Which city marathon should we keep?
January 28, 2010
Comments on this story
(47)
Noor Javed
They have always been competitors, but never has the race between the two Toronto marathons been so fierce. In the past, the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon and the GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon—held only three weeks apart every fall—were merely vying for runners to join their race.
In coming months, they could also be competing to see their marathon become Toronto’s only major running event.
Next week Toronto’s works committee will consider a report that calls for only one marathon a year, starting in 2011. Officials say it will significantly decrease complaints over road closures, delays and transit disruptions—and allow the city to build tourism and economic potential around one large marathon event.
The decision of which stays will depend who sells their vision for the future the best.
Alan Brookes, race director for the waterfront marathon, says he foresees it becoming an international event at the scale of marathons in Boston, New York and Chicago.
“We have the quality now, but without the city 100 per cent on the team, we will never have the quantity,” said Brookes. He believes the Scotiabank Marathon should be developed to bring in at least 10,000-15,000 marathoners. Currently, it has about 2,800.
Over the past decade the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon has become recognized internationally, thanks in part to the participation of several elite record-breakers in recent years.
“One problem is that we have one event a few weeks later, so we never have the numbers. And if we want to have an event like the Boston, we need to have one signature event that the city rallies around, and everyone gets on board. That’s the problem now.”
Jay Glassman, who has been race director of the GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon since 1995, says his race caters to the average runner—and he wants to keep it that way.
“We recognize that 99 per cent of the field is runners like you and me, who want to compete and merely cross the finish line,” he said. “That’s what is important to us.”
Glassman says the Toronto marathon run goes through the city, from North York, Forest Hill and Rosedale to the lakeshore, and connects the neighborhoods.
“Our race shows the best of the city. We want people to see how beautiful our city is, and come back to see it. You don’t get that on just the lakeshore,” he said.
While the two visions for Toronto’s sole marathon are vastly different, the burden on the city is virtually the same. Both cost the city about $10,000 in staff time to determine what roads or lanes must be closed, and to put city staff on hand to supervise the event, said Peter Noehammer, of the transportation services department. And according to traffic services, both marathons cause significant traffic headaches.
Runners who have done both say deciding which of the two should become the Toronto marathon won’t be easy.
“I like both routes; they have their own charm,” said James Honeyman, who ran the Toronto Marathon twice and the Waterfront Marathon in 2007. “But I also like the idea of having one big marathon, where there are a lot of people and a lot of hype.”
Which would he choose?
“I don’t know. I wouldn’t like to be the person making the decision. It’s tough.”
Featured Sponsored Listings