Toronto Marathon

Toronto Marathon
Toronto Marathon
Date	May
Location	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Event type	Road
Distance	Marathon, Half marathon, 10K, 5K
Beneficiary	Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation
Established	1977
Course records	Men's: 2:15:17 (2000); Mostafa El Damaoui; Women's: 2:31:47 (2004); Olga Kovpotina
Official site	Toronto Marathon
Participants	1,486 (2019)

The Toronto Marathon, held annually in May, is a race from Mel Lastman Square, in the north end of Toronto, to Ontario Place. The race was initially called the Canadian International Marathon, and was first held in 1995 under its current organizer. The origins of the event trace back to 1977. In 2003, its name was changed to the Toronto Marathon. In 2008, it was again renamed for a new primary sponsor, GoodLife Fitness. It was held previously on the third Sunday in October, the first Sunday after Canadian Thanksgiving, for 16 consecutive years. Because of concerns that the Toronto Waterfront Marathon was being held three weeks prior lead to too many road closures, the Toronto Marathon is now run in May, beginning in 2011.^[1] The event was temporarily held mid-May in 2011, due to other events in the City of Toronto that year. The event is now held on the first Sunday in May, beginning in 2012.

In addition to a full marathon, the event also includes a half marathon, a 10K run, a 5K run, and an eight-person relay across the marathon course. The marathon meets international standards and is a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.

Criticism

In 2018 the Toronto Marathon was accused of having an incorrect distance. Participants believed that the marathon course was 43km even though it was supposed to be 42.2km. The organizers claim that this is not true and that "the distance is 100 per cent correct" [1] Also it was believed by some runners that the 5km race was actually 3.5km, and there were other complaints such as runners being misdirected, and runners sharing the Martin Goodman Trail with other trail users. [2]

Cancelation

The race scheduled for 3 May 2020, was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who had already paid were allowed to defer their entries to the 2021 race.^[2]

List of Marathon winners

Year	Winner men	Nationality	Time	Winner women	Nationality	Time
2020	Race canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2019	Ken Langat	Canada	2:28:52	Dale Findlay	Canada	2:54:00
2018	David Freake	Canada	2:33:57	Julie Hamulecki	Canada	2:52:10
2017	Peter Kemboi	Canada	2:41:06	Michelle Spencer	Canada	3:00:30
2016	Bryan Rusche	Canada	2:35:54	Julie Hamulecki	Canada	2:56:04
2015	David Le Porho	Canada	2:21:54	Jutta Merilainen	Finland	3:00:45
2014	Brendan Kenny	Canada	2:26:25	Rachel Sinasac	Canada	2:55:18
2013	Terry Gehl	Canada	2:37:31	Mylene Sansourci	Canada	2:58:22
2012	Brendan Kenny	Canada	2:27:57	Jutta Merilainen	Canada	2:47:17
2011	Brendan Kenny	Canada	2:27:19.2	Melissa Begin	United States	2:54:50.9
2010	Brandon Laan	Canada	2:23:38.1	Nathalie Goyer	Canada	2:52:50.5
2009	Paul Rugut	Kenya	2:26:08.6	Elizabeth Randell	United States	2:57:53.8
2008	Daniel Njenga	Kenya	2:29:00.0	Dawn Richardson	Bermuda	2:57:46.8
2007	Charles Bedley	Canada	2:21:58.8	Leslie Black	Canada	2:58:47.0
2006	Anthony Skuce	Canada	2:34.10	Nicole Stevenson	Canada	2:47.09
2005	David Cheruiyot	Kenya	2:17.12	Lioudmila Kortchaguina	Canada	2:37.17
2004	Procopio Hernández	Mexico	2:16.42	Olga Kovpotina	Russia	2:31.47
2003	Lemi Chengere	Ethiopia	2:25.55	Angela Batsford	Canada	2:55.04
2002	Michal Kapral	Canada	2:30.40	Karen Cowling	Canada	2:56.13
2001	Jackson Omweri	Kenya	2:22.22	Karen Cowling	Canada	2:56.02
2000	Mostafa El Damaoui	Morocco	2:15.17	Jennifer Cooper	Canada	2:59.04
1999	Manuel Salvati	Canada	2:28.25	Allison McKenzie	Canada	2:59.50
1998	Nick Tsioros	Canada	2:41.49	Carolyn Walker	Canada	3:07.57
1997	Peter Fonseca	Canada	2:28.26	Gaylene Pridham	Canada	2:58.24
1996	Paul Mbugua	Kenya	2:20.33	Kim Webb	Canada	2:37.52
1995	David O'Keefe	United States	2:23.15	Laura Ruptash	Canada	2:49.19