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iRun iRun because it is my tonic and my salvation Georgia Ioannou , British Columbia

iRun iRun for relaxation and to motivate my two sons Keith Bradbury , Newfoundland

iRun iRun because endorphins are free Cassandra Chouinard , Ontario

iRun iRun because somebody once told me I couldn't Heidi Abbey-Der , Saskatchewan

iRun iRun because couch potatoes die young Cathy Andrew , Ontario

iRun iRun because it's cheaper than therapy Leah Boulter , Alberta

iRun iRun because I like buying running clothes Pamela Blaikie , Ontario

iRun iRun slowly! Jason Hoffman , Manitoba

iRun iRun because iEat Sherry Maligaspe , British Columbia

iRun iRun because I learn more about who I am with every km Steph Mansell , Quebec

iRun iRun because it gives me freedom to relax my brain Marie-Claude Gregoire , Nova Scotia

iRun iRun at 50 years old because at 43 I couldn't Peter Cicalo , Ontario

iRun iRun because it's better than almost everything else Nathan Carey , Ontario

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iRun iRun because walking is too slow Barry Knapp , Ontario

Up To Speed

Breaking Bad News Regarding Toronto’s Marathon Scene

January 26th, 2010

There’s news to report today on the hot topic of Toronto’s dueling fall marathons. A city staff report from the General Manager of Transportation Services to the Public Works and Infrastructure Committee officially recommends the issuing of a single marathon permit starting in 2011. Not a single permit per fall season, a single permit per year. Meaning one of the marathons isn’t just moving, it’s toast.

The full text can be read here.

There are a couple paragraphs in there that, frankly, I find infuriating.  After listing off some surrounding cities that host marathons, mistakenly including London (canceled) and Burlington (hasn’t been one there in many years), the recommendation states:

The concern now is that since both marathons continue to run annually with only three
weeks separating them, the adverse impact of these events on affected commercial and
residential communities, which is no longer tolerable, will increase in severity.

Now considering the importance of this departmental recommendation, I think it’s fair to ask:

1.  Specifically what adverse effects (at 8am on a Sunday morning) are we talking about?

2.  Specifically how are these effects being measured?  Has an impartial  study been executed?  I sure hope we aren’t measuring these effects by a metric such as the number of irate emails received by city councilors or how many horns get honked at intersections.

3.  Specifically what is the threshold for what is and isn’t “tolerable”?  To say that the situation is intolerable implies that such a threshold exists.

The other concern I have is that Transportation Services seems to have arrived at this decision based in part on the inability of the two marathons’ owners to come to an agreement on an amended schedule.  It’s a poorly-kept secret within the Toronto running community that a personal animosity exists between Alan Brookes (Waterfront Marathon) and Jay Glassman (Toronto Marathon).  Fine, these things happen and they can’t come to a deal on how to make two marathons work according to the city’s (ever-undefined) standards.  The result is that city will adopt a policy that decrees that nobody can make it work?  That’s not right.

(Since we’re digging around in City of Toronto documents, I thought I’d exhume the original debate from 2000 when the notion of two city marathons was first considered.  Text here (scroll to page 7).  At the time, many of the same arguments against two marathons were raised.  Yet two marathon permits were issued… and continued to be for 10 years.  What has actually, measurably changed to warrant a 180 degree turn by the city?)

3 Responses to “Breaking Bad News Regarding Toronto’s Marathon Scene”
  1. crankydoonst Says:

    That article you cited is just embarrassing. Why quote irrelevant statistics if you’re not going to get them right? New York marathon has been the biggest since 2003, when it passed London (England, not Ontario). 43,000 last year.
    http://www.aimsworldrunning.org/statistics/World%27s_Largest_Marathons.html

  2. Peter Says:

    there are some interesting articles way back that people may not know of concerning some history….

    http://mynextrace.com/Article326.htm

    http://mynextrace.com/Article332.htm

    http://mynextrace.com/Article320.htm

    http://mynextrace.com/Article318.htm

    Peter

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