← All eventsTCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon
Canada's championship marathon — a mostly flat, fast course through the downtown core and along the waterfront, finishing near Nathan Phillips Square. A strong PB course with a few short inclines. Next date ~17 Oct 2027 (approximate — confirm on the official site).
One of the fastest marathons in Canada, and the national championship. 42.195km on closed roads through downtown Toronto and along the Lake Ontario waterfront, finishing on Bay Street by City Hall.
Just ~130m of climbing the whole way. No wall-hill to fear, only a Spadina fly-over and a short rise up Bay Street to the line. This is a genuine PB course.
Cool October air, typically 4 to 12C at the start. The terrain won't beat you, pacing will. The race doesn't really start until 30km, so run even splits and save something for that final rise.
Is TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon for you?
- PB hunters. Flat terrain, cool autumn air and closed roads make this one of the best courses in Canada to run your number.
- Disciplined even-pacers. A fast course punishes the fast start hardest, so it rewards runners who hold back early and run the second half honest.
- Runners who've put in the volume. 42km with no hill to hide behind means the long runs and weekly mileage are what carry you home.
- Athletes who fuel on the move. At 2h40 to 5h-plus, dialled gel timing is the difference between finishing strong and fading at 30km.
Training plan for TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon
A training plan for TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon isn't a generic base build. Beina reads the event's exact demands, looks at your specific profile and the time you actually have, and maps a highly adapted plan to the start line.
- 42.195km on fast, mostly flat roads: the distance and discipline are the test, not the terrain.
- Only two inclines worth naming, the Spadina fly-over and the short Bay Street rise to the finish.
- A cool 4 to 12C start with a possible lake breeze off Lake Ontario on the exposed waterfront sections.
- 2h40 to 5h-plus of continuous effort, so fuelling at 60 to 90g of carbs an hour is non-negotiable.
- Marathon-pace long runs of 28 to 35km with 15 to 20km at goal pace, the single most important session.
- Long tempo: 40 to 60 min continuous at marathon pace to hold speed on fast roads.
- Threshold intervals: 3 to 4 x 3km at threshold pace with 90s recovery.
- A full dress rehearsal, 28 to 30km at race pace with exact race-day nutrition and kit.
- Built from your current fitness and the time you actually have
- Adapts every week as Beina learns how you respond
- Syncs your sessions straight to Garmin and Wahoo
- One clear next session, never a wall of spreadsheet
