Highlights
- More than 25,000 participants from 78 countries hit the streets of Toronto to run, walk, and wheel through the marathon’s scenic 5K, 21K, and 42K courses.
- The official TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon app, powered by TCS, was downloaded more than 38,000 times—up 27% from last year’s 30,000.
- By race day, over $2 million had been pledged, with high hopes to reach the target amount by the November 13 campaign end date.
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By the numbers
Fall is a busy time for sports fans in Toronto, with hockey, basketball, football, and soccer seasons all getting underway.
But this October, the hottest ticket in town was a sport of a different kind—marathon running. TCS and race organizer Canada Running Series were thrilled as the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon sold out a full six weeks in advance.
On October 15, more than 25,000 participants from 78 countries hit the streets of Toronto to run, walk, and wheel through the marathon’s scenic 5K, 21K, and 42K courses. North America was well represented, with presence from all 13 Canadian provinces and territories and 47 US states, as well as 713 runners from Mexico. As many as 100,000 friends, family members, and running enthusiasts came out to show their support at one or more of the 28 official cheer sites, as well as at the start and finish lines. In addition, 3,000 volunteers gave their time over the weekend, helping at the Race Expo event and distributing water, medals, and blankets on race day.
The official TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon app, powered by TCS, was downloaded more than 38,000 times—up 27% from last year’s 30,000, allowing fans to track runners, watch the live broadcast, measure their environmental impact, and more. And new to the app this year was the “Belief Boosters” feature—personal messages of encouragement sent by fans and supporters of the runners. More than 14,000 such messages were displayed on a giant screen at the dedicated TCS Cheer Zone.
Meet the winners
In the closest race of the day, the top two women, Ethiopia’s Buze Diriba Kejela and Waganesh Mekasha, finished just a second apart.
Kenya’s Elvis Kipchoge Cheboi led the men’s category while also achieving a personal best. In their marathon debut, Thomas Broatch emerged victorious in the Canadian men’s race, while Caroline Pomerleau took the lead over Anne-Marie Comeau in the final stretch to take the Canadian women’s title. And it was a repeat for Josh Cassidy, who took first place in the wheelchair division for the second consecutive year, beating his 2022 time by more than two minutes.
See all the results and highlights at www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com
Running for a cause
Now in its 20th year, the 2023 TCS Charity Challenge allowed marathon participants to fundraise for one of the 159 official charity partners, choosing a cause most meaningful to them.
Anh Vuong-Phillpotts, Community and Charity Challenge Manager, Canada Running Series, hopes to celebrate this special anniversary by raising $3 million, surpassing the $2.7 million brought in last year. She calls the TCS Charity Challenge a “humbling and valuable experience.” She is especially thrilled to boost some of the smaller, volunteer-based charities. By race day, over $2 million had been pledged, with high hopes to reach the target amount by the November 13 campaign end date.
Making and breaking records
The 2023 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon saw several firsts and milestones, beginning with the marathon itself.
The event was a complete sellout well ahead of time—a first for the full marathon and the earliest date ever for the half.
Four of the day’s winners were first-timers: the Canadian men’s and women’s 42K champions, as well as the number one overall half marathoners. The top Canadian wheelchair racer broke his previous record while setting a new one. Many TCS clients and employees also celebrated the completion of their very first race.
The 2,000 international competitors in attendance shattered another record, up from 1,400 in 2022.
And if those aren’t enough, what about the titles of Fastest half marathon dressed as an elf or Fastest marathon dribbling a basketball? The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon and Canada Running Series partnered with GUINNESS WORLD RECORDSTM to ensure on-site verification for participants hoping to make the record books. Subject to final confirmation, an impressive 11 unique records were broken in Toronto this year.
Stepping up for sustainability
Sustainability measures are at the heart of the Toronto Waterfront Marathon.
The sustainability efforts launched in previous years continued in 2023, including diverting a large amount of waste away from landfills, replacing single-use water bottles with compostable cups, and distributing virtual-only event bags. In addition, all race medals were made from 100% recyclable materials. With these initiatives, along with recently achieving Evergreen status from the Council for Responsible Sport, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is fulfilling its promise to become the most sustainable race in Canada.
Building on belief, together
In only their second year of partnership, TCS and Canada Running Series have succeeded in bringing the world to Toronto and Toronto to the world.
“TCS is part of a global running community, and we are honored to be leading the way to bring innovation and sustainability to the forefront of Canada’s premier running event,” said Soumen Roy, TCS, Executive Director and Country Head, Canada. Alan Brookes, Race Director, TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, called this year’s marathon “one for the books”, sharing his appreciation for the community coming together to “run, walk, and wheel a combined 549,450 km, raise an anticipated nearly $3 million for 159 charities, and once again make Toronto proud on the world stage.”
A look ahead: The next TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon will be held on October 20, 2024. A word to the wise: register early!
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TCS is part of a global running community, and we are honored to be leading the way to bring innovation and sustainability to the forefront of Canada’s premier running event
