What an incredible day at the 2019 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (STWM). It was the 30th anniversary, Canadian Championships, and Canadian Tokyo 2020 Marathon Trials. I’m going to be bold to say it was the distance race of the year for Canada.
I’ll do a brief recap on the overall winners of the race because this is about CANADIANS. And I’m going to start with the women’s side because I’m tired of always first seeing men’s results. Magdelyne Masai-Robertson, aka “Mags,” struggled getting to Canada from Kenya due to visa issues and then a missed flight. But it didn’t matter. She set the course record, and Canadian soil record (by 1 second!), winning the race in 2:22:16, which was a 4-minute personal best. Philemon Rono, aka “Baby Police,” also from Kenya, returned to Toronto for redemption and was successful with a surge near the end of the race, winning his third STWM (2016, 2017, 2019) in a time of 2:05:00. It was also a course record and Canadian soil record. Both Kenyans will take home $80,000 for their outstanding performances. It was not only a big payout for Alan Brookes’ Canada Running Series and Scotiabank, but a significant surge for this race on the international stage. Expect to see this race continue to bring in the world’s top athletes.
Now let’s get to the most exciting part, C A N A D A !
DAYNA PIDHORESKY AND TREVOR HOFBAUER ARE GOING TO THE 2020 OLYMPICS!
Why is this particularly exciting? In order for a Canadian racing the 2019 STWM to be guaranteed selection for the Tokyo 2020 team, she/he would have to be first Canadian, and place top 5 in the IAAF gold label race or run the standard of 2:29:30/2:11:30. Both Dayna and Trevor were top Canadians and well under the time standard with their respective 2:29:03/2:09:51. They did both in one race. The current selection process is entirely different than ever before.
In the past, the top three women and men with the time standard on an approved course within the qualifying period, would be named to the team. If you ran the standard early, you had to wait to see if you would hold your spot. This was the case when I ran 2:29:38 in Rotterdam in 2015, well ahead of the end of the qualifying period of May 2016. Only Lanni Marchant bettered my time, and we joined Reid Coolsaet and Eric Gillis in Rio, leaving one female and one male spot empty. Dayna and Trevor can take a deep, deep breath and enjoy their well-earned secured spot for the 2020 Olympic Games. It’s clear that Canada will be sending a full team of three women and three men, given the depth and talent of our athletes.
I had the privilege of being on the this year’s broadcast team with Geoff Wightman and Michael Doyle. Having raced the Berlin Marathon a few weeks ago, it would give me something to look forward to in my downtime. And if not racing the STWM, it’s the next best way to be involved in my most favourite race in the world. Not only was it my most enjoyable broadcast experience, but also my most emotional. You see, the race wasn’t won by the athletes many of us predicted. Both Kinsey Middleton and Cameron Levins returned as defending Canadian Champions after their outstanding debut respective 2018 performances of 2:32:09 and 2:09:25. Cameron broke a 43 year Canadian Marathon record. With Malindi Elmore’s unfortunate withdrawal from the race due to injury just sustained on an easy run the week before, Kinsey and Cameron were the obvious race favourites. In fact, when doing the broadcast we often referred to the Canadian men’s camera as the “Cam Cam.”
We expected another Kinsey-Cam show. Also, the men’s race wasn’t won by the more experienced Olympians, Dylan Wykes and Reid Coolsaet or the debuting youngsters, Rory Linkletter and Evan Esselink. There was a lot to be said about many of these athletes in pre-race interviews and stories. Instead, the race was won by two individuals who had been quietly grinding the kilometres behind the scenes, on their own, going after their big dreams. It was won by two athletes without shoe/apparel sponsors who had not previously run within even 5 minutes of the standard. It was won by two Canadians who did not appear on the stage at the press conference (because the field was so deep and the stage could only fit so many people, a good problem to have). And it was won by each of them running 7 minute personal bests. Lastly, it was won by two people who had the race of their lives at the perfect time on the perfect day, earning them their biggest paycheque of $13,000.
We were thrilled to announce Trevor’s victory as he crossed the line, self-coached and not wearing a watch, becoming only the second Canadian man to run 2:09. He had a perfect training build, went by feel in the race, and in his post race interviews firstly thanked those who supported him at home before speaking much about anything else.
When it came to Dayna’s finish, I was speechless and overcome with emotion, not necessarily ideal when the microphone is on you for this epic moment during the live broadcast.
True to her style, Dayna started at an aggressive pace, with a 1:12:56 half, something that hasn’t always worked in the past. Early on she jumped ahead of the Canadian pack that split at the planned 1:14:02. Due to technical difficulties, it was nearly 30 minutes into the broadcast before we were able to see our lead pack of Canadian women. I understand the difficulty of those on motorcycles with video cameras trying to identify key individuals but was also concerned that we weren’t adhering to our plan of equally covering the four main groups: lead overall women, lead overall men, lead Canadian men, and lead Canadian women. Once we tracked the women’s group down, I was able to speak about those in the group: Kinsey Middleton, Emily Setlack, and Tarah Korir. Then I noticed that Dayna was missing. I quickly turned to my laptop to learn that she was well ahead, running at a potentially risky projected finish time of 2:24 after her first 10 km at 34:09. She was joined by the same pacer who paced her at this spring’s Ottawa Marathon where she was disappointed with her 2:37:19 and sixth place finish, one spot from the top 5 at a gold label race. It was even more upsetting because she believed her fitness was within the 2:29:30, which proved unattainable on a warm and humid day.
In fact, Dayna nearly considered not continuing to pursue her dream of making the Olympics after this heartbreaking race, like after a few other races.We know that for every outstanding performance, there can be an equal underperformance. Dayna was elated to make the 2017 IAAF World Championships team in London, England but was in tears after the race with a time of 2:56:15 and 70th place finish. It was not something you would necessarily expect from the 4-time Around the Bay 30 km winner with a 1:11:46 half marathon time from as early as 2011. She DNF’d (did not finish) the 2016 Houston Marathon and 2018 Chicago Marathon due to illness. And after leading much of the 2016 STWM Canadian Championship, she suffered to the finish, placing third with a sacral stress that would take much time to heal.
But she didn’t turn away. She got back to work. When she got to the start line on October 20, 2019, she knew that anything could happen with the marathon, like many times before. This time it proved to be exactly everything she needed on what would be her perfect day. I wasn’t the only one in tears when she was given the Canadian flag and embraced her husband and coach, Josh Seifarth.
While Dayna and Trevor can put their feet up, the rest of us are collecting our thoughts to determine our next marathon. On the women’s side, Rachel Cliff’s 2:26:56 and Lyndsey Tessier’s ninth at the World Championships give them the standard. So with Dayna, that could be the full team. Emily Setlack’s 2:29:48 from yesterday as second Canadian, will move her up in the points ranking system. On the men’s side, it is more open as no one other than Trevor has the standard. Tristan Woodfine was the second Canadian male and had an impressive personal best of 2:13:16. And many other men have more to prove. It’s definitely an exciting time for the sport to see what might happen in the next seven months before May 31, 2020: the final qualification day.
It’s the marathon. Anything can happen.
A huge congratulations and thank you goes to Alan Brookes and his entire team for putting together a stellar event with a talented international and Canadian field. When an athlete is well cared for, they perform well.
That’s Trevor Hofbauer and Dayna Pidhoresky’s margin of improvement that vaulted them onto Canada’s Olympic team for Tokyo 2020. Today, at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, the two – by virtue of finishing as the top Canadian man and woman – earned an automatic berth to next year’s Summer Olympics.
In what was the fastest overall marathon in Canadian history (both all-comers records set), Hofbauer ran 2:09:51 to dethrone national records holder Cam Levins of the title, lowering his PB from 2:16:48 (2019, Hamburg). For Pidhoresky, her breakthrough came courtesy of a 2:29:03. She entered Sunday’s IAAF Gold Label Marathon with a lifetime best of 2:36:08 (2017, Ottawa).
The two achieved Olympic standard too, eclipsing the marks of 2:11:30 and 2:29:30. Before today, Rachel Cliff and Lyndsay Tessier were the one Canadians with the Olympic marathon standard (or equivalent) as that pool doubled on Sunday.
Conditions were perfect on Sunday. Cool-to-mild conditions, sunny with a mix of overcast skies, and little wind. Case in point: Kenyans Philemon Rono and Magdelyne Masai ran the fastest marathon times ever recorded on Canadian soil, setting all-comers records for men and women. Rono, now a three-time champion, ran 2:05:00 while Masai ran 2:22:16.
Rono famously trains with the NN Running Team alongside world record holder and sub-two-hour marathoner Eliud Kipchoge. Running fans may know Masai as she is the wife of Kiwi Jake Robertson, that country’s marathon record holder.
Also of note, Canadian Emily Setlack broke 2:30 in the marathon running 2:29:48. Meanwhile, Tristan Woodfine set a PB finishing second to Hofbauer running 2:13:16. Levins, the Canadian record holder in the marathon, settled for third in the Trials running 2:15:01. Kinsey Middleton was the third Canadian woman in 2:34:36.
Hofbauer, who had won the Canadian Marathon Championships in 2017 and who took a moment to stare at the clock after he finished today’s race to soak in what he had just done, had the following to say, via Athletics Canada.
“There was an opportunity to make the Olympic team and that’s why I came down here, that’s why I run, everything that I have done for the last five years was to get to this moment,” he says. “Going home and winning that Calgary half-marathon championship race last year was big for the community and for me. From there, I built the momentum going into this year.”
One of the first things Hofbauer did when he crossed the finish line was looking to the crowd to find his father, who was in attendance.
For Pidhoresky, this result has been years in the making. After the race, she told Athletics Canada, “I feel like I have had this performance in me for years. I’m in awe that it all came together when it mattered the most,” said Pidhoresky, who had her splits written on her hand before the race, saying how she was able to run under them throughout the race.”
Interestingly, both runners are unsponsored for apparel, after previously being affiliated with New Balance. Hofbauer wore a NB singlet today without the logo, and his situation may have been a blessing in disguise. Because he has no affiliation with a brand, he was able to wear the shoes of his choice, which happened to be the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next%. Pidhoresky wore the same shoes.
On this week’s show, three runners who have
taken part in this past weekend’s Toronto Waterfront Marathon. First, an Ottawa
chiropractor explains why he will be running the marathon in full firefighting
gear. Then, a woman who has raced the Toronto Waterfront Marathon for 20th
year in a row shares her experience with at this event. Plus, Canadian runner Reid
Coolsaet talks about his attempt to qualify for next year’s Olympics.
It was a beautiful day in Toronto today for more than 20,000 runners, but no one was happier than Trevor Hofbauer and Dayna Pidhoresky, both who ran the marathon fast enough to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“I feel like I’ve had that in me for years,” says Pidhoresky, a 32-year-old long distance runner and familiar face around Canadian races.
Pidhoresky has won Around the Bay three times, and ran the Ottawa Marathon, but her 2:29:03 this morning will send her to the Olympic Games.
In the men’s field, Trevor Hofbauer was your first Canadian, earning the automatic berth to the Olympics. His finishing time was 2:09:51, and the Canadian runners up were Tristan Woodfine, Cam Levins and Reid Coolsaet.
“I wanted to do this for everybody back home,” said Hofbauer, who was the first Canadian winner two years ago. Last year, the first Canadian finisher was Cam Levins, who also broke the Canadian record.
In other big news, Philemon Rono finished the marathon in 2:05, becoming the fastest marathon finisher of all-time on Canadian soil. And first overall for the women was Kenya’s Magdaleine Masai Robertson, who finished in 2:22:09.
It was a beautiful day for racing. A beautiful day for so many runners. And congratulations to everyone, to Trevor, to Dayna, and whoever else did something difficult today.
On Sunday, Reid Coolsaet will race the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. A two-time Olympian, Coolsaet is also a huge fan of the sport, and here he gives us his top five race finishes of all-time. (Note: Kipchoge’s feat last Saturday does not make the list. According to Coolsaet: “I am a fan of his 2-hour attempts. But on those cases there was never a doubt who would be first across the line. Time trialling is impressive and interesting, but not as exciting as watching runners battle it out to the line.”) What are Reid’s all-time favourite battles? Here we go. . . the Reid Coolsaet top five.
5. Moh Ahmed at the 2019 World Champs 5000m. Moh took the lead with 3 laps to go in his bid for a medal. He had four runners hot on his heels, and he had to dispatch two of them for a medal. He wasn’t able to pull away from them and Ingrebriston passed him before the bell. He got clipped and put off balance more than once in the final lap and a half. With 200m, he was in fourth and he looked as though he had already played his last card. Yet he dug even deeper and put himself into the bronze medal position in the final 100m.
4. Callum Hawkins, World Champs Marathon 2019. Hawkins finished 4th at the World Champs marathon in 2017 and has been focused on getting on the podium ever since. In 2018 at the Commonwealth Games marathon, Hawkins had the win all but wrapped up until he succumbed to the heat and collapsed just after the 40km mark. It took Hawkins many months to recover from that heat exhaustion. However, two years after the London World Champs he was lined up in the heat of Doha for another crack at a medal. Halfway, Hawkins was in 17th place and trailing the leaders. The lead pack had distanced themselves pretty well from the rest of the competition and Hawkins was not in the lead pack of six at 35km, but he was looming in the background and making inroads. By 40km, Hawkins had taken over the lead and was making a bid to win the race. Perhaps the energy to catch the leaders was too much and the Ethiopians made a strong move with Lelisa winning and Geremew taking second. Kipruto took the bronze with Hawkins in 4th, once again. Many people wondered if Hawkins would compete again on the same level after his famous collapse. Not only did he regain his form, but he ran well in brutal heat.
3. Jenny Simpson, World Champs 1500, 2011. Jenny became a professional runner in 2010 and started to focus more on the 1500m than the steeplechase. At the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, she was not favourited for a medal. She was in a pack of seven, not in the top three coming around the final bend. She kicked for home and came away with the win. One of the reasons that win sticks out to me is how surprised Jenny was when it sank in that she won the world championships. Her eyes beam wide open in disbelief when she looks up at the scoreboard.
2. Bekele vs Tadesse Word Champs 5000m 2009. Kenenisa Bekele, the 5000m and 10,000m world record holder from Ethiopia. Zerseney Tadesse, the world record holder in the half marathon from Eritrea. It should also be noted that at the World Cross-Country Championships in 2007, Tadesse handed Bekele his first loss after winning ten straight senior XC titles. Tadesse’s tactic was to try and run the kick out of Bekele and he started to press the pace before halfway. With four laps to go everyone else had been dropped by Tadesse’s relentless pace and it was only Bekele on his heels. Just after the bell, Bekele finally moved around Tadesse and kicked for the gold. Even though Tadesse didn’t win, he committed to running a fast pace, which was his best bet to beat Bekele.
1. Eliud Kipchoge vs Bekele vs Guerrouj, World Champs 5000m 2003. This was one of the most ever epic races. It was billed as Kenenisa Bekele, the 2003 10,000m world champ versus Hicham El Guerrouj, the 2003 1500m world champion. Bekele set a fast pace from the start knowing El Guerrouj had better leg speed. After 3km, a young Eliud Kipchoge took over the pace-making, probably as a sacrificial lamb for the other three, more experienced Kenyans in the lead pack. Bekele re-took the lead, but the pace had been slowing ever so slightly and then El Guerrouj took to the front with just over two laps to go and dramatically upped the pace. With 200m to go, it looked as though El Guerrouj was going to win the race—already at the front with a lead. Down the home straight it was a three-way battle between El Guerrouj, Kipchoge and Bekele, with Kipchoge taking the win over El Guerrouj by inches.
Bonus race! Olympian Eric Gillis on Reid Coolsaet, 2011 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Reid was fit enough to break the Canadian record heading in. On race day, we had some conditions that were not favourable for that happening and he made the most of it, changing plans the night before. I was rooming with him and he went and chatted with [coach] Dave just before bed and discussed going out with the leaders. He came back and told me and I was already almost asleep, and it didn’t surprise me. But that’s what he did! At 32k, someone yelled, “Reid is in the lead!” I ran my own fastest kilometre of the race in that next one, then one of my slowest the preceding. Reid went on the break 2:11 for the first time and I think finished third overall. That was a pretty damn gutsy race from a pretty damn gutsy racer!
Why our author plans on returning to Quebec City for the Pentathlon des neiges with his family year after year.
One of the best moments of one of my best family vacations was at the
Pentathlon des neiges—and bear in mind this was in February, in Quebec, with a 5-
and 7-year-old.
Pentathlon des neiges is a dizzyingly fun and event biking, running, skiing, skating and snow shoeing outdoor festival that’s operated by some of the nicest people in the world. It’s the world’s largest winter multi-sport event and has 16 different events for people at every athletic level. Being in Quebec, of course, means the food, beer and wine is terrific, but what was extraordinary about the weekend was my kid’s faces. You can’t buy smiles like that, you have to earn them. And the achievable physical exertion displayed by my family, including my wife and I, made the race even more meaningful. We weren’t just happy, we were proud.
This year marks the event’s sixteenth birthday, and it seems to improve
year after year. (Recently they added the option of renting some equipment,
which is key for folks flying in from out of town.) Of course, we were nervous
about trying something new. We live in Toronto and don’t participate in
multisport winter events. My daughter just learned to skate and my son hasn’t
been up on skis. So what truly made the event soar beyond fun—because you can
have “fun” at Disney World—was that as a family we rose to a challenge that was
new in an environment that was supportive, inclusive and triumphant, full of
glee.
Our entire weekend in Quebec was spent outdoors. We played in the snow, visited the ice hotel, went tubing and immersed ourselves in the outdoor lifestyle that’s long inspired warm feelings between my wife and I. (It was in Quebec City, after all, at Bonhomme Carnaval when I first knew I’d propose.) It felt like all of the time acquainting ourselves to the weather and vibe led into the day of the big event. I don’t want to call it a “race,” because we weren’t competing against anyone. It was more like something we were doing together. And when my daughter got on her ice skates, the three of us stood beside the rink and cheered. My son, the baby of the group, ran his leg of the relay as fast as he could, his little legs making strong strides in the ice. When he returned to us waiting for him with open arms, he fell right over into the snow. He was exhausted. He was elated. And when it came to my turn to run in snowshoes, I threw him on my shoulders. Together, we crossed the finish line.
There’s lots of ways to spend time with your family, lots of trips you can take and places to drop your hard-earned money. But we found an active vacation at the Pentathlon des neiges was right for us. It bonded us in a way we all will cherish for life.
For more information about Pentathlon des neiges click here
Kipchoge's family awaits his finish. Image via the Guardian.
On Saturday evening, I lingered over images captured on Eliud Kipchoge’s groundbreaking and history making run under the INEOS 1:59 Challenge. A shot of the man himself waving off his pacers and gesturing to the crowd as he approached the finish matched the magnitude of the accomplishment, as did every shot of crowds celebrating in his native Kenya.
The image that resonated most for me, however, was a capture of Kipchoge’s family awaiting him at the finish. His daughter shows some enthusiasm, but his sons bear the expected look of young children forced to extract themselves from bed early on a Saturday morning to stand in the cold for some reason they can’t quite understand.
The result itself invites countless questions. Does this actually mean anything in the world of road racing and will it have any impact there? What about his shoes? What makes a marathon a marathon?
The answer to all those questions is that I don’t know. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable does.
Looking beyond the major visible impacts that we may or may not see as a result of Kipchoge’s accomplishment, his children saw a vivid example of what it means to put it all on the line. Even with the controls afforded Kipchoge, he set a clear intention–one considered impossible for all but very recent history–and let the world watch as he pursued it.
Once the fatigue of the day is gone, I’d like the think Kipchoge’s children have a moment they can learn from and be energized by for a lifetime, regardless of IAAF ratification.
The philosopher and psychotherapist Irvin Yalom called it rippling. It’s as simple as it sounds. In his book Staring at the Sun, Yalom argues that one of our greatest defences against the existential threat of meaninglessness is to consider the positive ripples we’ve made by way of our actions and to follow through by acting with this as our motivator. Think about the values we want to impart and act on them. Your actions will be a gift to others.
Yalom writes, “I think we ripple on into others, just like a stone puts its ripples into a brook. That, for me, too, is a source of comfort. It kind of, in a sense, negates the sense of total oblivion. Some piece of ourselves, not necessarily our consciousness, but some piece of ourselves gets passed on and on and on.”
It’s a win-win. Our lives become filled with meaning and others are empowered with belief and excitement.
When we run, some of the greatest beneficiaries are those who watch us and see ambition on display. Children, especially, understand action. They don’t care to be told what to do, especially by adults dragging their asses. We as adults, too, often need to witness the moments that show us why it’s all worth it.
My decision to lace up a pair of shoes for the first time also came with the question of what my two nieces, both under the age of 5 at the time, would see when they looked at me. What would I teach them with my actions? I couldn’t tell them to chase dreams if I never showed any sign of passion or enthusiasm or a willingness to do something that perhaps sounded a bit inadvisable.
Kipchoge’s unquestionably remarkable run made us think about that leap we’re trying to make despite the risks. He created a ripple that may or may not be seen in road racing on a global scale, but that doesn’t really matter. In this moment, Kipchoge’s actions show that barriers can be broken with humility, joy, and fearlessness. For those who chose to see that, this accomplishment matters.
On this week’s show we are giving thanks for the opportunities that running brings each of us. First, why one runner chose to race while wearing a superhero costume. Then, the a 79 year old runner who continues to pound the pavement shares how the sport ahs helped him problem solve and get inspired. Plus, comedian and author Jessica Holmes runs a very special 10K.
The Dark Knight Runner’ first appeared in October 2013 at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Inspired by a photo he’d seen of four people dressed as superheroes washing the windows of a children’s hospital in Pittsburgh, JP ran his first marathon dressed as Batman.
He wanted to share the same happiness and hope he’d seen the window-washers inspire as he ran. He was supporting a cause close to his heart: in 1983, at the age of seven, JP was rushed to SickKids, where he was treated for a ruptured appendix. That positive experience stuck with him. And it’s why he chose to dedicate that first marathon to SickKids.
“Finishing a marathon has many purposes for those who run, but I knew it would be great to do something for the hospital that saved my life,” said JP.
“The image of Batman running for charity resonated,” says JP, “To see the young children’s faces along the route light up, and then be offered a high five – that was amazing.”
And it made a difference. Running his first marathon dressed as Batman, JP raised close to $1,100.
JP carried that feeling through five years of races. And he picked up friends along the way. After getting noticed on social media, others were inspired to run as superheroes while fundraising. Soon after, the Justice League Runners formed, and could be found at races across the city.
While JP ran for the last time as The Dark Knight Runner in 2018, what he got from running for SickKids has stayed with him.
“Because of the time I was Batman,” he says, “it allowed me to change careers. Now I’m studying to work in the healthcare field as an Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapist Assistant. I’m in my second year at Durham College in Oshawa. None of this would have happened if not for running for SickKids.”
The SickKids Warriors program was not ‘up and running’ when JP ran as the Caped Crusader. But he ran with the spirit of a SickKids Warrior. You can, too.
When you decide to run your race as a fundraiser for SickKids, you become a SickKids Warrior. It’s easy to do. And when you challenge yourself, kids win. Click here to register to run through the SickKids website.
Our Magazine
