge including for the latter’s 2022 world record in Berlin. Kipkemboi remains friends with Philemon Rono, who set the Toronto Waterfront Marathon course record of 2:05:00. He is another runner who has beaten athletes with much faster personal bests. Will it be third time lucky in Toronto?

FANNY KIPROTICH | 24 | Kenya | PB: 2:06:53

Kiprotich has won both marathons he’s contested – his debut in 2025 Tallinn (2:11:21) then in Vienna April 2026 he substantially lowered his best time to 2:06:53 winning by seventy-seven seconds. He expressed his joy by blowing kisses to the supportive crowd. Living near Mount Elgon he was inspired by seeing elite Kenyans running through his village. With his earnings so far he has bought some land and built a home for his parents. Toronto Waterfront Marathon will represent his first time in North America. He has watched past editions of the race on YouTube.

DINKALEM AYELE | 25 | Ethiopia | PB: 2:06:43

Dinkalem’s marathon potential was noted when, in 2024, he ran 59:30 in the Barcelona Half Marathon. Toronto Waterfront will be his third marathon of this year after 4th place in the 2026 Doha marathon then 5th in Milan. Last year he finished 6th in the Paris Marathon (2:07:54). As a junior he represented Ethiopia at the 2019 World Cross Country Championships finishing 11th and helping his country to the team gold medal.

Oct 13 2026
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Canadian Marathon Championships Preview

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By Paul Gains

Once again the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon (October 18, 2026), a World Athletics Elite Label race, will serve as the official Athletics Canada Canadian Marathon Championships.

Not only are Canadian marathoners drawn to the $8,000 CDN winners’ prize but precious World Athletics points are up for grabs which can help when it comes to qualification for next year’s World Athletics Championships in Beijing.

Rachel Hannah is the defending Canadian women’s champion having finished 6th overall a year ago at Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 2:33:47, her fastest time in a decade. She recorded her personal best 2:32:09 at the 2016 Houston Marathon and claimed the Pan Am Games bronze medal later that same year.

At the age of 40 the Port Elgin, Ontario resident provides inspiration to younger women as she continues to manage training volumes of up to 180km a week and remains competitive. Eight months ago she finished 4th at the Vancouver Half Marathon finishing a little over a minute behind Dayna Pidhoresky in a race won by Natasha Wodak, the Canadian marathon record holder.

Pidhoresky, of Vancouver, returns to Toronto Waterfront. It was here that she secured a place on Canada’s 2020 Tokyo Olympic team when she won in 2019 recording a personal best of 2:29:03 on the day. A month away from her 40th birthday she believes she is still capable of a personal best but winning another title is of paramount importance.

The winner of the 2022, 2023 and 2024 Vancouver Marathon earlier this year she also won the McKirdy MicroOTQ Marathon in Congers New York Marathon in 2:31:24. Her consistency makes her a favourite.

Making their debuts in the Toronto Waterfront Marathon are a pair of women deserving attention. Cleo Boyd, 33, a former standout at the University of Virginia finished 3rd in the 2026 Canadian 10k championships then finished 4th at the Pittsburgh Half Marathon just three weeks later. Her time in the latter race was 1:12:26, a personal best and a good indicator this Kingston, Ontario native will be in the hunt for the medals.

The youngest of these challengers is Florence Caron, 25, who hails from the town of La Malbaie, Quebec. A year ago she graduated from Penn State University after finishing a credible 14th in the 2025 NCAA cross country championships for the Nittany Lions. Now she has signed with HOKA and training with Northern Arizona Elite in Flagstaff, Arizona. The move has paid dividends already.

Caron won the 2026 Canadian 10k championships in Ottawa by 44 seconds and represented Canada at the World Road Running Championships where she ran a personal best half marathon of 1:11:03. She will be accompanied by her husband Olivier Desmeules, also a Penn State graduate, one of the official pacers.

The men’s championship race is expected to be an equally competitive battle. On paper Thomas Broatch (2:10:35) and Tristan Woodfine (2:10:39) ranked 10th and 11th respectively on the list of Canadian all-time performers are favourites. Both had planned to run in Toronto Waterfront a year ago but serious health issues forced them to withdraw.

Broatch, was crowned 2023 Canadian champion at Toronto Waterfront while finishing a credible 6th place overall. That race was his marathon debut. The native Vancouverite had a suspected case of appendicitis two weeks before the 2025 Toronto Waterfront which landed him in hospital for four days. Now, in good health, a podium finish is his goal as the 27-year-old has successfully fought to regain prime fitness.

In the summer of 2025, Woodfine suffered a tick bite and was diagnosed with Lyme disease. Fortunately, he was quickly diagnosed but it still meant taking a few weeks off which cost him a place at Toronto Waterfront. In August of this year he and his wife welcomed their daughter, Wren, into the world and it took him a couple of weeks to get back into a consistent training schedule. But he is confident of being competitive with the top Canadians.

Lee Wesseiius, a full-time large animal veterinarian in Eastern Ontario, recorded his best time of 2:13:52 while finishing 9th overall in the 2024 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. He claimed the Canadian championship silver medal on that day. A year ago he finished second at the Vancouver Half Marathon in 64:28 just eleven seconds off his personal best showing he can successfully balance a full-time work schedule with marathon training. He is expected to be a medal contender.

Another medical scratch from a year ago was John Gay who had planned to make his marathon debut here in Toronto. A 2021 Olympic finalist in the 3,000m steeplechase he ran 2:14:16 in the Ottawa Marathon this past May. Now he says he wants to ‘swing for the fences’ and produce a great performance. A native of Kelowna, BC. He raised his mileage to roughly 200 kilometres a week in preparation for Toronto.

Among several debutants Vancouver’s 25-year-old Andrew Davies is most deserving of attention. A year ago he beat Lee Wesselius by more than a minute to win the Vancouver Half Marathon in 63:05. He also won the 2024 Royal Victoria Half Marathon in 63:19 which was his debut at that distance. His move to the roads is fairly recent. In fact he competed in the 1,500m at the 2024 Canadian Athletics Championships.

The two Canadian Championship elite fields will prove compelling viewing within this World Athletics Elite Label race.

Oct 06 2026
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Canadian Marathon Championship Lures Tristan Woodfine

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By Paul Gains

Once again the chance of winning a national championship has lured top Canadians to the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon which is both a World Athletics Elite Label race and the Athletics Canada National Marathon Championship.

The latest addition is Tristan Woodfine, 33, for whom a podium finish would highlight a stellar running career.

Two years ago Woodfine ran a personal best 2:10:39 to finish 6th in the Houston Marathon which puts him 11th on the list of all-time Canadian performers. But he feels he has a personal best in his near future. Whether that comes in Toronto on October 18 or not remains to be seen but after some setbacks the past couple of years he believes he is finally on track for a strong performance.

“[Training] has been going well. It was little hit and miss in early August,” he reveals. “We just welcomed our daughter, Wren, into the world August 3rd, so those first couple of weeks after she was born were a little crazy. But once we got used to a routine things picked up. The last couple of weeks I have had some strong workouts and I am feeling comfortable going into Toronto.

“I am confident I can go out and compete with the other Canadian guys who will be on the start line and kind of make that my goal. I am not too concerned with time. Mostly, I want to get out there and race some people!”

Woodfine and his wife Madeline also bought their first house a year ago in a rural area roughly twenty minutes outside Eganville, Ontario. But life has a way of keeping one honest. Along with a series of injuries, which prevented him from getting fully fit, in the summer of 2025 he suddenly developed fever and aches and pains.

“I had that a couple of days then my wife was like ‘you have this weird rash on the back of your knee.’ It had that circular bullseye shape to it,” he remembers of what turned out to be Lyme disease caused by a tick bite. “So I went to the doctor and got antibiotics. It took a while to get over it.”

That illness was followed by a diagnosis of an inguinal hernia which a doctor said would require surgery. He was told to limit exercise. Obviously concerned, he decided to book a consultation with the renowned Shouldice Hernia Hospital in Thornhill, Ontario just north of Toronto. Their diagnosis was that it was not a hernia after all. Woodfine laughs as he recounts his bad luck before adding “I have had a stretch now where nothing has gone wrong and I am really looking forward to Toronto!”

Although he completed his paramedic studies at the Ontario Health and Technology College he has put the brakes on a career in that field to focus on his running. Perhaps, he will choose to do that in the future but for now he wants to explore every part of his running potential.

“I haven’t thought about it too much yet but training with night shifts are pretty hard to make work if you want to run fast,” he concedes with a laugh. “So it’s on hold for now. I guess when I am done with my competitive running career that is something I will potentially look at.”

Besides sharing parenting duties with Madeline and training for the marathon he earns an income as a personal trainer.

“That has been growing steadily over the years that has been the main thing and then some odd jobs stuff here and there I have maybe 15 or so (clients) now,” says Woodfine.

“I don’t know if I would use the term lucrative. But I love it and enjoy it. Helping other people achieve their goals, it’s kind of nice to pass along some of the wisdom and help people to not make the mistakes I have made.”

Living in a rural area of Eastern Ontario means he does all his training on his own. He estimates he is covering roughly 170km a week. Despite his knowledge and experience, since the summer of 2025, he has been coached by John Davis an American coach with a PhD in Human Performance. Woodfine defines him as being ‘very Renato Canova inspired’ in reference to the famous Italian who coached many athletes to Olympic medal podiums.

Woodfine made his marathon ‘debut’ at the 2015 Rotterdam Marathon as three of his Speed River Track Club training partners were competing. Two-time Olympian, Reid Coolsaet, was one of them. It was not a serious attempt and he finished in 2:27:55. He waited three years to do another one.

Since then Woodfine has run London twice – he was 14th in 2020 with a time of 2:10:51 – though he prefers the comforts of racing nearer to home. For that reason Toronto Waterfront Marathon remains a favourite event.

Woodfine faces a strong Canadian field at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon which includes both Thomas Broatch, who is ranked just ahead of him on the all-time Canadian list with a best of 2:10:35, and Olympic steeplechaser turned marathoner John Gay. The battle for the gold promises to be fierce and a potential highlight of this year’s event.

Sep 29 2026
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Victories Over Fast Times for Kenya’s Elvis Cheboi

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By Paul Gains

There are those who run fast marathon times, but remain in the shadows, and others who focus on winning races. Elvis Cheboi is amongst the latter.

The Kenyan won both the 2023 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon in what is still his personal best time (2:09:20) and more recently the 2026 Ottawa Marathon (2:09:22) beating strong international fields which included men who have run several minutes faster than him.

Now he will return to Toronto, the city which really launched his international marathon career, for the 2026 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, on October 18th.

Reached at his home approximately two kilometres outside Iten, Kenya ‘the celebrated ‘Home of Champions” ’ he appears delighted to recall his past visit to Canada’s biggest city.

“I think the first time I ran in Toronto it was my first time to win a marathon,” he says smiling. “I think it was a big achievement for me. First of all I thank God. The first time in Toronto I was so proud of myself my first marathon to win and also my personal best.”

Cheboi, who says he doesn’t know why his parents named him Elvis, turns 31 today (September 29) and when he receives birthday wishes from a journalist he reacts with his customary good natured laugh.

“I didn’t remember that next week is my birthday,” he reveals. “I will just wish myself a birthday and that’s it and also thank God for his love.”

Living so close to the training camp where he spends most days means he can spend time between training sessions with his wife and two children, Sharline (8) and Shalom (4). That is clearly a precious benefit. Many Kenyan elites live in training camps operated by their management companies and only go home on weekends.

“In fact a few days ago the little one had his fourth birthday,” Cheboi explains. “I just wished him a birthday with our family a small wish to him. It was a small party with cake so he can feel special just for him.”

The fact he enjoys life at home should not be mistaken for complacency. Clearly, a balanced life works for him and might well be the reason he oozes positivity when talking about his running. These days he is coached by James Ebenyo

“Yes I am happy with my training,” he declares. “I am running, in a week 185 to 190km. Sometimes I am training alone and three days a week I run with a group. It depends on the schedule or the program. If it will be a long run something like 40km then the group. It depends.

“Now I think everything is going well. But I can’t say I will come and win, but I am in good shape.”

Cheboi has competed internationally for more than a decade. At the 2014 World Under 20 Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon he claimed the 10,000m silver medal behind current world record holder and two time Olympic champion, Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda. He gradually moved up to the half marathon recording a personal best of 59:15 at the 2022 Barcelona Half Marathon. That’s a good indicator he can run a much faster marathon.

With victories in both Toronto Waterfront and Ottawa on his resume he must clearly love Canada. “It has given me a lot,” he admits laughing. Now he has his eyes set on a stellar performance on the shores of Lake Ontario. As for specific objectives a personal best perhaps he won’t reveal them.

‘You know everything depends on how you train and how your body responds on that day,” Cheboi admits. “And also the weather!”

“I cannot predict that. Maybe (a personal best) but for now I don’t know if I will run but God willing and also people moving I will one day. I wish one day that maybe I run (a PB) but I am not sure. God knows.”

A victory at Toronto Waterfront Marathon will by no means be easy. For a start his compatriots 2025 champion Leonard Langat, Noah Kipkemboi, second a year ago, and the 24-year-old Fanny Kiprotich, winner of the 2026 Vienna Marathon, will also carry Kenya’s fortunes against a strong international field.

But Cheboi knows how to compete and he especially loves competing in Canada.

Sep 25 2026
0

Thomas Broatch Aiming for Canadian Marathon Championship Victory

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By Paul Gains

All marathoners face adversity in one form or another but Thomas Broatch has had more than his share. Yet, he returns to the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon October 18th aiming for a place on the Canadian Championship podium.

Once again, the race doubles as a World Athletics Elite Label race and the official Athletics Canada Canadian Championships.

“I will have to see who shows up but I definitely want to get on the podium,” says the 27-year-old Vancouver naive. “It’s a pretty small Canadian road racing community and I race against the same people a lot of times; a bit of extra motivation to beat them on race day. That’s why I like coming back to Toronto – you get a lot of familiar faces.

“I think if I could run around 2:12 that would be a pretty good result. I don’t know exactly who is in the field – I have a rough idea – if I can get in 2:12 or 2:13 shape I will be competitive; enough to go out with the top Canadians and be competitive. That’s the most important thing.”

In his marathon debut he claimed the 2023 Canadian Championship title finishing a solid 6th place overall at Toronto Waterfront. But it was his personal best recorded at the 2025 Houston Marathon which truly signaled his potential on the world stage.

Finishing 8th overall he ran 2:10:35 which makes him the tenth fastest Canadian of all time over the classic distance.

A year ago he was confirmed to race Toronto Waterfront again but just two weeks before the race he found himself in a Vancouver hospital with suspected appendicitis.

“I was in hospital for four days in total,” he explains. “Basically, there was something revealed in the CT scan near my appendix.  They didn’t know what it was. They didn’t want to do surgery. The upshot was that I was just in hospital for four days with antibiotics. I still had to have a few more hospital visits, one colonoscopy and then a few follow-up visits.”

In December 2025, once he was feeling comfortable again, and had regained a semblance of fitness, he ran 2:13:43 at The Marathon Project in Chandler, Arizona. Things were looking up but then came a disappointing result in Ottawa earlier this year where he struggled home in 18th place 2:19:00 – his worst marathon performance.

“I went out at 2:12 pace,” he remembers, “And I knew going into it I was not in great shape but I thought I could still run in the 2:12 – 2:14 range which I would have been pretty happy with  considering it was a challenging course.

“It was kind of the classic story, you don’t have the fitness then at 30k you crumble and limp your way home.”

These days he is back training as much as 190 kilometres in a week in preparation for TCS Toronto Waterfront. A graduate of the University of British Columbia he is still coached by Vancouver Thunderbirds’ coach, Chris Johnson, and, after training most of the summer alone, he is enjoying the company of club mates who have returned to Vancouver.

“I think in the last few weeks I have been on the right trajectory,” he says. “I still have (four) weeks to go. I am doing the Eastside 10k (September 27) which I have done the last four years. It’s kind of my ‘go to’ race before Toronto Waterfront to see where I am at.

“I think if I can run a solid result on that course then that would give me a lot of confidence with three weeks to continue fitness. The last two or three weeks I have got some good momentum going.”

Broatch has worked these past four years as a software developer for a Vancouver-based clean energy company called CLIR. He goes into the office a couple of times a week but mostly works from home.

On weekends he sometimes plays golf but much of his spare time is spent reading mystery novels or magazines at his local library. His ‘go-to’ magazine list includes a wide array of interests ranging from ‘National Geographic’ to ‘The Economist’. Earlier in the summer he moved apartments within the Kitsilano area and there is a library right next door.

A strong Canadian field is expected, as always, with $8,000 CDN awarded the national champions as well as World Athletics points which are useful in qualifying for World Championships and Olympics. Broatch is due for some good fortune.

Sep 25 2026
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Ethiopia’s Maritu Ketema Chasing Victory and A Course Record

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By Paul Gains

Maritu Ketema knocked four minutes off her personal best time when she last raced a marathon. The Ethiopian star believes she is capable of another massive improvement which she hopes will take her to victory at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 18th.

In Dubai this past February she recorded a time of 2:21:52 crossing the line in 5th place. The Toronto Waterfront course record is 2:20:44 and was set by her compatriot, Waganesh Mekasha, in 2024.

“My training has been going very well,” she reports. “I feel that my condition and fitness are much better now than when I was preparing for Dubai. The hard work makes me very proud.”

Maritu trains in a large group under the watchful eye of renowned coach Gemedu Dedefo. It is a talented team of men and women that she meets up with several times a week in training sites in an around Addis Ababa including Sendafa and Sululta.

Among the women’s group are notable athletes such as Tigst Assefa, who holds the world record in a women’s only marathon race, and three-time Toronto Waterfront winner Shure Demise. The latter won here last year and also in 2015 and 2016.

Success emanates from this group and Maritu is one of the newer beneficiaries. But her career wasn’t always headed toward elite marathon running.

As a junior athlete she competed in the 3,000m steeplechase and at the age of 17 years she ran in the Hengelo FBK Games (Netherlands) where she ran a solid time of 9:39.55. To put things in perspective that time would rank her in the top ten Canadians all-time.

Later that same year she took the silver medal at the 2017 African Under 20 Championships, again in the 3,000m steeplechase. It appeared she was going to become a world-class steeplechaser especially after invitations to compete in the Diamond League meetings in Rabat, Morocco (2017) and in Shanghai (2018). But, instead, she endured two years of injuries during which she did not compete.

“I had problems with my leg and back,” she explains. “So I decided to move to the marathon because I felt it would be better for me.”

Her debut came at the Malaga Marathon (Spain) where she finished 5th in 2:29:51. Then in 2023 she took 2nd place in a marathon held in Suzhou (China). It is her Dubai result though which has unnerved her rivals as she is now a contender in every race in which she competes.

Maritu grew up in Holeta a town thirty-five kilometres west of the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. “My family are farmers,” she reveals. “I have been living and training in Addis Ababa for eight years.”

The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is again a World Athletics Elite Label race and offers CAD$25,000 to the winner. Both the men’s and women’s fields will be extremely competitive and Maritu expects her best performance.

“My goal is to run a good race and achieve a personal best,” she declares. “If the conditions are good, I believe I can run around 2:18:40.”

Sep 17 2026
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Ethiopia’s Gizealew Ayana Returns To The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon 

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By Paul Gains

Gizealew Ayana returns to the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon October 18 aiming to win this World Athletics Elite Label Race.

It is the Ethiopian’s second visit to Canada’s largest city and he hopes for a successful competition – a redemption of sorts. Two years ago he finished 6th here – a performance that fell far below his expectations since he had won the Paris Marathon a year earlier.

“After half way, when the surges started I was struggling but I did my best to finish the race,” he remembers of that day in Toronto. Racing along Lake Ontario’s waterfront again is something he relishes and he says his goal is to take home the winner’s prize of $25,000 CDN.

His objective is certainly attainable. Earlier this year he lowered his personal best to 2:06:48 while finishing 5th in Dubai. He went on to finish second at the Ottawa Marathon in May just four seconds behind the winner, Elvis Cheboi of Kenya. Cheboi was the 2023 Toronto Waterfront winner.

Training under coach Nigatu Worku is progressing well, says Gizealew, as he is covering roughly 180 to 200 kilometres a week – at altitudes of between 2300m and 2500m. Among his training group is his elder brother Tsedat Abeje and two past Toronto Waterfront champions, Mulugeta Uma, the 2024 winner, and Yihunilign Adane who triumphed in 2022. This group certainly has an affinity to Toronto.

Remarkably, Gizealew is just 23 years old. He will be accompanied to Toronto by a strong contingent of his compatriots including the previously announced Ayinadis Teshome. She is attempting to win the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon women’s title. Ayinadis is also a member of Nigatu Worku’s training group managed by Moyo Sports.

Asked if he enjoyed Toronto on his first visit to Canada Gizealew replies “Yes of course. Toronto is beautiful,” he says, adding “I met (Ethiopian journalist) Bizuayehu Wagaw; he was there and did everything to make us (Ethiopians) comfortable.”

Bizuayehu now makes Toronto his home and reports on African athletes from here and in Europe. Over the years it has been helpful for the Ethiopian athletes to have Amharic speaking members of the Toronto community show them their customary hospitality.

Gizealew grew up hearing the numerous successes of Haile Gebrselassie, the former world record holder, and for a short time, also did some training with Kenenisa Bekele, a three-time Olympic gold medalist.  But watching his older brother Tsedat have success in road racing was perhaps the greatest motivation for the young man.

There is seven years between Tsedat and himself but he is slowly narrowing the gap performance-wise. Tsedat ran 2:05:47 in Hamburg in April.

Six years ago Gizealew decided a move to Addis was necessary if he was serious about his running. He rents a room in the Ethiopian capital and relies on his brother to drive him to the training sessions which are normally outside the city. The pair also have a younger sister, Tigist Ayana, who runs 5k and 10k races.

A victory at Toronto Waterfront will not be easy. The field also includes defending champion, Leonard Langat of Kenya. But Gizealew has confidence that he can prevail. And he also looks to the future with ambition.

“Yes I am young and I want to represent Ethiopia in the World Championships and Olympics and want to run fast times,” he replies.

A victory at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon would mean so much to his fortunes and would announce his quality to the Ethiopia Athletics Federation. The $25,000 CDN prize would also be useful.