By: Paul Gains

When Yihunilign Adane lines up against some of the world’s best marathoners at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 16th, it will be with all the confidence of a man on a mission. He will also be carrying his country’s hopes on his shoulders. 

Taking top honours in the 2022 Barcelona Marathon in a personal best 2:05:53 has that effect on a runner. The 26-year-old Ethiopian is experienced at the distance despite his relatively young age, having turned to marathons shortly before he celebrated his 20th birthday.  

“Winning Barcelona gave me huge confidence and motivation that I can compete against world-class athletes,” he says from his home in Addis Ababa. 

“I watched the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon when (fellow Ethiopian) Lemi Berhanu was second (in 2:05:09).  I found out that Toronto is a fast course and, when my management raised it and asked if I wanted to run the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, I did not think twice.” 

The Toronto Waterfront Marathon course record (2:05:00) was set by Philemon Rono of Kenya – who returns to defend his title and attempt his fourth Toronto victory. That is also the fastest time ever run on Canadian soil. Yihunilign has obviously been studying past results and feels he belongs at the front. 

“I know in 2019 four men ran sub 2:05:14. I ran sub 2:06 in Barcelona,” he declares. “If we push together we can run sub 2:05 and my goal is to win the race and break that course record.” 

Until his Barcelona victory he was known simply as another good athlete with untapped marathon potential.  He was 3rd in Lisbon a year ago (2:07:54) and in 2020 he placed 6th in the Dubai Marathon in what was then a personal best of 2:06:22. Before that, he succumbed to the lure of the money on offer running as many as four marathons in a year. Barcelona signalled a new level. 

That he turned to the marathon in the first place was unusual. Having been a member of Ethiopia’s gold medal winning Under 20 team at the 2013 World Cross Country Championships, he originally aimed to become a 5,000m runner like his friend, Muktar Edris. The latter went on to become a two-time world champion at the distance.  

“Once upon a time while we were running a cross country race at Jan Meda (site of the 2013 Ethiopian cross-country championships) I was running 5th and Muktar was 6th approaching the finish line,” Yihunilign remembers. “Then he suddenly fell down and another athlete was approaching to take over. I helped Muktar up then I let him finish ahead of me. Edris was 5th and I was 6th. Since then we have been really good friends.” 

Ironically, it was an injury that saw him give up on his dreams of racing shorter distances like his hero Kenenisa Bekele, the former world 5000m and 10,000m record holder and three-time Olympic champion.  

Finishing 7th in the 2015 World under-20 Cross Country Championships was a pivotal moment, and when he was informed he beat Joshua Cheptegei (Olympic 10,000m champion and world 5000m and 10,000m record holder) in that race, he was astonished. 

“Honestly speaking I do not remember I had finished ahead of Joshua Cheptegei as he was not famous then,” he laughs. “Unbelievable!  If I focused on track I would beat him even now. Thanks to the achilles injury which forced me to run marathon.” 

Confidence is surely not lacking here. A perusal of his personal best times reveals nothing extraordinary until one takes into account the limited competitive opportunities available to young African athletes.  

“I know I would do better in short distances and I had the potential to do so,” he offers. “But I was suffering from an achilles tendon injury whenever I trained in spikes. I was comfortable training in road racing shoes.  That was the time I decided to switch to the marathon as a result of the injury.”  

Now he is thriving in a marathon training group. 

“I was injured before,” he says, “but in the past few years my training has changed especially since I joined Moyo Sport and began training under coach Getamesay Molla. I train with world-class athletes like (2:04:02 marathoner) Leul Gebresilase and Jemal Yimer (Ethiopian Half Marathon record holder).” 

A personal best seems tangible and if he is going to win the race he might well need an extraordinary leap because the field includes Kenyans Philemon Rono and Barselius Kipyego (holder of a 2:04:48 personal best) amongst others. Somehow, that might be just the motivation he needs.

-30- 

About the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon 

One of only two World Athletics Elite Label races in Canada, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Canada’s premier running event and the grand finale of the Canada Running Series (CRS). Since 2017, the race has served as the Athletics Canada Canadian Marathon Championship and has doubled as the Olympic trials. During the 2021 event, participants raised over $3.08 million for 151 community charities. 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 runners. 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, please visit www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com. 

Media Contact  

Kate Van Buskirk, Marketing and Communications Coordinator 

kate@canadarunningseries.com 

905-867-1117

By: Paul Gains

Most athletes take up marathon running after exhausting their potential on the track, but not Ethiopia’s Bedatu Hirpa. Today she is a legitimate world-class marathoner taking aim at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, October 16th.  

The 23-year-old from Arsi earned the 1,500m gold medal at the 2015 World Youth (Under 18) championships in Cali, Colombia which was a strong indication she could achieve much at the senior level. But, after moving to Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, and changing coaches, she transitioned to the 42 km distance within two years.  

At the 2018 Frankfurt Marathon she recorded a stunning personal best time of 2:21:32. 

“Almost all the last four years I have been training with Coach Gemedu (Dedafo),” she explains. “It is amazing that the one who inspired me to become a marathoner is not even an athlete.  She is one of my friends who told me I have to run the marathon and she was right.” 

Of her change in athletics career path, she hints at having initial reluctance despite her friend’s advice. 

“I was not mature enough to decide,” Bedatu remembers, “and also I didn’t have a good manager to advise me and help me to upgrade my career at that time on the track. No, I don’t think I accomplished everything I could on the track.” 

Regardless, the move has not been without financial rewards. There is far more money to be earned on the roads than on the track when one is as consistent a performer as Bedatu. She has also benefited from being represented by seasoned Italian manager Gianni Demadonna. 

Last spring, she finished 4th in the Prague Marathon in 2:22:58. In January 2020 she was 3rd in Dubai with a time of 2:21:55 and in March 2019 she was 5th in Tokyo (2:23:43) – one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors. 

“I moved to Addis Ababa in 2015 after the Cali World Youth championships,” Bedatu says. “I have been living in Addis Ababa from 2015 and, up to June 2022, I lived in a rented house. Now I have moved to Legatafo near Addis Ababa and have my own house.” 

Her training group meets up with Coach Gemedu at least three times a week in such popular training sites as Sendefa, Sululta and Entoto. Bedatu bought herself a car to drive herself to and from training sessions.  

The field for the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is once again stacked. It is after all a ‘World Elite Label’ race.  

She will line up against her compatriots Gelete Burka (personal best of 2:20:45), who won a senior world indoor 1500m title and represented Ethiopia at three Olympic Games before turning to the marathon, her training partner Netsanet Gudeta (a former world half marathon record holder) as well as Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai, who set a Canadian All Comers’ record of 2:22:16 when she won the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 2019.   

There are a host of other excellent runners ensuring a competitive race. When asked about the formidable opposition she shows maturity beyond her years. 

“I think it is good to give respect to experienced athletes but it doesn’t mean that they are the only athletes who make a difference in a race,” she responds. “Anyone who works hard can make a difference in any race and make the race harder than anyone expects. 

“I do training with Netsanet when we have program together maybe two days or three days in a week, as a team, and we all push each other. Netsanet is like family for me and she is my best friend.” 

Looking ahead to Toronto, Bedatu is clear in her objectives.  “I want to run my personal best and I want to win the race,” she declares. 

Like all young Ethiopians Bedatu grew up knowing the history of Ethiopian athletics and the success Ethiopians have had at the Olympics and World Championships. The two women she most admires are Derartu Tulu, who won the 1992 Olympic 10,000m gold and, in doing so, became the first female black African Olympic champion and Derartu’s cousin, Tirunesh Dibaba, a three-time Olympic gold medalist.  

“Both of them are icons for all Ethiopian athletes and my favourite is Tirunesh Dibaba,” she admits. “I grew up watching her. 

“It is every athlete’s dream to participate in both the Olympics and World Championships. At least I have one medal in World Youth Championship and now I really want to participate in the Olympic games and want to have a medal – if it is the will of Allah.” 

-30- 

About the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon 

One of only two World Athletics Elite Label races in Canada, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Canada’s premier running event and the grand finale of the Canada Running Series (CRS). Since 2017, the race has served as the Athletics Canada Canadian Marathon Championship and has doubled as the Olympic trials. During the 2021 event, participants raised over $3.08 million for 151 community charities. 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 runners. 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, please visit www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com. 

Media Contact  

Kate Van Buskirk, Marketing and Communications Coordinator 

kate@canadarunningseries.com 

905-867-1117

By: Paul Gains

When Lee Wesselius finished second in the 2021 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, it came as little surprise to those who know the runner well. Still, the result left them wondering just how good a marathoner he could be with a little more time to train. 

The 28-year-old from River Glade, New Brunswick graduated from the University of Prince Edward Island Veterinary School two years ago and now practices in a region near Kemptville, Ontario, about thirty minutes’ drive south of Ottawa. Between the long hours which can be physically demanding – when delivering bovine calves for instance – he somehow fits in 170 and 180 kilometres a week.  

His Indianapolis result of 2:16:41 was a personal best, a time he hopes to crush when he competes in the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon October 16th. Using Canada Running Series as a focus this year, Lee placed second at the Under Armour Spring Run-Off 8K in early April, then followed up with a victory at the 21K de Montréal later that month in a PB of 64:48. That performance earned him a place on the Athletics Canada team to the NACAC Half Marathon Championships in Costa Rica in May, his first national team. There he took the individual bronze medal in 1:05:03, leading Canada to the team gold, as his progress continued on an upward trajectory. 

“Training has been going fairly well,” he reveals during a telephone chat carefully scheduled on a free morning while home in River Glade. He took the opportunity to visit family in New Brunswick following the recent Canadian 5K championships, where he finished 8th in 14:21. Despite being in the midst of a marathon buildup, this result was yet another personal best. 

“I have been putting in a lot of good weeks, I had some high mileage weeks. This week was the only low one, partially due to the race. And, I had a little bit of a GI bug which knocked me back a few days. Other than that, it’s been a pretty smooth build so far.” 

Since completing his undergraduate work at St. Francis Xavier University, he has been self-coached, although he admits to checking what accomplished marathoners do via Strava. Most of his training is done alone, however, he sometimes meets up with a group on Tuesday afternoons which includes 2012 Olympic marathoner Dylan Wykes.  

Rising sometimes at 5:00 a.m. for his first run of the day, he admits he must be flexible when it comes to planning his workouts.  

“The only issue is that I do every fourth weekend ‘on call’. Usually those weekends the Friday night is the quieter one, so I try to get the workout in then and just hope I don’t get a call,” he says. “On the weekends, I try to fit runs in the best I can. If I don’t get a call, I keep on going and try to get the long run in on that day. You get the odd time where you are five minutes out the door and you get a call.” 

Dealing with large animals is physically challenging, he admits.  

“Usually, any kind of calving those are usually tougher and little more strenuous,’ Wesselius explains. “The other thing is that some cows will prolapse their uterus and that is usually a physically exhausting one to fix; one of the harder ones to deal with. Sometimes you get to the next call and your arms are a little dead and stuff but that’s the nature of the job.” 

Wesselius knows he will be in a tough fight to get on the Canadian Championships medal podium – the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, besides being a World Athletics Elite Label race, is also the 2022 Canadian Marathon Championship.  

“I guess that really depends on who is there. I know Rory (Linkletter) and Trevor (Hofbauer) are confirmed. It kind of depends on what the other big guys do. I have heard that a lot of others have plans. Certainly, if Cam (Levins) shows up that would rule out a podium spot I think.” 

The lessons learned from Indianapolis will certainly help when he lines up in Toronto.  

“In ‘Indy’ I definitely ran negative splits,” he remembers. “I think halfway I was 68:47. The last 15km of that I was running 3:10’s (kilometres) which would give you a 2:14 pace. So, this time I hope I can run that last 15 km and add the other 27 km on to that. 

“I am hoping to go through (half-way) in 67 (minutes), I am not sure if there is anybody else Canadian-wise who has that a same goal right now.  Rory and Trevor will probably go out in 64 or 65 or so. I am hoping some of the half marathon guys might be around for the first 20k which would help.” 

Clearly a personal best remains the target. A podium finish would be nice as well, whether he accomplishes either or not, Lee Wesselius will be pleased to test himself against a world-class field in Toronto knowing his best days lie ahead. 

-30- 

About the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon 

One of only two World Athletics Elite Label races in Canada, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Canada’s premier running event and the grand finale of the Canada Running Series (CRS). Since 2017, the race has served as the Athletics Canada Canadian Marathon Championship and has doubled as the Olympic trials. During the 2021 event, participants raised over $3.08 million for 151 community charities. 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 runners. 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, please visit www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com. 

Media Contact  

Kate Van Buskirk, Marketing and Communications Coordinator 

kate@canadarunningseries.com 

905-867-1117

By: Paul Gains

Amongst the encouraging performances Canadian athletes recorded at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene was the 13th place finish by Leslie Sexton in the women’s marathon.  

Considering it was her first major championship, the 35-year-old from Markham, Ontario ’crushed it’ to use modern vernacular.  

Sexton now turns her attention to the upcoming TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, a race with which she is more than familiar. In 2017 she was crowned Canadian Marathon Champion in Toronto. She will face a world-class field as the event is once again classified as a World Athletics Elite Label race. It is also the official Athletics Canada 2022 Canadian Marathon Championship. 

“Oh, definitely with it being the Canadian championship, and, having the Canadian specific prize money, it’s a great opportunity to go for the glory of a Canadian championship medal,” she says from her home in Vancouver.  

“Hopefully, it’s a good pay day. It’s one of the reasons I have raced Toronto quite a bit over the past seven years. I first medaled there in 2016 I think it was. I made a point of including it in my schedule for that reason.” 

The Canadian champion will earn $8,000 CAD and of course be eligible for the open prize money which includes $25,000 to the winner.  

Sexton knows that very few Canadians have made it onto the ‘open’ podium owing to the strength of the field each year, and that she will also compete with national record-holder Malindi Elmore (2:24:50) and defending champion, Dayna Pidhoresky, for the Canadian prize purse.  But her time in Eugene (2:28:52) was not far off the personal best she set in winning the 2021 Philadelphia Marathon (2:28:35). Her Eugene performance gave her confidence. 

“I was really, really happy with how the (Eugene) race went,” she remembers. “I think my fitness was really good going in. I was definitely in the best shape of my life and had great preparation both with workouts and details like pacing but, in the marathon, you never know. I thought that on a good day a top 20 finish was possible. 

“Just with the way the race went it has given me confidence that I can trust my instincts in terms of racing and pacing myself, because in the marathon you can always go in with a plan and it doesn’t always work out that way. You make some decisions on the fly but I was able to race really well and beat a lot of women who had run either faster in the qualifying period or in lifetime.” 

While the prize money is a bonus, it is not the sole reason she competes in road racing. “I am definitely racing more for time (in Toronto) and placing versus the last race but mainly looking to run a personal best,” she explains. 

Sexton hopes that finishing 13th in the world will be enough to receive Sport Canada funding (also known as ‘carding’) going forward.  

“With my run in Philadelphia I ran fast enough to be eligible for carding and I applied and all that but Athletics Canada didn’t add me to the list. They said they would like to see me place well at a World Championships or World Marathon Major which was a little hard to do with a pandemic,” she reveals laughing.  

“So, at this point I should hopefully be on for the next cycle both with the time I ran in Eugene plus a top 15 or top half (of the field) should hopefully put me in a decent position for it. It would have been nice to have that funding six months ago and have a little more financial security going into worlds.” 

Despite growing up in Markham, she lived in Kingston while her partner and coach, Steve Weiler, coached at Queen’s University. When he accepted a position at the University of British Columbia – a little over a year ago – she took on a part time coaching position herself with the Vancouver Thunderbirds Club. These days she works with collegiate and post collegiate athletes and enjoys the flexibility to also get in her own marathon training. The move obviously agreed with her. 

“From racing on the roads, I am probably doing better financially than an equivalent athlete – a thrower or jumper or even a track distance runner,” she admits. “Road racing events like the Canada Running Series have helped me support myself all those years. And not every event group has that opportunity.” 

This past year has been one of her best in terms of athletic performance. Victories at the Vancouver Sun Run and the Canadian 10,000m track championships – her third in this event – all preceded her World Championships surprise. Next up is the Under Armour Eastside 10k on September 17th, an opportune fitness test for sure as she will face Elmore at the shorter distance.  

But it is a personal best in the marathon plus another national championship medal that would provide a fitting end to an already glorious year. 

-30- 

About the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon 

One of only two World Athletics Elite Label races in Canada, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Canada’s premier running event and the grand finale of the Canada Running Series (CRS). Since 2017, the race has served as the Athletics Canada Canadian Marathon Championship and has doubled as the Olympic trials. During the 2021 event, participants raised over $3.08 million for 151 community charities. 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 runners. 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, please visit www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com. 

Media Contact  

Kate Van Buskirk, Marketing and Communications Coordinator 

kate@canadarunningseries.com 

905-867-1117

By: Paul Gains

Kenya’s Barselius Kipyego will line up at the start of the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 16 with the fastest personal best time of the elite field. But the 29-year-old wants more. 

Last year, he ran 2:04:48 to finish fourth at the Paris Marathon, which, like the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, has earned a World Elite Marathon label. That’s twelve seconds under the Canadian All Comer’s record (2:05:00) held by his countryman, Philemon Rono, who will return to Toronto in search of a fourth victory in Canada’s biggest city.  

Rono set that mark in winning the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon—the last time this race was held in person. While it is foolish to compare times run on different courses and under different conditions, it is clear that Kipyego is bent on a sublime performance. 

“I am coming to win the race. Then, I want to break the course record,” the affable Kipyego reveals during a WhatsApp video call. “That is why I sacrifice by staying in the camp so I can give my best to this race, so I can come fully [fit].” 

Barselius is part of a 24-member group known as ‘2 Running Club,’ trained by noted Italian coach, Claudio Berardelli, in Kapsabet. He founded the club in 2016 with the aim of having a group of elite athletes bond as a supportive group despite marathon running being an individual sport. 

“The idea to call the club with the number two was a sort of provocation,” Berardelli explains, “because, despite the fact that we train to be winners [number ones], the number two reminds us that a champion’s attitude goes beyond winning and being a number one.  

“Full commitment, perseverance, and self-esteem are some of the traits that might characterize an athlete who has really worked hard despite, in the end, not being a number one. In his own way he is a champion anyway.” 

The camp is about 2,000m above sea level in the Great Rift Valley. Sharing household chores, they normally run twice a day, rising early in the morning to have coffee before setting out for their first run. Their post-run breakfast menu often includes tea, bread, fruit, and eggs. 

Normally runners will stay Monday to Friday at the camp for convenience and to minimize distractions. There is a television in the camp and Kipyego says he enjoys watching Nigerian movies in his spare time. They would spend weekends with their families but Barselius is taking a different approach with a Toronto victory in his sights. 

“My home is about three kilometres from the camp,” he explains. “I have two children, boys, The first boy is called Dayton Kigen and the second, Dalton Kipkemboi. I used to go home sometimes but nowadays, because I am focusing on Toronto, I am staying in the camp. 

“I miss them but I call them and speak through video calls. My wife knows I am focused on the race [the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon] for some time and then I will go home after the race.” 

In his absence, his wife Nahum Jelagat not only looks after the children but also takes care of the small farm Kipyego is investing his money in.  

“Yes, I have a farm. I am a farmer,” he says with a smile. “My wife now is looking after the farm because I am focusing on this race. She is the full manager. I have a tea plantation I grow maize and vegetables. And cows. We have cows.” 

Amongst the elite training group are several athletes training for a fall marathon including Benson Kipruto who won the 2018 Toronto Waterfront Marathon and then finished fourth the following year in a personal best of 2:05:13. While Kipruto will run in Chicago, he has been encouraging to his training partner about what to expect in Toronto. The intel he has provided to Kipyego is evidently very positive. 

“I just heard that it is a flat course and is a good race,” Kipyego responds when asked what he knows about the Toronto event. “I asked Benson when he won the race. I am training with him now. 

“Yes, it is possible [to beat the record]. If the pacemakers set a good pace, we will run well and beat the course record.” 

It is presently part of the rainy season in East Africa and heavy rain can sometimes complicate training. The dirt roads can become muddy quagmires causing the group to switch training venues. In this case, they will run later in the morning to avoid the worst of it. Still, it’s business as usual for the group. 

“Training is good,” Kipyego reports confidently. “Every week we run 180km with some speed work and some long runs. Last week, I ran 40km for my long run. But every day I run 24 or 25km. I am feeling confident. My body is responding well now. I am ready to run that race in Toronto very well.” 

Kipyego has never raced in Canada before nor has he faced his countryman, Philemon Rono. This matchup promises an intriguing chapter of the 2022 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

-30- 

About the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon 

One of only two World Athletics Elite Label races in Canada, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Canada’s premier running event and the grand finale of the Canada Running Series (CRS). Since 2017, the race has served as the Athletics Canada Canadian Marathon Championship and has doubled as the Olympic trials. During the 2021 event, participants raised over $3.08 million for 151 community charities. 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 runners. 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, please visit www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com. 

Media Contact  

Kate Van Buskirk, Marketing and Communications Coordinator 

kate@canadarunningseries.com 

905-867-1117

By: Paul Gains

Since winning the 2019 Canadian Olympic trials, Dayna Pidhoresky has encountered mixed fortunes. It is not surprising that the 35-year-old Vancouver resident is seeking a perfect race at this year’s TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, the site of her greatest triumph. 

“I definitely want to run a personal best,” she says of her return to this World Athletics Elite Label race scheduled for October 16th. “I just want to get the most out of myself on the day. I felt this past spring gave me a lot of confidence, my training went really well. 

“I feel like this is the year [in Toronto]. I can just take a little bit more risk and try to empty the tank and hopefully that is something I will have the opportunity to do on the day. I just want to race well, execute well, and leave it all out there.”  

In April 2022, she won the BMO Vancouver Marathon in 2:34:30. Then just four weeks later, finished 6th at the Tamarack Ottawa Marathon. Both races yielded times well off her Olympic qualifying mark from 2019. On that day, three years ago, with the Canadian champion guaranteed an Olympic berth — provided they had made the standard — she came through with a stunning result. Pidhoresky, who is originally from Tecumseh, Ontario, ran a huge personal best time of 2:29:03 which cemented her place in the Tokyo Olympics. 

While other athletes chased standards through the remaining qualifying period, Pidhoresky had the luxury of knowing she could train specifically for her dream race. It was not to be, however. In Sapporo, where the marathons and race walks were held, she struggled home 73rd nursing an injury after what she describes as a ‘nightmare.’ 

At Team Canada’s pre-Olympic training camp in Gifu, she and her coach and husband, Josh Seifarth, received word that someone on their Vancouver to Tokyo flight had tested positive for Covid.  

“We got a call from one of the Athletics Canada guys and he told us we were ‘close contacts’ [of fellow passengers] and that we would have to basically stay in our room the whole time,” she explains. “We weren’t able to leave the room at any point of time, at all. That was about a week. Then I flew to Sapporo where the race was taking place.” 

Canadian officials brought a stationary bike to her room during the quarantine, for which she was grateful. When the time came to fly on to Sapporo though, Seifarth was informed he would not be permitted to accompany Pidhoresky. Instead, he flew home to Vancouver. 

“We thought it would be normal again and I would be able to interact with the team but I was still considered a ‘close contact’ even when we were in Sapporo,” she continues. “It was mentally draining to be in that situation.   

“I was also battling a tendon injury. I was relying on being around my teammates to feel like I was having an Olympic experience. I felt that wasn’t even possible. I was robbed of having an Olympics experience outside of the race itself.” 

Currently, her training is going better than in her buildup to the Olympic trials. The anticipation of a great performance is clearly visible in her facial expressions.  

“We are definitely ahead of the game right now,” she says with a smile. “At the moment, we are in the 175-185km [weekly volume] range, which for me is more than I have generally averaged. In the past, I would do ten weeks of 160km a week and have maybe a 170km in there. It doesn’t actually feel that different.” 

During the spring, she and Josh bought a house near the University of British Columbia which provides immediate access to running trails. Occasionally she meets up with Canadian international Catherine Watkins but most of her long runs are done alone while she listens to running podcasts. One of her favourites, she reveals, is that hosted by triathlete Paula Findlay.  

She fills her days with a little photography when time permits, and with some part time work for Seifarth’s company, Visifii. 

The addition of Pidhoresky means race director Alan Brookes has been successful in bringing back both Canadian champions, Trevor Hofbauer — who earned his Olympic berth in 2019 as well — and the two overall champions from 2019, as Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai and Philemon Rono will also return. But Pidhoresky is looking for more than defending her 2019 title. 

“I am less concerned with placing,” she reveals. “I hope that I can sort of look around and find a good group and we can work together to run fast times together. I would rather run a big PB than feel I am running tactically. Maybe those are one and the same on the day. I just hope I can run to the best of my ability on the day.” 

-30- 

About the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon 

One of only two World Athletics Elite Label races in Canada, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Canada’s premier running event and the grand finale of the Canada Running Series (CRS). Since 2017, the race has served as the Athletics Canada Canadian Marathon Championship and has doubled as the Olympic trials. During the 2021 event, participants raised over $3.08 million for 151 community charities. 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 runners. 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, please visit www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com. 

Media Contact  

Kate Van Buskirk, Marketing and Communications Coordinator 

kate@canadarunningseries.com 

905-867-1117

By: Paul Gains

Gelete Burka, one of Ethiopia’s most accomplished athletes, will contest the 2022 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 16th.  

A three-time Olympian for her country, Gelete was also the 2008 World Indoor 1,500m champion and 2006 World Cross Country champion. But when she won the 2017 Ethiopian World Championships 10,000m trials and was not selected for London, she turned to the marathon. Her results in the classic distance have been sublime.  

Her curriculum vitae includes a personal best time of 2:20:45 (2018 Dubai Marathon) and a splendid 3rd place finish in the 2019 Chicago marathon (2:20:55).  Dipping under 2 hours 20 minutes remains a tangible objective. 

This will be only the second time the 36-year-old star has raced in Canada. On her previous occasion in 2018 she set a Canadian All Comers’ marathon record of 2:22:17 in Ottawa, despite running with stomach cramps and completely alone for much of the race.  

That record was beaten by one second at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon by Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai in 2019. The pair will battle in Toronto. 

“My training is going well and I am so happy with my training,” Burka says from her home in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital. The WhatsApp call had been delayed by a couple of hours when the lights went off during a power outage.  

“We have two months until the race and I’m just working hard,” she adds. “It is sometimes raining here. We look at the weather and choose training places. We are working hard in Sendafa, Entoto, Sululta, Arafat. We train in five or six different places.” 

Coached by Getamesay Molla, the group of elite runners she belongs to meet in those various locations all within half an hour of Addis by car. In a radical departure, Gelete even spent most of the month of July in Colorado Springs, Colorado where she joined Kenyan born US coach Haron Lagat. It is the rainy season in Ethiopia and heavy rains adversely affected the dirt roads back home.  

“It’s nice for training there,” she says of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. “I was with some friends in the US Army Athletics (group). Do you know Haron Lagat? I was with him working there in Colorado Springs before the marathon training.” 

Gelete had expected to race Ottawa earlier in May but although her Canadian visa was approved, she did not receive her passport in time to travel to Canada. After training for six months specifically for the race, the disappointment was enormous. It is not easy to train to peak for a specific marathon and then have to find an alternative. In any case, Ottawa is amongst the final spring marathons. 

“One week I was sick. I was so heartbroken,” she reveals with a smile. “I haven’t any business, my only business is working in athletics. I just focus on my running. A little bit I was angry because I worked so hard. It is not like track racing. 

“It was a big disappointment but sometimes you forget something that happened in life. I have forgotten it and now am only focused on Toronto.” 

Gelete comes from Kofele in Arsi district of south-central Ethiopia. It’s the same region from where national hero, Haile Gebrselassie, originates.   

Family is everything to her and currently her youngest sister together with her niece, Deborah, and nephew, Muse, share her home in Addis. After returning from Colorado, one of the first things she did was travel back to visit her mother and her other siblings in Shashamane, one of the main towns in Arsi. It is also known for its large Rastafarian community. 

A devoted Christian, Gelete is also a member of the 40-member choir at the Glorious Life Church in Addis. They sing in Amharic, Oromo and English at two weekly services. In addition, she is an usher at the church and so must attend meetings and choir practices when called. Her faith is important enough that following her 2018 Ottawa victory she sought out an Ethiopian church to attend.  

Given the news that Magdalyne Masai shaved a second off her Canadian All Comers record in 2019 – and will face her on the Toronto starting line – Gelete smiles. Asked whether Masai’s  2:22:16 standard will now be a target, she thinks for a moment. 

“You have to see in the race how you are feeling and also what she is feeling,” Gelete explains.  “In a race you think of records when your body feels ok. For now I am not sure. I will look inside the race for what I can do.” 

Ethiopians were overjoyed with the performance of their 2022 World Championships team in Eugene, Oregon. With 10 medals, Ethiopia finished second in the medal table behind the host USA. Seeing her compatriot Gotytom Gebreslase take the women’s marathon gold was extra special. 

“It is still in my head that I want to run under 2:20,” she says, “because you see the world championships I am so happy (Gotyom) ran 2:18.  After you see in championships they are running 2:18 then I think under 2:20 (is possible) if the body is ok and the weather is ok. And, if the others want to run a very good time.” 

Clearly this Ethiopian superstar has bold intentions for her future. Her race against Masai in this World Athletics Elite Label race is a tantalizing prospect. 

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About the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon 

One of only two World Athletics Elite Label races in Canada, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Canada’s premier running event and the grand finale of the Canada Running Series (CRS). Since 2017, the race has served as the Athletics Canada Canadian Marathon Championship and has doubled as the Olympic trials. During the 2021 event, participants raised over $3.08 million for 151 community charities. 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 runners. 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, please visit www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com. 

Media Contact  

Kate Van Buskirk, Marketing and Communications Coordinator 

kate@canadarunningseries.com 

905-867-1117

By: Paul Gains

After representing Canada at the 2022 World Championships in July, Rory Linkletter is brimming with newfound confidence and ready for even greater success. The 26-year-old Calgarian has now set his sights on the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, taking place on October 16, 2022. 

Linkletter raced to a personal best marathon of 2:10:24 in Eugene, Oregon, which earned him a credible 20th place in those World Championships. Apart from chasing a faster time, he is aiming for a Canadian Championship gold medal in Toronto.  

The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon has earned a World Athletics Elite Label and serves as the official Athletics Canada National Marathon Championships.  

“That is one of the main reasons I chose Toronto over New York or some other fall marathon,” Linkletter revealed. “I liked a couple of things about it. Number one, I think the course is pretty quick. I have run it once before obviously. There is no part of it that I feel is really going to slow you down a ton.   

“The weather is more predictable than Chicago just because it’s a week later and it’s just a touch different climate. I want to try and win a national championship as well. I think I can run faster in Toronto and I think it’s a good setup to do so.” 

The three months between the World Championships and the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon don’t present a problem, he said, because he didn’t have a full marathon buildup prior to running that 2:10:24. 

Linkletter and his coach, Ryan Hall, the retired American half marathon record holder, had started preparations for racing on the track when Athletics Canada informed the athlete he had been selected to run in Eugene. Although he hadn’t run the qualifying standard (2:11:30), his world ranking earned him a last-minute place. That was a mere 45 days before the big day. 

“I was going to run the 5000m at the Harry Jerome Track Classic, but then the week of the meet I got an email from Athletics Canada saying I had made the team,” he explained. “So I was like, ‘Well I don’t want to turn down such an opportunity.’ I didn’t know what a six-week build would look like for a marathon, but Ryan and I decided this is a good opportunity. I was obviously pleased with how the race went and it gave me a lot of confidence that with a three-month build, I can get fitter and be a little more prepared.” 

Linkletter has been training with Hall since December 2021. He had formerly been a member of the Northern Arizona Elite group. Despite running a 2:12:54 personal best at the California International Marathon, however, he sought a change in coaching. 

“To be blunt, I just wasn’t running well and wanted to change some things up. I lost some confidence in myself,” he admitted. “In the US running scene, it’s a lot of group-based training. A lot of these groups are popping up like crazy and they are successful for many people. I definitely think there are a lot of pros to the group setting but I felt I needed to have a more individualized training.  

“I wanted to feel like I hired a coach, not ran for a team and was just a cog in the wheel. I wanted a little more say. That relationship with Ryan just made sense to me. I wanted somebody who was an athlete. I liked that a lot with my [Brigham Young University] coach, Ed Eyestone. I needed them to be in Flagstaff. I didn’t want to leave Flagstaff because I love it here.” 

Recently, Linkletter and his wife Jill, both student athletes at BYU, marked their third year living in the northern Arizona town. But a change in coaches wasn’t the only seismic shift in Linkletter’s recent past.   

In May 2022, Linkletter signed a sponsorship agreement with Puma Running. On July 31, 2021, the couple welcomed their son Jason into the world. He is named for Linkletter’s father who sadly passed away shortly before meeting his grandson. 

Although neither Jill nor Linkletter are Mormons—about 99% of BYU students are—they are Christians. This was another factor in choosing Hall to be his coach. 

“I have always been a huge fan of Ryan,” he continued, “because he was such an amazing athlete himself. It doesn’t hurt that we have similar personalities: very type A, very driven, very strong Christian belief system. There were a lot of things in my mind where I thought this makes sense.” 

Returning to Toronto, where in 2019 he finished 16th in 2:16:42, he is a much more experienced athlete. Seven months ago, he set a new Canadian half marathon record in Houston (1:01:08) and in May he also finished third at the Canadian 10,000m Championships (28:26.27). He is only too aware that precious few Canadians have made the podium at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, such is the quality of the field.  

Reid Coolsaet finished third in 2011. Cam Levins set his first Canadian marathon record of 2:09:25 while finishing fourth in 2018, while Trevor Hofbauer ran his personal best 2:09:51 to come home seventh in 2019. Hofbauer will be on the start line with Linkletter on October 16.  

“I haven’t seen the field, but I know from years past what kind of fitness we are going to be trying to get into,” Linkletter declared. “I think when Cam [Levins] ran 2:09:25, he was fourth, right? Just based on years past and what the race usually produces, I think I will be in that range.  

“You never know who is going show up and what kind of day it’s going to be. All you can do is be as good as you can. But I would like to believe that on the best day, I am not only competing for a Canadian title but also an overall podium finish.” 

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About the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon 

One of only two World Athletics Elite Label races in Canada, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Canada’s premier running event and the grand finale of the Canada Running Series (CRS). Since 2017, the race has served as the Athletics Canada Canadian Marathon Championship and has doubled as the Olympic trials. During the 2021 event, participants raised over $3.08 million for 151 community charities. 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 runners. 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, please visit www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com. 

Media Contact  

Kate Van Buskirk, Marketing and Communications Coordinator 

kate@canadarunningseries.com 

905-867-1117

By: Paul Gains

Kenya’s Magdalyne Masai hasn’t run a marathon in three years but that’s no cause for alarm. Her last effort resulted in a magnificent Canadian All Comers record of 2:22:16 on the streets of Toronto. 

The 28-year-old returns to the scene of her greatest achievement for the 2022 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 16 as the defending champion. In the interim, she also gave birth to her first child, a son Jake Jr, with husband Jake Robertson, the New Zealander who was 5th in the 2018 Toronto Waterfront Marathon.  

Returning to competition is a delightful dream. 

“I am really excited because that was my last race that I did—until now,” she explains with a smile. “I lost (races) with the pandemic and now with Jake Jr. My training has been going well. We have got a lady who helps us take care of Jake Jr. when we are tired because we need to nap sometimes. And also, Jake Sr. has been helping out. He takes care of him when I am tired. So we get to help each other by sharing duties. 

“We do have family nearby, but they also have their own children, or they are working and they have family life.” 

Masai comes from a long line of great Kenyan 10,000m runners. Her older sister, Linet, was the 2008 Olympic 10,000m bronze medalist and 2009 world champion while eldest brother Moses was 4th at those Beijing Olympics. He went on to earn the bronze at the 2009 World Championships. Another brother, Dennis, won the 2010 World Junior Championships 10,000m in Moncton, New Brunswick. 

Like runners across the globe, Magz, as she is affectionately known, was severely impacted by the Covid pandemic. The postponement of the 2020 Boston Marathon, for instance, was one significant blow. 

“It was a shame,” she concedes. “Because I was supposed to be in Boston in 2020 and I thought I had an opportunity of doing well in a major marathon which could have changed our lives. But things did happen that were out of our control so we just lived with it.” 

A hefty appearance fee plus the opportunity to win prize money awaited her in Boston, thanks to her great Toronto result.  But the race was postponed from its usual April date until October. That called for a change in plans. They flew to Jake’s hometown of Mount Maunganui,  

200 kilometres south-east of Auckland, to wait out the pandemic. 

“We were in New Zealand for the first six months of the pandemic, so I was training normally with Jake and with Zane, my brother-in-law,” she reveals. “Then with a couple of friends we met in New Zealand. New Zealand wasn’t really affected so life was kind of moving along normally. So we were able to move on with our daily lives. There were small restrictions. 

“The problem was we were training with no goal which was hard sometimes. You would go two weeks, one month, and then hit those low points and then go, ‘What am I doing this for?’ There was darkness.” 

Magz laughs at her words. Now, she is happy to report, things are going well as she prepares for Toronto. 

“It is getting exciting. I am starting to feel ‘ok’ again,” she reveals.  

“I don’t really start a week with a goal. I just train and then at the end of the week, sit down and count up how much I have been doing. So far, the most has been 145 km (in a week). Mainly I go with the feeling of the body. So far, my longest run two weeks ago was 40 km. It felt really good, and it has given me confidence. It gives you the feeling of the marathon.” 

Besides maintaining her fitness during the pandemic—and raising her newborn son—Magz took on responsibility for the housing project she and Jake started three years ago. Initially it was to be a single house for foreign runners to live in when they travel to Iten for altitude training.  

“It has been built and we have built three more houses,” she reveals with excitement. “When we got back from New Zealand and I was expecting Jake Jr., I wasn’t training seriously. So, I was training and in charge of the building. They are next door to our house.” 

If they appear to have extremely busy lives, it’s not surprising they have outside interests which help distract them from their work. They both follow NBA basketball. In fact, Jake attended a Toronto Raptors game two nights before his 5th place finish in the 2018 Toronto Waterfront Marathon, which obviously had a positive effect on his performance.  

And, like many of her compatriots, Magz is also a keen supporter of Manchester United Football Club—something she has in common with Toronto Waterfront Marathon race director, Alan Brookes.  

“I still follow Manchester United but they have been awful,” she says smiling. She buries her head in her hands before adding, “I have been following them but, honestly, how can they finish 6th (in the 2021-2022 Premier League standings) with Cristiano Ronaldo? What a good player.” 

It is too early to affix a goal for her upcoming TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon appearance. Marathons are unpredictable. But with training going well and with her determination to keep improving, her Canadian All Comers record could fall. Actually, racing again after being starved of competition for three years might prove to be the strongest motivator. 

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About the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon 

One of only two World Athletics Elite Label races in Canada, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Canada’s premier running event and the grand finale of the Canada Running Series (CRS). Since 2017, the race has served as the Athletics Canada Canadian Marathon Championship and has doubled as the Olympic trials. During the 2021 event, participants raised over $3.08 million for 151 community charities. 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 runners. 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, please visit www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com. 

Media Contact  

Kate Van Buskirk, Marketing and Communications Coordinator 

kate@canadarunningseries.com 

905-867-1117

By: Paul Gains

Philemon Rono rises early at the NN Running Team training camp in Kaptagat, Kenya and joins his training partners on their morning run. The 31-year-old Kenyan has one objective as he trudges along the dusty roads at dusk: to win the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon on October 16, 2022. 

On three previous occasions, he has crossed the finish line of this World Athletics Elite Label race victorious, most recently in 2019 when he set a new Canadian All Comers’ record of 2:05:00. Three other men finished within thirteen seconds of him in what was arguably the most exciting race in North American history. 

“I ran a course record,” he says grinning broadly during a WhatsApp video call. “It was just amazing for me. My aim when I come to Toronto is to do another fantastic job and to be known as the ‘King of Toronto.’” 

Rono laughs at his joke. Training, on the other hand, is quite serious. Amongst the NN squad are some of Kenya’s greatest distance runners, most notably the double Olympic marathon champion and world record holder, Eliud Kipchoge. The group lives at the rustic camp through the week then returns to their families on weekends. During the worst of the Covid pandemic, he stayed at home 15km away, meeting up with his teammates for long runs. It seemed to work.  

He ran his second fastest time in Valencia 2:05:37 two years ago and then finished 6th in the 2022 Seoul Marathon (2:07:03) this past April. 

“There was no problem here we got medication and vaccine and boosters. There was no problem with vaccination,” he recalls.  

“In Kenya it was not too bad, not like Europe. We trained at home. We met at group training. We woke up early in the morning and we would say, ‘We can meet somewhere for training.’ There were a lot of challenges but we continued with training.” 

During the pandemic, he and his wife, Abigail Jelimo, welcomed another son to the family. They called him Clinton. Their eldest son, Clifford, will be five in September and is named after one of the Toronto Waterfront Marathon athlete coordinators whose sense of humour Rono admired. 

The money he earns from his international marathon races is invested in his family farm. He has sheep and goats and grows maize and potatoes. 

“I am a large-scale farmer and things are changing,” he says proudly. “Things are improving. I have eight acres now. My family is there looking after the farm and I employ people to look after the items there.” 

Life in the camp contributes to the success of the athletes who all regard Kipchoge as their inspiration. Rono says they watch what he does, eat what he eats, and have adopted his strict discipline. But there is time for fun and competition. English Premier League football is starting up again and they all have their favourite clubs.  

During a previous visit to Toronto Rono, admitted he has followed Chelsea FC since they had African superstar Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) on their roster for a great part of the early 2000’s. So, does he still support them? 

“Of course, of course! I will not leave Chelsea,” he declares laughing. “Eliud supports Tottenham. [Three-time World Half Marathon Champion, Geoffrey] Kamworor is supporting Manchester United. That is when everybody is supporting these teams and we say, ‘My team will win.’”  

Rono is looking forward to returning to Toronto. He has fond memories even after suffering an accident while warming up for his 2016 victory. On that occasion, a barrier he was using to stretch came crashing down on his head. After consulting his agent and a medic he went ahead and won the race in 2:08:26.  

Shopping at the Eaton Centre was another memorable event. On his last visit he took home an electric razor among other items which are hard to find in rural Kenya. This will be his fifth visit to Canada’s largest city. Besides his three victories, he finished 9th at this race in 2018. Now he reports his training is going very well and he has his eye on new records in Toronto. 

“The preparations are going very well,” Rono states. “We usually go training early in the morning at 6 a.m. when there is no traffic and then again at 4 p.m. in the evening. This week we our longest run is 30 km, next week the longest is 40 km. I run around 150 km to 200 km during the buildup.  

“So long as the weather is okay, there is no problem with the time. Time will adjust itself because when you train well, 2:04 is no problem. But when the weather is a problem, then 2:06, 2:07. But when the weather is okay? Maybe another course record.” 

In the next three months, we will learn if Philemon Rono himself feels he has earned the title ‘King of Toronto.’  There are many in the running community who have already anointed him. 

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About the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon  

One of only two World Athletics Elite Label races in Canada, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Canada’s premier running event and the grand finale of the Canada Running Series (CRS). Since 2017, the race has served as the Athletics Canada Canadian Marathon Championship and has doubled as the Olympic trials. During the 2021 event, participants raised over $3.08 million for 151 community charities. 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 runners. 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, please visit www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com. 

Media Contact  

Kate Van Buskirk, Marketing and Communications Coordinator 

kate@canadarunningseries.com 

905-867-1117