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The page for Brits!
Guaranteed entry for all international runners.
Join Runner's World columnist John "The Penguin" Bingham and Team England on the holiday of a lifetime.
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Great Deals for UK Travellers
Exclusive offer from Canadian Affair extended to June 30th; Niagara Falls tour add-on
Here's the email we received from last year's winner, Paul Young of Liverpool...
Dear Alan,
"I have just arrived home in Liverpool after an absolutely fabulous time at
the Scotiabank Half Marathon [2007].
Congratulations to you and your team for organising such an incredible event, and for claiming
the Canadian marathon record, that was well deserved and you must feel justly proud of that
achievement.
Gill and I enjoyed every moment of our trip, but without doubt the race itself was the
highlight. The course was superb, and so atmospheric too with all of the entertainment and
excitement to keep you going. Running back into the city and seeing that amazing skyline was
truly memorable.
The hard work and organisation that has obviously gone on in the background enabled the whole
event to go off flawlessly from the packet pick up on the Friday right through to crossing the
finishing line on the Sunday, no mean feat in a bustling city like Toronto.
It was great. Thank you so much for giving Gill and I the opportunity to be there.
Cheers and good luck for the future."
—Paul Young, Liverpool
UK Travel Deals
EXCLUSIVE TRAVEL OFFER FROM THE UK with CANADIAN AFFAIR
Special Offers extended to June 30th. BOOK NOW while space lasts, on flights from YOUR preferred airport and on dates you want.
Canadian Affair, the UK's largest tour operator to Canada have teamed up with Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon organisers to offer UK runners and spectators a stunning offer to Toronto... but hurry these prices will sell out!!
DAY TRIP to NIAGARA FALLS also available for Monday, Sept. 28th
Flight only £329 pp return to Toronto (including taxes)
from GATWICK, MANCHESTER, BIRMINGHAM, GLASGOW
Fly direct NON Stop to Toronto (Lester B. Pearson International, YYZ) for the Waterfront Marathon from London Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, or Glasgow on 23rd–26th September, returning 28th September – 3rd October 2009 (dates of travel vary at each airport).
Flights are operated by our 2 airline partners: Air Transat and Thomas Cook Airlines. You'll experience the same high standards on all our flights along with the most generous economy legroom (great for the tired legs on the way home!), luxury leather seats and inclusive of meals and in flight entertainment.
If you fly on the Thomas Cook Boeing 757 you'll enjoy with luxury leather seats and 35" seat pitch as standard in every seat and onboard both the Thomas Cook Airbus A330 you'll have luxury leather seats and 33" seat pitch, with Air Transat you'll enjoy the same luxurious leather seats and 32" seat pitch — more than the flag carriers offer in economy and great for tired legs and you won't find more space or lower prices!
Click through to book your flights: www.canadianaffair.com/torontomarathon
We also have a wide range of hotels in Toronto
PLUS an exclusive offer on two of the best hotels in the city.
The Sheraton Centre Hotel ****
A superb location in the entertainment district of Toronto makes the Sheraton centre one of Toronto's best hotels and we highly recommend it.
The fully refurbished hotel rooms feature the plush comfort of the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Bed and guests can enjoy the largest indoor/outdoor hotel
pool in the city.
123 Queen Street West, Toronto, Ontario. Child Age: 17
£33 per person per night — based on twin share (single £67 per room)
The Westin Harbour Castle ****
1 Harbour Square, right on the water's edge, where Yonge Street meets Lake Ontario. Marathoners run past the door at 17.5km, and you're less than 1km from the Start/Finish line.
£35 per person per night — based on twin share (single £71 per room)
Day Trip to Niagara Falls, only £60
A great add-on for Monday September 28. Includes Lunch, and Maid of the Mist ride or Journey Behind the Falls (weather dependent)
These offers are ONLY available by calling our exclusive call line 0207 616 9904 or 0141 223 7516; quote reference "Toronto Waterfront Marathon"
You can book flights online and call to add on hotels, or our agents can book both the flight and hotel over the phone.
Book early to avoid disappointment!
Terms and conditions apply
Canadian Affair reserves its absolute right to determine the actual number of seats available under the promotion on each flight, and indeed to provide no seats on certain peak-day departures. This offer relates to travel from 23 September – 03 October 2009. This offer is available to book until 30th April 2009 on the dedicated telephone lines. No child discounts are available on these fares.
Passengers will not be allocated with a ticket, as Canadian Affair is a "ticketless" airline. Flights and accommodation must be paid in full at the time of booking. A booking reference, which must be quoted at check-in will be issued.
Passengers are responsible for their own insurance. It is recommended that passengers take out suitable travel insurance (Canadian Affair sell excellent value travel insurance)...
Canadian Affair bookings are subject to the conditions of Contract as made available on the Canadian Affair website or printed on Canadian Affair Itinerary form of Itinerary/receipt and to Canadian Affairs General Conditions of Carriage for Passengers and Baggage from time to time and such conditions shall prevail in the event of any inconsistency within the terms of this offer. Transfer to onwards destinations are not the responsibility of either Canadian Affair or the Hotel. Passengers must organise their own transfers as they see fit.
Canadian Affair reserves the right to vary any of the terms and conditions of this offer at their absolute discretion. Canadian Affair reserves the right to cancel this promotion without notice or obligation.
Team England Elite 2008
Men
Tomas Abyu
PR: 2:10:37 in Dublin, October '07. Tomas came to the UK to seek asylum from a tribal conflict back in his native Ethiopia, in October 1999. Granted full asylum in April 2000, he began training and racing while working full time in catering and manufacturing. He won his debut marathon in Manchester in 2002 in 2:25:58; then followed this with 3 more victories in '03 in Leeds, Sheffield and Inverness [2:20:59]. He continued to compete regularly in British and some international races to make ends meet, but money became tight, and by September of 2007 Tomas was close to giving up running full time. His big breakthrough came a few weeks later at the Great North Run, where he finished 4th and recorded the fastest time by a UK citizen in seven years [62:50]. In the space of four weeks he finally broke through at the marathon, recording the 6th fastest time set by a European in 2007, coming home in 2:10:37, finishing in second place in Dublin. A seeming certainty for the British marathon squad to Beijing, Tomas subsequently learned that while the Dublin course was accurate, it was not IAAF certified. Thus, his time could not be recognized for Olympic selection. He ran London in April after fighting bronchitis for several weeks leading up to the race, and struggled home in 2:15 — well off the time necessary to get him a ticket to China. Shooting for a sub 2:10, with lots to prove, Beijing's loss is Toronto Waterfront's gain! |
Peter Tucker
PR and debut: 2:23:12 London 13 April 08 "I am a former Army Junior cross country Champion and have represented the Army at senior level and have won team gold medals at the Inter Service Cross Country Championships. I am the current British Police 5,000m Champion, and in March '08 represented the British Police at the USPE (European Cross Country Champs) in Vichy, France. The Flora London Marathon 2008 was my debut marathon, I finished 26th overall and 7th British athlete in a time of 2 hours 23 minutes and 12 seconds. My goals are to firstly break 2 hours 20 mins for the marathon, make the England Team for the marathon at the Commonwealth Games and hopefully the GB team at the marathon for the 2012 Olympics." |
Gareth Raven
PRs: 2:18:49 London 04; Half Marathon 64:28 Wilmslow '03; 10k 29:32 Great Manchester Run '08. 3rd in English National Cross Country 2007. |
Matt Normington
PRs: 2:20:52 Ottawa Marathon May '07 [12th place overall]; 10km 30:15 AAA champs 2003, Watford Matt is a Englishman with strongly divided loyalties! He is currently living and working in Edmonton, AB, where he is a Senior Buyer for the Running Room. He was a member of the victorious Team GB at the Austin Marathon in February — our "sister" International Team Challenge event. |
Women |
Kim Fawke
PRs: 2:42:08 London, April '08; Half marathon 1:16:27 Great North Run, Sept/07; 10K 35:00 Telford 10K '07 Watch a great, post-London video interview with Kim, recorded by Shropshire Star journalist Tom Moore here |
Karen Hazlitt
PRs: 2:43:30 Amsterdam '06; Half marathon 1:16:46 Reading '08; 10K 34:40 Chichester '07. A former lawyer and 'housewife', Karen only began running 7 years ago. Her husband Simon was at the '96 Olympics in Atlanta on the GB Field Hockey team. "We've got three children - Annie, 9, Olivia, 7, and Freddie, 5 - and after Freddie was born I decided to try and run the Winchester 10k. It was a real struggle and I finished in 57 minutes! But then I got the bug and soon lowered my personal best to 36 minutes." In 2006 she was selected to run for Great Britain in Standard Chartered's "Greatest Race on Earth" at the Hong Kong Marathon. "I didn't expect to win a GB vest at my age. I only started running to get fit after having the kids, so I'm delighted, really thrilled." |
Helen Decker
PRs: 2:47:43 London April 13, 08; 10k 35:32 Peterborough, July 08. Helen started running about 5 years ago and originally entered the Woodbridge 10k, near where she lived, in 2003 for fun. She finished third in about 42 minutes. She entered again the following year and ran slightly quicker. She was subsequently approached by a member of Ipswich Jaffa Club who suggested she join them. Helen joined Jaffa in 2004 and made an immediate impression. She's progressed rapidly since then, especially in the marathon, where she has improved to 2:47, run in London this April, placing her 9th British woman. Her current progress shows no sign of slowing down, and she has run personal bests at all distances raced from 5k to marathon this year. |
Andrea Woodvine
PRs: 2:45:49 London '08 (Debut); Half marathon 1:15:56 Reading Half '08; 10k 35:27 Derby '07. |
The Penguin's Top 10 Tips for Brits Visiting Toronto
10. Canadians don't think it's all that funny when you end every sentence with "AY?"
9. Canadians think they live in North America, even though everyone knows they live in Canada.
8. Canadians don't know any more about UK geography than you know about Canadian geography. When asked where you live, just say London.
7. Canadians use the metric system, so everything seems farther away than it really is.
6. Canadians don't care about the Royal Family nearly as much as you do.
5. Everything, all signs, all labels—everything—is in English and French. Nobody knows why.
4. Tim Horton was a famous hockey player. Now his company makes doughnuts. Nobody knows why.
3. Canadian paper money is in Dollars and Cents, like US paper money, only more colourful.
2. A one-dollar coin in Canada is called a "Loonie", because there's a "Loon" on one side.
1. A two-dollar coin is called a "toonie". Nobody knows why.
UK Runner Stories
Send us your story and photo for inclusion
2008:
TEAM ENGLAND announced to represent GB at this year's Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.
2:10 Thomas Abyu of Salford Harriers leads strong ENGLAND Team, confident to retain International Team Challenge title for UK at STWM08. [see profiles of the team]
Runner's World Contest Winner 2008
Liverpool's Anthony Chadwick wins Trip for 2 to STWM with CANADIAN AFFAIR,
from 4,138 entrants in contest in Runner's World UK. Liverpudlian wins for second year in a row. Are Scousers lucky or
what?
>full story
Team GB Elite 2007:
Jenny Clague
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Alice Braham
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Adrian Marriott
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Neil Renault
|
2006:
Team GB Elite 2006
"On behalf of all the GB squad a massive thanks for a wonderful trip.
It was just tremendous in every respect.
Thanks,"
— Bud Baldaro, Manager, GB Marathon Squad.
Jun 13/06: Team GB first out of the gate in International Team Challenge at Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon 2006. Liverpool's Jenny Clague to head-up British Invasion ...full story
Congratulations to Stuart Fuller of Norwich, winner of our Runner's World UK contest to win a trip for 2 to STWM06, courtesy of Canadian Affair! And THANKS to the almost 5,000 British runners who entered the contest on www.runnersworld.co.uk. Stuart and his wife Eeva will fly in comfort on www.canadianaffair.com from Gatwick and stay at the 4-star Sheraton Toronto Centre Hotel across from Nathan Phillips [City Hall] Square—site of the free, Friday Night Welcome Concert on September 22nd.
Halifax Lady Runners: "Well underway with our training now [for Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon 2006], inbetween watching World Cup! The weather has finally come good for us in England," writes group leader, Ros Higham of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Seven members of the group are on their way to Toronto: (left to right) top row: Ros Higham, Peter Higham, of Huddersfield, Pauline Brown, Tony Davies of Halifax, Lorraine Rodda, Phil Rodda of Halifax; front row: Susan Nuttall, Barbara Sayer of Halifax; missing from group of 10 is Wendy Knight and Trevor Hayward of Bradford,who were taking a well earned rest at the time of the 'photo!. (click photo to enlarge)
2005:
Ian Ladbrooke (manager), Michael Green, Darran Bilton and Lucy Hasell of Team GB 2005 (Amy Stiles missing from photo) (T. Nightingale photo)
Anthony Forsyth: "Approaching my wedding anniversary I was approaching 17.5st (245lb). We had had friends staying with us for a week and I had been eating out a lot pushing me up the last 5lb or so. We had just had our fifth child a few months earlier and I should have been on top of the world, but the truth was I felt like I was dying. Literally..."
RW UK contest winners, James Rodger and Steve Bryant. Thanks to Canadian Affair, more than 5,000 Brits got a chance to enter a contest on www.runnersworld.co.uk, to win a trip for two to Toronto Waterfront...
"Thank you for the comfort of info. After a year off with a recurring syndrome it is good to have your advice and support. I have enjoyed PENGUIN'S anecdotes and JENNY's help with the hard bits; as a recycled teenager of 74 I feel part of team GB already. Thank you all!" — Marathon Man