By Paul Gains

Organizers of the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon are once again excited about the upcoming marathon debut of a young Canadian runner.

The lure of winning a Canadian championship title – the national marathon championships being run concurrently with this World Athletics Elite Label race – has brought 25-year-old Andrew Alexander to the fight.

“I want to be the first Canadian to cross the line,” says the Toronto native. “I want to be at least one one-thousandth of a second ahead of the second Canadian. If the (fast) time comes with that I will be happy. But for the first marathon it’s just get this out and, if it goes well, focus on time chasing after that.”

Considering this graduate of Notre Dame University won the 2023 Canadian indoor 1,500m and 3,000m titles and then claimed the national 10,000m gold in May of this year, racing the marathon is one giant leap. Still, he has a lot of support for this challenge.

Coached by former Canadian 1,500m record holder, Dave Reid, and current Canadian 3,000m steeplechase record holder, Matt Hughes, that potential was clearly demonstrated when he won the 2023 TCS Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon in 62:44.

He has also run 10,000m on the track in 28:17.24, not world class, but encouraging for a marathon runner.

“Since I started working with them they said they thought my event would be the marathon as much as it’s painful to hear that,” he recalls with a laugh. “I thought there was no better time than now. I had completed the Olympics trials (1,500m) last summer and didn’t really have the result I was looking for. I haven’t done a marathon so let’s give this a go!”

“Toronto is as great a place as any other to start my marathon journey just because it’s home and I am familiar with it, and I have tons of people support. I am looking forward to it.”

With both Reid and Hughes often accompanying him on their bikes he has increased his training volume to around 160km a week. Whereas his longest run a year ago might be roughly 28 kilometres during this buildup for Toronto Waterfront he has added some Sunday runs of 40-43 kilometres.

“The big challenge has been getting used to the fluids and nutrition intake kind of taking it in right,” he reveals. “After the first few workouts while practicing nutrition I threw up immediately after.”

“I remember thinking to myself ‘Oh my God what have I signed up for? ’Practicing that over the last few weeks I have honed in on that and it’s going well.”

At the beginning of 2024 Reid and Hughes helped arrange a six-week altitude training camp in Flagstaff, Arizona for their athlete – his first experience at high altitude. Alexander stayed with the Under Armour Dark Sky Group and called it a ‘gut punch’ as the acclimation took some time. Still, he believes it helped lay a base for the upcoming season.

Alexander attended Neil McNeil High School in Scarborough, Ontario – an institution where the late comedian John Candy also studied – and while running for the school he earned a place on Canada’s team for the 2017 World Cross Country Championships in Kampala, Uganda.

After he had won the Ontario High School championships (OFSAA) for Neil McNeil he accepted a scholarship to Notre Dame University. Five years with the ‘Fighting Irish’ led to him coming home with a Bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and a Master’s in Business Management. For the moment he is focusing on his running career and has temporarily delayed a career that would utilize his education. Working part time in a specialty running store together with an online apparel store provides income.

Turning his attention once again to the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon he eventually concedes having thought of a time goal for his debut – a couple of minutes on either side of 2 hours 10 minutes would be sufficient he says. But being a Canadian champion is the primary motivator.

“The national championship side of it definitely excites me,” he explains. “I have heard there is more depth on the Canadian side this year which I am super excited about. I just love the competition and competing against our Canadian guys.

By Paul Gains

While the international field for the 2024 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon has rarely been stronger the number of elite Canadian entries continues to grow. Justin Kent, who represented Canada at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, has now added his name to the medal contenders for this Canadian Championships which are run concurrently within this World Athletics Elite Label race.

Kent says he has prepared well and is looking to beat his personal best time of 2:13:07, recorded while finishing 10th in the 2023 Prague Marathon. That race led to his call-up for a place on Canada’s 2023 World Championships team with his long-time training partner, Ben Preisner (2:08:58 personal best).

“Budapest was definitely a memorable experience,” Kent remembers, “Having my team-mate Ben there, and we ran kind of side by side which was really cool. It was pretty special. You get to wear that Canadian singlet longer than in any other event. It was awesome.”

“It was hot so Ben and I had pretty strict orders to run conservatively the first half then swallow up as many bodies as we could in the second half. I still have this sensation of us – it felt like we just hopped into the race that last ten kilometres as we were going by guys that were just zombies because they were so depleted. We were like 80th at halfway and we ended up 27th (Preisner) and 29th.”

Preisner will be in Toronto alongside his friend as he has offered pacemaking duties. The pair will no doubt bring that common sense approach to the race taking the weather conditions into account. During this buildup Kent has been encouraged by the fact both coach Richard Lee and Preisner have seen workouts that indicate Kent is more than capable of running around 2:10.

Only nine Canadians have gone under 2:11 and just four have beaten the 2:10 barrier.

“I don’t necessarily want to get ahead of myself. I have definitely learned the hard way of being too ambitious,” Kent says. But I know, definitely, I am the fittest I have ever been. It depends on the weather and the pacing.”

“There is a pace group (going for) 2:10 I’d like to be maybe a little bit quicker the first half and see what I can do that would set me up well to run in the 2:10’s. That’s easier said than done.”

Kent will also be accompanied in Toronto by his wife of two years, 800m runner Lindsey Butterworth, who represented Canada at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, and their four-month-old daughter, Willa.

With a family to support Kent continues to do coaching work with Mile2Marathon which he views as a chance to connect to the running community. His main source of income, however, is working as a marketing specialist for a Vancouver-based startup company called Stoko, which manufactures supportive apparel used to overcome injuries.

“I am in the office four days a week. They are flexible with my hours to get my training in or sneak out early to get my training in,” he explains. “I have been with the company for just coming up to a year.”

Meanwhile Butterworth is on maternity leave from her job as a community health specialist for Fraser Health Authority. She is back running and will, in fact, compete in the Toronto Waterfront 5km.

As for his objectives with this year’s Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Kent recognizes that a national championship offers bonus World Athletics points used in the qualification for next year’s World Championships in Tokyo. The automatic qualifying standard in the men’s marathon has been lowered to 2:06:30

“Definitely I think with the new standard of 2:06:30 a lot of guys are going to be trying to get bonus points at races,” he concedes. “I think that is more my aim this whole build is to win a national championship. I think the (fast) time will come with that.”

“I haven’t thought too much beyond October 20th. I know if I can run well it would give me a great opportunity to make the team next year. But the main goal is still to come away with a national title or at least contend for one.”

By Paul Gains

As the newly-appointed manager of the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon Elite Athlete Hospitality Program Reid Coolsaet brings much experience from his years as a world-class marathoner. Of course, it also helps that the Canada Running Series team has earned a solid reputation for taking care of the Canadian contingent as well as the international stars.

Winning a national championship earns World Athletics bonus points – something which Coolsaet was able to impress upon the entries – and, with the qualifying for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo open, this is no small carrot.

Among those who have been drawn to Toronto Waterfront this year is Canadian women’s record holder, Natasha Wodak (2:23:12) who finished a credible 13th in the Tokyo Olympics. That was her second time as an Olympian. Despite all her success Wodak has never won the national marathon title.

“What we are thinking is that if I win, and run decently in Toronto, it’s really good points and I don’t need to run the (qualifying) standard,” she admits. “I then could possibly run a marathon in Japan in early March.”

Wodak turned 42 this year but continues to be an international-class performer. Further, she is an inspiration to others who are reaching the age when retirement is normally a consideration including 37-year-old Leslie Sexton. Indeed, Sexton ran her personal best this past January finishing 8th at the Houston Marathon in 2:28:14. That makes her the fifth fastest Canadian of all time.

“I will be looking to run a competitive time, something to maximize those Canadian championship points,” Sexton said last month, “but not necessarily going for a personal best this time. I will have to see how the training goes.”

Two years ago she and her partner and coach, Steve Weiler moved to Vancouver where he is the lead endurance and cross country coach at the University of British Columbia. Sexton coaches the post-secondary endurance runners outside the varsity program.

As a much sought out coach Coolsaet has a number of elite Canadians under his wing including Erin Mawhinney, who will make her debut in Toronto. At 28, this Hamilton, Ontario full-time, home and palliative care nurse was racing on the track last year but after winning the 2023 TCS Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon – which covers the first half of the full marathon – she is now ready to challenge herself over the full distance.

“I’d like to have a controlled race. I am hoping to be able to stick with a reasonable pace group and then hit 30k feeling I can respond to the people around me,” she says. I really don’t want to hit 30k in a massive deficit because I just think, for the first one, you don’t want to have a traumatizing experience. I think going out on the conservative side will probably be better.”

Anticipating the physical toll her first marathon might exact upon her Mawhinney has booked the day after the race off.

Other leading Canadian names are Rachel Hannah (2:32:09 pb) of Toronto, and Quebec’s Anne Marie Comeau. Hannah earned the 2015 Pan Am Games marathon bronze medal and was 3rd in the 2024 Ottawa Marathon while Comeau represented

Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics in cross-country skiing. Distance running had been a huge part of her cross-country ski training but she is now absorbed in distance running.

A year ago she finished 11th in the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon (2:34:51) in what was her first serious marathon attempt. More recently she finished 3rd in the Canadian Half Marathon Championships in Winnipeg and also won the Montreal Half Marathon.

The men’s field is led by 31-year-old Tristan Woodfine whose personal best of 2:10:39, recorded in Houston earlier this year, makes him 7th fastest Canadian of all time – right behind his coach, Reid Coolsaet.

Woodfine is a quality runner who lives just outside Eganville, in Eastern Ontario. After graduating from the Ontario Health and Technology College, he has put his career as an emergency first responder on hold while pursuing his running objectives. A growing online coaching business helps pay the bills.

He has twice won the TCS Toronto Waterfront Half marathon. “I talked to Reid about trying to qualify for Tokyo 2025,” he reveals. “I have had a few sit-downs (with him). I’d get a fair amount of points with another good performance with a strong time. A solid finish in Toronto would put me in a good position.”

While Woodfine has twice gone under 2 hours 11 minutes and has a wealth of experience, Vancouver’s Justin Kent appears poised to step into that territory. His personal best of 2:13:07 – which came while finishing 10th in the 2023 Prague Marathon – is certainly not indicative of his potential. That Prague result earned him a place on Canada’s 2023 World Championship team. He finished 29th in his first World Championships.

Of the upcoming TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon Kent exudes quiet confidence. “I don’t necessarily want to get ahead of myself. I have definitely learned the hard way of being too ambitious,” Kent says. “But I know, definitely, I am the fittest I have ever been. It depends on the weather and the pacing.”

“There is a pace group (going for) 2:10 I’d like to be maybe a little bit quicker the first half and see what I can do that would set me up to run in the 2:10’s.”

The youngest of the medal contenders, both 25 years of age, Vancouver’s Thomas Broatch and Andrew Alexander of Toronto, will be the subject of intense interest. The former is the defending Canadian champion having won here a year ago in his marathon debut. In January 2024 he finished 7th in Houston recording a new personal best of 2:11:54.

“I know the Toronto Waterfront course is pretty quick, the organization is great and they give us a good chance to run a fast time,” Broatch says. “So, I definitely would like to improve my Houston time. I think going under 2:11 and getting into that 2:10 club would be a pretty good result. I would be quite happy with that.”

Meanwhile, Alexander, who is jointly coached by former Canadian 1,500m record holder, Dave Reid and current Canadian 3,000m steeplechase record holder, Matt

Hughes, is excited about making his debut at TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. And he is also brimming with confidence.

“I want to be the first Canadian to cross the line,” Alexander declares boldly. “ I want to be at least one one-thousandth of a second ahead of the second Canadian. If the (fast) time comes with that I will be happy. But for the first marathon it’s just get this out and, if it goes well, focus on time-chasing after that.”

The winner of the Canadian Championship earns $8,000 and if he or she manages to get inside the top eight overall there is more prize money to be had. And of course, a fast time is amplified in terms of World Athletics points. The competition promises to be epic.

By Paul Gains

Racing the 42.2km marathon distance for the first time is sure to cause nerves. When Erin Mawhinney makes her debut at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon October 20th though she will do so with the confidence of having experienced at least part of the course.

A year ago the now 28-year-old from Hamilton, Ontario won the TCS Toronto Waterfront Half Marathon which covers the first half of the World Athletics Elite Label race. More recently, in June 2024, she won the Under Armour Toronto 10K for the second consecutive year. It too covers a stretch of the Toronto Waterfront marathon course.

She admits to being ‘excited’ by the upcoming task.

“I won (the half marathon) last year which was kind of a surprise for me. So I got a taste of the course there,” she recalls.

“It was windy and there’s a part of the course where the marathoners and half marathoners separate. I remember thinking, ‘I don’t think I could ever do the full thing’. Apparently it’s fine, so we will see.”

Mawhinney laughs at her statement. Since that day she has increased her weekly training volume up to 190km. That is with the help of her coach, two-time Canadian Olympic marathoner Reid Coolsaet. Considering she was still running the occasional 1,500m on the track last year she is grateful for his advice.

The choice of Toronto Waterfront for her debut was a natural one being so close to her home. Also coach Coolsaet ran the race six times in his career and finished an incredible 3rd place in 2011.

“I am really excited,” she continues. “I have seen some of Reid’s other athletes approach (the marathon) and the training they have had to do to prepare. So, I got a sneak peak of what it will be like. I am excited to try the full thing.”

Besides being a world-class race the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon will once again serve as the Canadian Marathon Championships. As Reid Coolsaet has had a hand in helping put the Canadian field together she is aware of the strong competition she faces. Nevertheless, she intends to run cautiously.

“Anytime I get to run a Canadian championship, at any distance, is a great opportunity,” Mawhinney says. “This year it just so happened that it works out for people’s schedules that basically all of Canada’s top marathoners have chosen to sign up for Toronto. It hasn’t been like that in previous years.

“I’d like to have a controlled race. I am hoping to be able to stick with a reasonable pace group and then hit 30k feeling I can respond to the people around me. I really don’t want to hit 30k in a massive deficit because I just think, for the first one, you don’t want to have a traumatizing experience. I think going out on the conservative side will probably be better.”

An apparent expert in time management Mawhinney graduated from McMaster University’s Master of Nursing program in 2023 while making a name for herself in Canadian road racing simultaneously. Working full time has helped keep her life balanced. She doesn’t sit around waiting for her next workout.

“Right now I am working for a home healthcare company. I have taken on an additional role as a medication and IV specialist,” she explains. “Occasionally, I will work an overnight job at the hospital but my full-time job is this medication and IV specialist at the home healthcare company. Most of our clients are palliative care clients.”

The emotional stress of caring for patients in the last weeks or months of their lives counters the physical exertion of running such high volumes. But she laughs when asked if she is prepared for the aftermath of competing at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon.

“Yes, I did anticipate having some problems walking the next day just based on how I felt after some 40k long runs,” she admits with a laugh. “I booked the morning off (after Toronto Waterfront) so I can hobble around painfully for that morning.”

By Paul Gains

Ethiopian women have proven a formidable force at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon having won eight of the last fifteen editions of this World Athletics Elite Label race.

A year ago they filled the top four places in the women’s race.

Once again, the East African nation is sending a strong contingent to the October 20th fixture intent on adding to this record. Kumeshi Sichala will now join her compatriots having run a personal best of 2:25:25 to finish second at the Gold Coast Marathon in Australia this past July.

“My training partner Waganesh Mekasha told me about the course and Toronto Waterfront Marathon in general,” Kumeshi says of her choice in fall marathons. “Honestly, I cannot wait to race Toronto Waterfront Marathon.”

“I watched the Toronto Waterfront Marathon many times (on live stream). My husband told me a lot about Toronto because he was there when Yihunilign Adane (2:07:18) won in 2022. He told me how much the fans motivate the athletes (and that) the atmosphere at the finish line is amazing. (He said) the city is so beautiful, the food is tasty and the people are welcoming.”

Waganesh Mekasha is one of the elite athletes with whom Kumeshi trains. Mekasha was second in Toronto Waterfront a year ago and won the 2023 Ottawa Marathon. She has already confirmed her return to this year’s event.

Others in the training group include Zeineba Yimer – the 2023 Barcelona winner and Mestawut Fikir who won this year’s Paris Marathon in her debut at the distance. They train under the guidance of esteemed coach Nigatu Worku three times a week at various locations around central Ethiopia. And it is Kumeshi’s husband, Hailye Teshome, who drives her to the workouts. On other days she runs alone.

Kumeshi won the 2019 Kosice Marathon with a then personal best of 2:26:01 and then took time off as she and Hailye, who works with the group’s Edinburgh, UK based sports agency, Moyo Sports, started their family.

“I have a daughter now,” Kumeshi says proudly. ”Her name is Soliyana.”

The name means ‘mother of Jesus’ in Amharic.

Following the birth of Soliyana she didn’t run for six months. Her return to proper training has gone well and now Toronto Waterfront Marathon presents itself as the latest challenge after her personal best earlier in the year.

Like most elite East African runners Kumeshi is grateful to have both her husband and a maid to help with raising her daughter. Considering the amount of time spent training and recovering from workouts there is little time for her other interests but she finds a way to fit everything in.

“When I am not training I like cooking,” she admits. “When I am away from home to compete I do a warm up run every morning and then read books as the race day approaches.”

As evidenced by her choice in names for her daughter she and Hailye are devout Christians. Reading her bible is especially comforting to her.

As she turns her attention to Toronto Waterfront, which will mark her first visit to Canada, she is brimming with confidence. And, why shouldn’t she be. A solid block of training, a fast course and her compatriot Waganesh Mekasha to challenge for the top prize of C$20,000. Asked what her objective is in the race she is succinct.

“I hope to win the Toronto Waterfront Marathon and run a personal best,” she responds.

Thomas Broatch will line up in defence of his Canadian marathon title October 20th as  the 2024 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon once again hosts the national championships.

A year ago the Vancouver native surprised many with his victory – which also saw him finish 6th place overall in this World Athletics Elite Label race. Most impressive was that this was his marathon debut. Three months later he took five minutes off his Toronto time running 2:11:54 for 7th place in the Houston Marathon. Lessons learned in Toronto, he believes, helped in Houston.

“In Toronto I felt pretty good in the last 10km, in terms of breathing and energy, but my legs were completely destroyed,” the 25-year-old remembers, “and I wasn’t able to really push the last 10km. So I made some adjustments in training for Houston.

“For Toronto I did pretty much all of my long runs on gravel or soft surfaces. For Houston I did all those on concrete which I think really helped. My legs felt great in the last 10km and, even though I was hurting, I was able to push. That’s something I have taken forward to make sure the legs are ready for 42km of pounding.”

The Canadian championship gold medal was accompanied by $8,000 in prize money – he also collected $2,000 for his 6th place overall finish – giving him what he calls “a generous prize pool for Canadians.”

Besides his ‘new preference’ for running on concrete he has increased his weekly training volume from 180km to 200km under the guidance of coach Chris Johnson at the Vancouver Thunderbirds Track and Field Club.

Until two years ago Broatch was still focusing on track racing (5,000m and 10,000m) while the marathon was simply a distance to be contemplated for the future. Now with a couple of positive experiences he realizes it is logically his best event.

“Yes definitely,” he declares. “I think I will still do other distances to help with the marathon. But I think, especially because the first one went quite well and then I was able to improve even more, I definitely see myself focusing on the marathon.”

That hasn’t stopped him from dropping down on occasion. In April he finished second in the Vancouver Sun Run 10k with a personal best of 28:58. He explains that this was right at the end of an exhausting buildup for the Copenhagen Marathon, which flew under the radar and even escaped the keen eyes of the World Athletics statisticians.

“The Sun Run was a really good race. It actually wasn’t the big focus of the Spring,” he says almost apologetically. “I actually ran the Copenhagen marathon two weeks after Sun Run so this was more of a prep race for that marathon.

“I think that showed me that the marathon training doesn’t really hurt my speed but gives me that extra strength which helps my 10k. That was by far my fastest 10k and the course is not even that fast.”

The Copenhagen Marathon didn’t go as well as he had hoped so he’s not concerned few knew about it. After running Houston and coming away with a strong personal best he wondered if an even faster time was in the cards. Confidently, he went out harder than his body could handle.

“I went out in 2:10 pace (65 minutes at halfway) for the first 27km then pretty much collapsed the last third of the race,” he reveals. “It was a pretty spectacular blow up.”

Basically, he jogged home just to finish.

Among the things he realized is that his marathon training helped his 10k form but the racing effort at the Sun Run might have taken too much out of him coming that close to the Copenhagen race. Another lesson learned.

Broatch works as a software engineer for a renewable energy company called ‘Clear’ writing software for wind farm owners. In his free time he has been enjoying playing golf with family and friends as well as online chess. He admits to being a fan of ‘The Three Body Problem’ trilogy of books.

It is hard to believe that Broatch is still 25 and has many years ahead of him. As he looks toward Toronto Waterfront he seems wiser and confident in the approach he is taking.

“Training has been pretty good,” he reports. “I have been able to run consistently 190 to 200km a week for the last three months now. No injuries, no illness. Definitely, pretty tired. But I think that has been a feature of all my marathon builds.

“I know the Toronto Waterfront course is pretty quick, the organization is great, and they give us a good chance to run a fast tine. So, I definitely would like to improve my Houston time. I think going under 2:11 and getting in that 2:10 club would be pretty good result. I would be quite happy with that.”

Winning national championships also offers tremendous bonus World Athletics points which are used for qualification for the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. He has never represented his country. An international call-up is, he says, something that “is in the back of my mind!”