Presented by Mazda. Proud to be the official automotive sponsor of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.
Training through, and racing in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is no easy feat. Group runs have been interrupted, races postponed or cancelled, and your 2020 plans went out the window. Still, there’s reason to celebrate. After all, you crushed the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Virtual Race.
These tips will help you make the most of your post-run experience, and will have you itching for better races, and faster times in 2021.
Celebrate With Your Favourite Beverage/Meal
Plan your favourite post-race meal and treat yourself after your virtual run. This may include your favourite pizza, dessert, or an alcoholic (or non-alcoholic) beverage that is particularly meaningful to you. This will help solidify the racing experience in your memory bank, and make the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Virtual Race worth remembering.
Specifically brewed for this year’s virtual race, Great Lakes Brewery released a limited-edition Virtual Beer, a 4.3% New England Pale Ale. We asked RUNTOBEER co-founder Dan Grant about this new beer. This is how he describes Virtual Beer, which was created in partnership with RUNTOBEER and GLB. “Our New England-style Pale Ale is a very full-bodied, refreshing Pale Ale,” he says. “Lots of fresh, white grapefruit citrus with notes of melon (think Five-Alive, but less sweet).”
“We have a different approach to post-run beer from what you find at most races,” Grant continues. “This isn’t a low-calorie, low-carb option. It’s not infused with electrolytes. It’s not about how it fits into your running lifestyle. Runners train for months for STWM. They make all kinds of sacrifices along the way. We wanted to give them a really, really good beer at the end of the race. This one is bursting with bright, fresh, juicy flavour.”
Even better, 50 cents from each sold can is donated to Good Foot Delivery, an organization that provides engaging employment for people from the neuro-diverse community through a competitive professional courier service delivered via public transit with pride.
You’ll notice Virtual Beer features a DIY finishers time label (inspired by the video games of the 80s) designed by Richard Kuchinsky. Keep the can, wash it out, and record your time with a permanent marker.
But act fast to get this “limited-run” of beer—only 6,000 cans were made and there is limited supply left. Virtual Beer is available at Great Lakes Brewery in Etobicoke, or by home delivery through their webshop. Cans (473 mL) retail for $3.50. Cases of 8 for $28, and a 24 for $78. Always drink responsibly. Do not drink and drive.
Wear Your Race Medal and Shirt
You earned it. Wear your New Balance souvenir shirt, and sport your one-of-a-kind finisher’s medal with pride, just like you would after any race. No race is complete without the obligatory post-race selfie or photo with the race medal. Your pre-race ritual may even include setting out your post-race attire, just like you would before a typical race. This will get you into the racing mindset, and will allow for a quick-change post-virtual run.
Make sure to tag us @towaterfront42k on Instagram with all of your race photos accompanied with the hashtags #TOwaterfront42k #MoveForwardTO.
Upload Your Stats To Race Roster
Visit Race Roster after your run and make sure to upload your stats. This is how to do it:
- Go to your Participant Dashboard
- Find the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Virtual Race
- Click on “Post Your Result”
- Choose your distance and input your time (input a number for hours:minutes:seconds; use 0 if needed.)
- Click “Submit Results” and you’re done!
- Once your results are submitted, click on your name in the results, and then click “Download Certificate” to receive your Virtual Finisher’s Certificate.
Additionally, upload your run to Strava, give it a title, and perhaps even add a memorable photo to it before sharing your accomplishment with the running community.
Attend The Virtual Race Expo
After you’re done with your run, make sure you check out the STWM Virtual Expo to take advantage of a lot of great offers and contests from our partners like Mazda. If you haven’t completed your run in October just yet, make this a pre-race preparation. The Virtual Expo is live from Saturday October 17th at 10 a.m. until Sunday October 18th at 6:00 p.m. The Expo will remain open until Saturday October 31st. You can visit here!
Presented by Mazda. Proud to be the official automotive sponsor of the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon.
