Sep 08 2025
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Thomas Broatch Chasing a Second Canadian Title at TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

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By Paul Gains

Two years ago, Thomas Broatch was crowned Canadian marathon champion at the 2023 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. It was a remarkable achievement considering it was the Vancouver native’s debut at the distance.

Now, he returns to this year’s edition a different athlete, a more seasoned competitor, with the dream of joining an exclusive group of five Canadian men who have broken the 2 hours 10 minutes barrier.

It’s an achievable goal, certainly. The University of British Columbia graduate raced to a personal best of 2:10:35 at the Houston Marathon in January of this year.  That marked an almost six-minute improvement over his first Toronto performance (2:16:25).

“It is a pretty iconic barrier, and I definitely feel I am able to shave off a second per kilometre,” Broatch, 26, says with conviction. “It seems doable.  I am planning to do a 10K one month out. If I run a time like what I ran in Ottawa, then it would give me a good indication I am ready to take a crack at sub-62:10.”

In May he finished 5th at the Canadian 10km championships in Ottawa running a new personal best of 28:56.

“I am doing some shorter 5k pace intervals once a week,” he reveals. “I haven’t found the (high) milage taking too much away from my 10k speed. I think it will be a good indicator of what I can do in the marathon.”

The lure of a Canadian championship medal also tipped the scales when it came to choosing a fall marathon. Once again, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is the official Canadian marathon championships in addition to being a World Athletics Elite Label race.

Broatch realizes the competition for the podium is stronger than two years ago and includes two Canadian Olympians:  Ben Flanagan, and his former training partner at the University of British Columbia, John Gay.

Besides running 5,000m in 13:04.62 to qualify for the Paris Olympics Flanagan is a three-time winner of the Falmouth Road Race and has a best half marathon time of 61:00. Meanwhile, John Gay ran the 2021 Olympics earning a place in the 3,000m steeplechase final.

“What they have done over the shorter distances is really impressive; much faster than I have run,” Broatch admits. “So, in some ways it’s a bit intimidating.

“It is kind of interesting two years later.  Not that I am old and experienced, having a few marathons under my belt, it will kind of balance out a bit – me being slower over the shorter distances.”

Broatch passed another milestone recently, the third-year anniversary of his work with Clir Renewables, a Vancouver based renewable energy software company. Although he is racing men who are pretty much full-time athletes he isn’t complaining. And he works mostly from his Vancouver apartment.

“Not having the commute defining helps,” he says. “I almost never run in the middle of the day I still always run before and after work. I don’t find it that hard. It’s definitely a big commitment but I think I have a pretty efficient schedule. I don’t do weights or any of that other stuff. I just run.”

Now he reckons his training is going well as his training volume rises to 200 kilometres a week. In July he flew to Australia to run the Gold Coast Marathon and after running quickly over the first half of the race he had ‘a pretty big blowup’. The positive outcome is that he took some time to recover and build back gradually for Toronto.

An avid reader he says he has recently enjoyed another book ‘The Wandering Earth’ by the Chinese author Liu Cixin who also wrote ‘The Three Body Problem’. And he’s found another pastime – going to his local library.

“They have a good collection of magazines that they refresh every month and that has been a nice change from reading a lot of books,” he explains. “Depending on the mood I am in National Geographic is good. I am still reading a bit and playing golf regularly.”

“I had a good round a few weeks ago with some people from my club and my coach.”

In a two on two he and his friend Evan Elder ‘suffered’ defeat at the hands of coach Chris Johnson.

“I guess technically we lost but we felt we won because we were considerable underdogs and we both had our best round ever,” he says to rationalize the loss. “We lost but in the same way as running you can lose and still run a good time and feel good.”

With two clear objectives for this year’s Toronto Waterfront Marathon – a podium finish and a sub two-hour ten-minute clocking – Broatch is highly motivated. And the fact he will face a strong international and domestic field bodes well.

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Sep 03 2025
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Rachel Hannah Chasing Best Performance at TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

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By Paul Gains

Shoe technology, better nutrition and modernized training methods are allowing distance runners to continue their careers far beyond what was once considered retirement age. Rachel Hannah is a prime example.

At 39 years of age the Port Elgin, Ontario resident is running as well as ever and is now aiming for a personal best at the 2025 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, October 19.

Hannah ran 2:32:09 at the 2016 Houston Marathon six months after claiming the 2015 Pan Am Games marathon bronze medal in Toronto.

“That is definitely my goal for Toronto –  to get a personal best,” she says between appointments for the nutrition counselling business she owns. “I tried to get one last fall. My race times have improved slightly so I feel in a better spot going into this race. I am going to go for it. To get under 2:32 would be awesome.”

Earlier this year, just four weeks after running 2:34:42 on the hilly and point-to-point Boston Marathon course, she finished 5th in the Canadian 10km championships in 33:38. Those championships were held in Ottawa. Her personal best at the latter distance is 33:08 set a decade ago. The Ottawa result surprised her. Needless to say, she is encouraged.

“I find I recover really well. I have learned to make sleep more of a priority,” Hannah admits. “Definitely I credit my nutrition, keeping my protein high, focusing a lot on recovery nutrition.  Over the years I have been consistent, I haven’t had to take time off with injury for five or six years. I take time off after a marathon but that part of it helps.”

Twice a week now she is also doing weight training at home. Besides her home-based nutrition counselling business – she has a degree in human nutrition from Georgia State University – she is a nutritionist for the University of Guelph. Six years ago she also earned the International Olympic Committee’s Sport Nutrition Diploma.

Recently she has focused on remote interviews with Guelph students rather than making the two-hour (each way) commute.  That has helped find the time to put in the 160km to 180km a week she has been doing in preparation for what will be her fourth Toronto Waterfront.

“I am pretty consistent, I will block off my mornings to train,” she reveals. “I find people want mid-day to later day appointments in nutrition counselling. Most people don’t want to talk first thing in the morning.

“I do weight training in the morning and I have to get back. If I do it in the morning. Three days a week I run doubles with a second run around appointments. I work 95% from home now.”

Coached by her husband Joe Chappell she reveals she has been doing ‘double threshold’ workouts.

In addition to being a World Athletics Elite Label race, again, the event will be the official Athletics Canada National Marathon Championship. A year ago Hannah claimed the Canadian Championship bronze medal in 2:34:33 here. She jokes, having run around 2:34 a few times now, she must find another two minutes to get that personal best.

Amongst a growing list of world class athletes from across the globe Hannah will join 2019 Canadian Champion and 2021 Olympian, Dayna Pidhoresky plus Ottawa resident Salome Nyirarukundo on the start line. The latter, a 2016 Olympian for Rwanda, won the Under Armour Toronto 10k finishing just ahead of Hannah. The pair have spoken many times over the years at races and have developed a friendship.

On a recent Saturday morning in August Hannah met up with Nyirarukundo and her coach, Ray Dupuis, for a 30km run in Plantagenet, Ontario a site located midway between Ottawa and Cornwall, Ontario.  Hannah was visiting family in the region.

“It was awesome,” Hannah says of the experience. “We got to know each other over the years and we stayed at the same hotel during the 2025 Under Armour Toronto 10k. We were saying we should get together for training.

“We talked over text a few weeks and her coach was there and brought out some other athletes. So we had a really long run together. It was the first time to train with each other. It was really great. It was probably one of the best long runs I have done.”

Besides knowing the Toronto Waterfront course intimately Hannah credits the organization especially knowing that pacers will be provided for each group with a target pace. There is another factor that keeps her coming back.

“I think the cheer groups are really nice because you know the (people in the) cheer groups a lot of the time,” she says with a laugh. “Whereas at bigger races Chicago or Berlin I am not going to know who is cheering for me. When you put a name to the face it’s a lot nicer getting home. That’s why I like Toronto a lot.”

Like all runners Hannah will be paying attention to weather forecasts leading up to race day. Toronto generally received cooler temperatures in October and that is just fine with the elites. Whatever the conditions she knows she will have prepared to the best of her ability with a personal best and, perhaps, a Canadian championship medal in mind.

“I feel confident and I will go for it,” she declares.

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Aug 28 2025
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Kenya’s Dominic Ngeno Returning to TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

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By Paul Gains

It says a lot about a marathon when its podium finishers are eager to return. A year ago Dominic Ngeno crossed the finish line second at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Now, from his home in Iten, Kenya, he announces he will return for this year’s edition set for October 19.

“It was an amazing race last year and I learned a lot,” he says with a grin. “The race was good. I am coming now to combat.

“I was so happy that the fans were cheering us all the way in the streets. It was so amazing.”

There have been lots of positive developments in Ngeno’s career in the past few months. He left the training camp he had been at in Kaptagat to return to his home in Iten, 2,400m above sea level. He says that Iten, the ‘Home of Champions’, is better suited to him. He is happier there.

As evidence he can point to April’s Paris Marathon where he finished 5th in a new personal best of 2:06:37.

“I ran 2:06:37 in Paris and it is a hard course,” he explains. “It is not like Toronto. When I came to Toronto (last year) I was fearing it was a hard course because for two or three years the guys were running 2:09, 210. So, I was fearing it was not like going to be fast. But when I finished the race, I saw it was good. Paris compared to Toronto? Toronto is a nice course.”

As he speaks via WhatsApp video he excitedly details how well his training is going and credits his ‘team’ of six fellow athletes with pushing him.

The night before this conversation he had run 20 kilometres and, this morning, another 10km. An evening track session, in which he will run a kilometre hard on the track fifteen times with a short rest, is to follow his interview. He has also put in some 40km runs every couple of weeks. It’s an exhausting schedule which leaves little time for anything else.

“When I am not training, I am resting in the compound – just sleeping,” he reveals with a smile. “Sleeping is part of the training part of the program. After lunch I sleep for a period of time then go for training. When I come back, I take tea and wait for dinner.”

Like many Kenyan runners he does, however, find time to watch English Premier League football.

“Yeah, I am a big fan of English Premier League. I am a big fan of Chelsea. The blues,” Ngeno says smiling. “I have a favourite Chelsea player, before it was [Ivory Coast’s] Didier Drogba for now my favourite is [English international] Cole Palmer.”

Ngeno turns 28 on September 3rd but he is still relatively new to the marathon. After high school where he enjoyed soccer, he went to college in Eldoret, Kenya for two years where he met some of the leading Kenyan runners. But it was a chance meeting with 2022 London Marathon champion – and 2019 world championship bronze medalist – Amos Kipruto at a 2021 cross country meet that opened his eyes.

“We had some small interactions,” Ngeno remembers. “He really inspired me because he didn’t run so many half marathons, and his dream came through after he started running marathons. That kept me inspired. I ran only two half marathons. I decided to be a marathoner full time.”

Ngeno recognizes that earning money as a professional runner can pave the way to a bright future. He has a contract with Asics which helps a great deal. And, he has his sight on the TCS Toronto Waterfront marathon first place prize of $25,000CDN. That sum goes a long way in Kenya.

“There is life after running so you need to invest whatever you get,” he says. “You need to do some business. Like now I have a small business – I have electronics stores also I am doing farming – and after running I will work with my family and work on that.

“I have shops and there are some guys who are working for me in the shops. Whenever somebody needs something like a television, anything, they can go to buy there.”

Some of the greatest marathoners have run well at ages once considered beyond prime. Haile Gebrselassie, Kenenisa Bekele and Eliud Kipchoge all come to mind. So Ngeno could have another decade in front of him. It is something he has pondered.

“First I love running and because I love running, I want to run my best and so my life will not remain the same,” he declares. “I want to be the best. I have that dream (running for Kenya).

“This year when they were selecting the team I was not far from selection. I believe soon I will run for Team Kenya. I have love for my country, and I believe I will represent my country in years to come, maybe at the World Championships or Olympic Games.”

Now his focus is on the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon where he intends to combat a world class field.

Aug 28 2025
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Young Ethiopian Duo Set Sights on TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

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By Paul Gains

Ethiopian runners from the UK based Moyo Sports management group emerged victorious in both the men’s and women’s races at last year’s TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon with Mulugeta Uma winning the men’s division and Waganesh Makesha taking the women’s.

Now, the group has high hopes for two more of their athletes who have committed to the 2025 edition of the race set for October 19. They are Almaz Kebebe and Adane Anmaw.

Neither would garner much attention under normal circumstances, but the raw potential of these two young women is compelling.

“Toronto is a race that is known in my training group.,” says Adane, 21, who is making her marathon debut at Toronto Waterfront. “We had the winners last year and podiums in previous years. Toronto is a race I have seen on TV.  But more importantly I have chatted to my teammates about it.”

Adane turns 22 on October 21, two days after the race. A year ago, she established her credentials as a world class distance runner with her performance at the 2024 Cardiff Half Marathon where she was 4th in 67:47. To put that in perspective that is two minutes faster than Canadian marathon record holder, Natasha Wodak, has run for the distance.

“I would like to be in the pace for the first group which will mean I can be together with other women, especially my training partner Almaz,” she adds.

Depending upon weather conditions, that group could be targeting the course record Waganesh Makesha set last year (2:20:44). Asked if she is nervous about lining up for her first marathon, she shrugs it off.

“Who doesn’t have nerves sometimes? It is a good thing if managed well,” she responds. “So I am sure I will be a bit nervous. But when the gun goes, I will be focused only on doing a good race.”

Earlier this year she traveled alone to the United States where Moyo Sports had arranged two races for her. She crossed the line second in the Cherry Blossom/US Ten Mile Championships running 51:00.  Adane also took second in the famed Lilac Bloomsday 12km.

“This was great. It was good overall to get some short races in,” Adane explains. “My management has had athletes win in the Lilac Bloomsday and Cherry Blossom 10-mile race before. So, we always have athletes from our team in these races.”

Almaz Kebebe, meanwhile, is the more experienced marathoner of the pair having run a total of two marathons already – both in 2025. Yet, she is still a teenager – turning 20 on September 15th. She was 8th in Dubai in 2:23:30 and also 8th in Rotterdam (2:24:03).

“Dubai was my debut, yes. I was so pleased to run a good first marathon and, even though I was only 8th, for me, this was just the start,” she declares.

“I learnt that patience is important as I was only new to this distance. And that trusting your coach and training is important.”

Almaz was born in Bekoji, the legendary ‘Town of Runners’ known for many of Ethiopia’s Olympic champions such as Kenenisa Bekele, TIrunesh Dibaba and Derartu Tulu. She moved to Addis five years ago. It is where most leading coaches are based. Now she and Adane train together with Waganesh Mekasha and also with Mestawut Fikir, (2nd in 2024 Berlin with a time of 2:18: 48) and Kumeshi Sichala, winner of the 2025 Houston Marathon (2:20:42).  Keeping up with such impressive training partners has given her much confidence.

“I am aiming to run a personal best (at Toronto Waterfront),” she offers. “This is an important next step for me. But I believe I can be on the podium, if not win this race.”

Clearly, this group has developed an affinity for the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Now it’s a case of seeing if whether they can produce more winners of this World Athletics Elite Label Race. Almaz Kebebe and Adane Anmaw are brimming with confidence.

Aug 21 2025
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Rwandan Marathoner Nyirarukundo to Race TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

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By Paul Gains

Salome Nyirarukundo has made an extraordinary impact on the Canadian road race scene since her arrival from Rwanda seven years ago most recently with a victory at the 2025 Under Armour Toronto 10km.

Now, this Ottawa resident turns her attention to the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, October 19.

This will be her first marathon since 2019 when she finished 4th in the Ottawa Marathon with a time of 2:30:44. The only other marathon she has run was the 2018 Montreal Marathon – a race she won in 2:28:05.

“It’s been three or four years that I have been hoping to do the Toronto Waterfront Marathon,” she admits, “because it is a big race, of course.  But the timing was difficult, and I got injured and couldn’t participate. This year is a good moment for me to see what I can do.

“I am, to be honest, always really excited to come to Toronto because I think I have a good connection with Toronto fans. In past years when I have been running I have had such a good time. I have run the Toronto 10k three years. I think it will help a little bit.”

In addition to her 2025 victory in the Under Armour Toronto 10km she finished 2nd in both the 2024 and 2023 editions of the event which, like the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, is part of the Canada Running Series. The 10k race traverses the shores of Lake Ontario and makes up a large chunk of the marathon course. This, she expects, will be helpful come October 19.

Nyirarukundo is still just 27-years-old, a quite astonishing fact considering she competed in the 10,000m at the 2016 Olympic Games for her native Rwanda. In fact, she remains the Rwandan national record holder in the 5,000m (15:34.91), 10,000m (31:45.82) and the half marathon (1:08:48). The latter is faster than Andrea Seccafien’s Canadian record of 1:09:38.

As a teenager living in Rwanda’s capital of Kigali she showed great promise.  The Dutch based sports management company, Global Sports Communications, took her on and from 2017 to 2018 she trained in Kaptagat, Kenya at the same camp as the legendary Eliud Kipchoge. The Kenyan superstar is a GSC client.

At the time Salome spoke only a little English and so her interaction with him was limited. She remembers him as being quiet and humble even taking his turn in handling camp cleaning and cooking duties despite his status.

Since coming to Canada she has been working as a personal care worker for two hospitals. Although she is grateful for employment it is clear she would like to devote more time to training.

“Unfortunately, I am not in the same situation as before,” she explains. “When I did 1:08:48 I

was training full-time morning and evening.  Now I am doing two jobs and then training. I can’t say I will do the same thing as I did in the past. There is a possibility.

“I am really confident in myself that I can do better and better. Now I have started to participate in the national 10km road race championships and performed well. That shows me I can still do what I did in the past.”

She crossed the finish line 4th at the 2025 Canadian 10km championships one place ahead of former Canadian marathon record holder Lanni Marchant. It is the exploits of the leading Canadian marathoners like Natasha Wodak and Malindi Elmore, who are competing well into their forties, who have inspired her.

“This year because I started to train for the marathon I am doing between 100km to 130km,” she reveals. “And actually, Natasha Wodak is the one who really inspired me. Because last year Wodak was number one (in Canada) and I was going to quit.

“And when I see Rachel Hannah also, they are such good runners, and I thought ‘if they can do it I can do it’. They are very strong. They inspired me to get strong and keep going.”

Hannah, the 2015 Pan American Games marathon bronze medalist, closely followed Nyirarukundo in each of the past three Toronto 10km and they have struck up a friendship. Hannah drove out to Eastern Ontario for the weekend in mid-August and the two met up for a 38km training session in Plantagenet, Ontario.

While she claims her training is going well shift work, perhaps, is not the best preparation for a marathon buildup but Nyirarukundo has learned to adapt with the help of her Ottawa Lions coach Ray Dupuis.

“Some times l wake up at 4:00 a.m. and go and run 15km or 10km then go to work at 6:00 am,” she says.  “Then after work, if l don’t have second shift, l run again.  It is not really easy but l have to do it in order to support myself and my siblings back home.

“I am the oldest and my dad passed way when we were younger. l am mother and father for them and l love them so much. Without them l could not be able do what am doing now.”

Life in Rwanda can be much more complicated. Amongst the expenses she handles for her two brothers and two sisters are their school fees. They still live in the Rutsiro district of Rwanda which borders the Democratic Republic of Congo. Recently the two countries signed an agreement to end armed conflict.

“It’s really hard. I am always exhausted but running is my passion but at the same time I have to work afterwards,” Nyirarukundo declares. “I know it’s not the same as the person who is just training. I am hoping one day I will maybe working part-time and training full-time. I know myself I am always confident. When you have done it before you maybe can do it a second time.”

As she completes the training for her TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon debut she admits she  would like to run somewhere under 2:30. That goal remains firm. Yet, she has figured out a way to enjoy another passion.

“I don’t know how to swim but I like to go outdoor camping,” she says with a laugh. “I never did this before in my own country. When I did it here it’s very nice – nature. This year I am going to Prince Edward Island. I will camp there one week at the end of August.”

One day she hopes to represent Canada. No one can doubt she has that potential with the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon providing an important stepping stone.

Aug 19 2025
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Dayna Pidhoresky Returns to TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon 

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By Paul Gains 

 Canadian International Dayna Pidhoresky will return to the scene of arguably her greatest triumph October 19 at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon.    

It was at this World Athletics Elite Label Race in 2019 that the long-time Vancouver resident cemented her place on Canada’s Tokyo Olympic team winning the Canadian Championship and, with it, an automatic berth.  

Now 38, that effort was also rewarded by a personal best of 2:29:03, a time which still ranks her the 9th fastest Canadian woman ever. The 2025 edition of the race will once again be a Canadian championship and mark her fourth time competing in the event.   

“I know it’s pretty fast based on having run my two fastest time there,” she says of her eagerness to return, “and just being a Canadian championship is a huge draw. There’s a little more incentive than lining up in Chicago or something like that.  

“That, I think, as well as being in Canada, it’s a little bit easier to get to than travelling far. All those things keep me coming back. It’s hard to race somewhere else in the fall, I think.” 

Pidhoresky represented Canada at the 2017 World Championships in London prior to her Olympic experience. The latter turned into something more like a nightmare than a dream.  

On her transpacific flight she had been seated near a passenger who tested positive for Covid. Instead of experiencing the joys of being an Olympian she was ordered to undergo a fourteen-day quarantine – hardly the ideal preparation for the biggest race of her career. On race day she finished in last place.  

Since then, she has returned to her winning ways, winning the Vancouver Marathon in both 2023 and 2025. The Canadian marathon title would be a welcome addition to her resume. 

“My [national] championships wins are so spaced out from each other,” she explains. “I think 2011 was my first Canadian championship at 10k, then the marathon in 2019.  So, I think if I could take another one in 2025, I feel like that’s such a span.” 

Remaining healthy has been a challenge throughout her career and together with husband/coach Josh Seifarth she has adjusted her training to maintain consistency.  

 “I definitely cross train a lot more. That’s something I have done the last couple of years trying to find the right balance of cross training with running,” Pidhoresky reveals.  

“So, in the past maybe I would have run north of 170km or had many weeks at 160km. Now, although I might be fine doing that, I think it’s a little safer to keep it in the 130 to 140km range in a marathon buildup and then supplement that with cycling.” 

Six years on from recording her personal best she is confident that she can produce even better times. 

“Yah, I think so for sure!” she declares. “I think that’s the frustrating part and maybe why I keep at it. I think if I wasn’t working out well and also not racing to my ability it would be easy to throw in the towel.  

“I know I can still have my best results, I know for sure. It’s just whether it comes together on race day. That’s racing (laughs).  But that’s what keeps me coming back from injuries because I know my best days are ahead of me.”  

It’s not lost on her that Canadian record holder Natasha Wodak, an occasional training partner, is still racing well at the age of 43 and Malindi Elmore represented Canada at the Paris Olympics last year age 44. Athletes are enjoying extended careers. 

A keen photographer, Pidhoresky and her sister took an extended vacation following her second Vancouver Marathon victory this May.  They flew to Sweden and then spent time in Norway before flying up to Svalbard, the Norwegian archipelago well above the arctic circle. They spent three days there encountering reindeer and walruses. Clearly the adventure was a welcome break from training and racing. But now she is in full marathon buildup.   

While Pidhoresky was born in Tecumseh, Ontario – near the border city of Windsor – she says she won’t be putting pressure on friends and family to come see her perform.  

“It’s a four-hour drive so I don’t want to say, ‘you have got to come and watch’,” she says laughing. But as she well knows from experience the Toronto Waterfront crowds are especially supportive of Canada’s elite. 

 

Aug 16 2025
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SHOKZ Canada becomes latest brand to join the 2025 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon 

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Canada Running Series is thrilled to announce that Shokz Canada will be joining the 2025 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon as an official partner! Shokz is renowned for its innovative open-ear headphone technology, designed to keep runners connected to their surroundings while delivering exceptional sound quality. 

By combining cutting-edge audio performance with a focus on safety, comfort, and durability, Shokz headphones empower runners to enjoy their music, podcasts, or calls without compromising awareness of their environment. This aligns perfectly with the Canada Running Series’ mission of fostering a safe and enjoyable experience for every participant. 

“As organizers, runner safety is paramount,” said Charlotte Brookes, National Event Director for Canada Running Series. “Shokz products allow runners to remain safe without sacrificing enjoyment, making them an ideal partner for our marathon community.” 

Participants can look forward to Shokz activations on race weekend, including product demos, special offers, and opportunities to experience the comfort and clarity of Shokz headphones firsthand. 

“At Shokz, we prioritize runner safety, enjoyment, and performance,” said Vincent Xiong, CEO of North America Business at Shokz. “Our open-ear design keeps you aware of your surroundings, while delivering premium sound to keep you motivated from the first step to the finish line. We’re proud to support the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon and celebrate the spirit of the running community.” 

The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon takes place on October 18th & 19th. See you at the starting line! 

For more information about the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, please visit https://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/  

For more information about Shokz, please visit https://ca.shokz.com/  

Aug 14 2025
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Olympic Steeplechaser John Gay Commits To TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

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By Paul Gains

Canada’s top marathoners have typically graduated from running on the track to the roads and the latest to do so is steeplechaser John Gay who marks his debut at the upcoming TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, October 19.

Unlike his fellow Olympian, Ben Flanagan, who announced this week he too will debut in Toronto Waterfront, Gay has very little experience on the roads.

That doesn’t seem to bother this 28-year-old native of Kelowna, B.C. who has traditionally run marathon-like training throughout his stellar career.  Indeed, he has represented Canada at the Tokyo Olympics, the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha as well as the 2023 World Cross Country Championships.

“Maybe most distance runners can relate to this, there is something about the marathon that carries such cache,” Gay says from his training camp in Flagstaff, Arizona. “I knew at some point, while I was in my prime, I wanted to take a stab at the distance. It’s an event that has always been very interesting to me.”

Gay ran a personal best 3,000m steeplechase of 8:16.99 to earn a coveted place in the 2021 Tokyo Olympic final. That time ranks him the 4th fastest Canadian ever.  A year later he finished 4th in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK.  But a series of injuries over the following two years was the impetus to make his move to the marathon earlier.

“I struggled a lot the last number of years with injuries that have related pretty directly to steeplechasing,” he explains. “In 2023 I tore my hamstring hurdling. In 2024 I tore my achilles in a (steeplechase) water pit and the wear and tear of a decade plus focusing on the steeplechase seemed to be clashing with my longevity in the sport.

“It was a little bit a ‘now or never’ mentality to be honest. I missed out on the 2024 Olympic team having to end my season with injury for the second year in a row. I decided it was probably the best time to move to a longer event.”

Since October 2024 he has been a member of the Verde Track Club joining Canadian Olympic marathoner Rory Linkletter and Ben Flanagan under the tutelage of coach Jon Green. In August he and his wife, Camille, who works remotely in urban planning, moved to Flagstaff, Arizona where he has Linkletter for a training partner. The popular training site is located at 7,000 feet (2,130m) elevation.

“I have been coming to Flagstaff for a number of years. Early on I was leaning heavily on a lot of great research that Dr Trent Stellingworth through Athletics Canada has put out a lot of protocols for athletes heading up to altitude training camps,” he says.

“I was fortunate that when I first came to Flagstaff it was with the assistance of Athletics Canada. There was a lot of blood monitoring, heart rate monitoring, oxygen level monitoring. That established a really good baseline of knowledge for me so with every successive training camp I have been able to build off that knowledge. The more time you spend at high elevation the easier I find it gets to return every subsequent trip so at this point in my career it’s pretty much ‘plug and play’.”

While his road race experience is limited to the 2025 Houston Half Marathon where he ran an unexceptional 65:05 his training under former coach, University of British Columbia’s Chris Johnson, had incorporated modern training theory.

“The buzzword over the last couple of years of course has been ‘threshold training’. That’s something I have been doing for the last number of years,” he reveals. “Those high-volume sessions where you might be logging anywhere from ten to fifteen miles worth of decent quality aerobic work split across a couple of sessions.

“I think that gave me a decent base and gave me the confidence I could handle fairly high-volume weeks pushing up into the 180 -190kms a week. And then from there it’s been a matter of layering on specificity of the marathon. Being my first (Toronto Waterfront) is a bit of a venture into the unknown.”

The transition to marathoning then should be addressed and greatly enhanc ed by his altitude training alongside the experienced Linkletter. And because of his history of injuries he says he has now incorporated essential elements such as recovery, stretching and nutrition into his daily routine.

For more than five years he received funding from Athletics Canada but lost that income after a disappointing couple of years.

“I failed to produce performance results for a couple of years so understandably they let me go and I agree with that decision on their part,” he happily concedes. “I have always worked part time, the last 5 years as club manager for the Vancouver Thunderbirds and recognizing I was moving away from Vancouver I let that job go at the end of the 2024.

“Since that point I have been working for Canadian Running hosting their ‘Shakeout Podcast’ which has been a great addition to my weekly rhythm.  I was really grateful to be tapped on the shoulder by Canadian Running. It has provided a supplementary income stream as well as something to keep me focused and busy outside of training everyday.”

The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon besides being a World Athletics Elite Label race will serve as the 2025 Athletics Canada Marathon Championship. Gay has won two national titles in the steeplechase and another in cross country. Being crowned national marathon champion would be a dream.

“My hope is that this has the potential long and fruitful second chapter in my running career,” is all he will say of his aspirations. “I love the running community, I love the daily work of being out there training and I love racing.”

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Aug 12 2025
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Canadian Olympian Ben Flanagan To Race TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

By | Announcement, Athletes, Canadian Athlete Announcements | No Comments

By Paul Gains

Earning a place in the 2024 Paris Olympic 5,000m event was a career highlight for Ben Flanagan but as it turned out that success effectively delayed his marathon debut – the distance he believes will ultimately prove to be his best.

The 30-year-old Kitchener, Ontario native will finally take on the marathon October 19 when he lines up for the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon – a World Athletics Elite Label race – which doubles as the 2025 Canadian Marathon Championships.

“To be honest I think this has been an overdue transition,” Flanagan says from his current home in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. “ A lot of people expected me to make it three or four years ago which I was very much open to.

“At this point it was like ‘ok, what event do I think is going to maximize my chances to make a big move at the Olympics?’ and I always thought the marathon would be my best event. So, I think this was a late move, but, better to do it now three years before [the] LA [Olympics].”

Flanagan ran 13:04.62 indoors to qualify for the Paris Olympics a 5,000m time only two Canadians have bettered. But the roads have been his bread and butter.

After winning the 2018 NCAA 10,000m title for the University of Michigan he went on to win the famed Falmouth Road Race three times in addition to earning three Canadian 10km titles one of which, it so happens, was run along the Toronto Waterfront in 2021. That will be familiar when he runs the marathon.

In June 2024 he and his wife, Hannah, relocated to Cape Cod where her parents live. The move, the welcoming of a baby daughter – Nora Is now 4 months old – weren’t the only changes to Flanagan’s life. After years of training under former Michigan coach Ron Warhurst and a spell as a member of the Boston Reebok Track Club he sought the help of Jon Green who also coaches fellow Canadian Olympians Rory Linkletter and John Gay in the Verde Track Club.

While Green is permanently located in Flagstaff, Arizona the pair communicate via phone and text. Precious personal time is spent at races or when Green, a Massachusetts native, returns to visit family.

Flanagan is training solo but has the option of meeting up with Boston-based athletes should he wish. On long runs he is often accompanied by his father-in-law on a bike who carries bottles. Efforts to perfect the mechanics of fuelling during races are ongoing.

“The biggest change has been the (training) volume really. That’s always been a challenge for me.,” he reveals. “I have had a really hard time, historically, building volume without getting hurt. It’s probably been one of my most challenging areas of development. I tend to thrive on lower volume than others do.”

The focus on quality training miles has not hurt his results on the roads. Indeed, he can point to personal bests of 28:10 in the 10km and 61:00 in the half marathon. Only Canadian marathon record holder Cam Levins has run faster at the latter distance. Although they are friendly it is Rory Linkletter to whom Flanagan has turned for marathon advice.

“Rory and I were roommates at a lot of the training camps in Spain and we were roommates in Paris [Olympics] and now we have the same coach,” Flanagan explains. “Every time we step on the line we want to beat each other but we’re not afraid of being transparent with each other in terms of what we are doing; what’s worked and what hasn’t.

“He’s probably the guy I learned the most from and then Jon. One of the things that I like about Jon is he’s young, he’s the same age as me. But despite that he has a lot of extensive experience with a lot of different marathoners. The benefit of being in ‘Flag you are around the newest trends all the time. He is always up to date with everything.”

As he gets in his 140 kilometres a week Flanagan acknowledges the change in lifestyle, being a parent, means he must be effective in time management. When Hannah needs a break or is working with her mother’s children’s clothing store in Falmouth, Flanagan is at the ready.

“We have two dogs as well,” Flanagan reveals with a laugh. “Between looking after the dogs the baby and, my wife and I taking care of our own situations, it’s jam packed. We are never looking to kill time to be honest.

“I’m very happy with my situation in life: with running a huge part of my life but not being the same as it used to be where it was only about running.”

Qualifying for the 2024 Olympic meant Flanagan was able to extend his two-year contract with On Running until 2028. This has allowed him to be in a better position to prepare going forward. The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is the launching pad for the marathon career he has always thought about.

“The biggest goal is to walk away from [Toronto Waterfront] feeling like having a positive experience, making as few mistakes as possible and learning from the mistakes I do make and feeling I can go faster in the next one,” he declares.

“My plan is to take it relatively conservative. I want to make sure I get to 30km and feel I have a lot more in the tank I don’t want to get myself into place I haven’t been before too early. That’s the main goal.”

The Canadian Championship is a huge enticement. Besides the aforementioned three 10km titles he also has won national gold in the 5km road race and at 5,000m on the track. Winning another in the marathon would be special.

“It all comes down to LA now,” he says of the ultimate target he has set for himself. “If I want to make that team in 2028 it’s not unreasonable to think I am going to have to be a 2:06, 2:05 marathoner. So I am just trying not to chase it all at once; just get the first one in, feel good about it, then build off that and then hopefully it will come with a Canadian championship. It’s a realistic goal.”

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Jul 16 2025
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TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon Unveils 2025 Medal Celebrating Iconic Graffiti Alley on the Heels of Record-Breaking Early Sell-Out

By | Announcement, Medal Reveal, Races | No Comments

TORONTO, ON (July 16, 2025) — Canada Running Series unveiled the bold and vibrant 2025 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon medal last night at STACKT Market, marking another milestone for Toronto’s premier running event.

This year’s medal design pays tribute to the city’s renowned Graffiti Alley, capturing the energy of Toronto’s dynamic street art culture. The medal was designed by Toronto-based graffiti artist Durothethird, known for his colourful and community-inspired work, in collaboration with Canada Running Series’ Inge Johnson.

The evening kicked off with a community run from Stackt Market to Queen West’s Graffiti Alley and back, followed by a live art activation by @durothethird and the official medal reveal. To access photos of the 2025 medal and event, click here

“TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon race weekend not only brings the world to Toronto, but showcases our vibrant city to the world,” said Charlotte Brookes, National Event Director, Canada Running Series. “The 2025 design highlights the dynamic streets that inspire and challenge over 30,000 participants each October. We’re thrilled to celebrate Toronto’s creative spirit through this year’s medal.”

This year’s race is already record-breaking: both the marathon and half marathon distances are completely sold out, the earliest in event history, and the TCS Charity Challenge includes more than 150 official charity partners, the highest number ever at this point in the season.

This October 17 to 19, 2025, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon will welcome more than 100,000 athletes, enthusiasts and supporters. The event has raised over $53 million for Canadian charities since 2003, and generated $50.3 million in economic impact for the City of Toronto last year, further cementing its reputation as one of Canada’s largest and most impactful marathons.

“We’re so proud of our continued partnership with Canada Running Series, and excited to once again celebrate Toronto and its incredible community of runners,” said Soumen Roy, Executive Director and Country Head, Canada, TCS. “This year’s medal beautifully honours Toronto’s culture and is a symbol of community and creativity. Graffiti Alley turns public space into a canvas for connection, bringing people together. The 2025 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is already making history and we can’t wait to see what race weekend brings!”

Participants can expect to pass through the Queen West neighbourhood, home to graffiti alley, on race day, making this year’s medal a unique, lasting symbol of their journey through Toronto’s iconic streets during what is sure to be a world-class weekend.

Join the excitement this fall:

 

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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). 2025 will be the 36th 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 Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is a digital transformation and 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. 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 of over 607,000 consultants in 55 countries and 180 service delivery centres 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 – helping them emerge as perpetually adaptive enterprises. 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 and TCS Sydney Marathon with a focus on promoting health, sustainability, and community empowerment. TCS generated consolidated revenues of US $30 billion in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2025.  For more information, visit www.tcs.com 

Media Contact:

Emma Hunt

Director of Strategic & Business Communications, Sutherland Corp. 

emma@sutherlandcorp.ca