TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

The Race

History

The race began in 2000 as a Toronto autumn road race and has run on the waterfront and through the downtown grid ever since. Canada Running Series organises it. Since 2017 it has doubled as the Athletics Canada national marathon championship, which puts the country’s fastest marathoners on the start line beside several thousand club runners and first-timers.

Two Canadian records frame its modern reputation. Cam Levins ran 2:09:25 here in 2018 and broke Jerome Drayton’s 43-year-old national mark. A year later Philemon Rono of Kenya set the course record of 2:05:00, a time that still stands for men. The women’s record is 2:20:44, run by Waganesh Mekasha of Ethiopia in 2024. Ed Whitlock, the Canadian who ran sub-3:00 marathons into his seventies, set an age-group world mark of 3:56:33 for the 85 to 89 category on this course in 2016.

The 2019 race produced a smaller kind of record: participants set 14 Guinness World Records in a single morning, from costumed runs to themed relays. In 2020 the in-person event was cancelled during the pandemic and replaced by a virtual race. Tata Consultancy Services became title sponsor in 2022, and the same year the race took Evergreen Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport. The Impact Bib, which swaps the souvenir shirt for a donation to a sustainability charity, belongs to the same programme.

The course has changed with Toronto’s construction. The 2024 edition used detours around Port Lands flood-protection works, and the 2025 edition was the first to start on Yonge Street. The October 2026 race produced a second consecutive men’s win for Leonard Langat of Kenya in 2:06:51, a women’s win for Leah Jeruto in 2:21:19 and a Canadian title for Andrew Davies, who ran 2:08:48 on his marathon debut.

The course

The marathon starts on Yonge Street just north of Gerrard Street, facing north, and finishes on Bay Street just north of Queen Street West, beside City Hall. The two points sit about a kilometre apart, so the course is a loop with a small offset.

The route climbs 14 m up Yonge Street to Bloor Street in the first 1.2 km, the high point of the day at 121 m, then runs west along Bloor Street and south down Bathurst Street to Lake Ontario, losing 45 m by km 8. Lake Shore Boulevard West carries it past Exhibition Place and Sunnyside to a turn in South Parkdale at km 12, and the same road brings it back to Union Station at km 20. From there the course heads east along Front Street East, makes an out-and-back up Bayview Avenue between km 22.7 and km 26, and follows Eastern Avenue, Carlaw Avenue and Lake Shore Boulevard East to Queen Street East in the Beaches. The eastern turn is at km 33. The last 9 km retrace that road west, and the final 2.3 km rise 14 m up Front Street East and Bay Street to the finish.

The organiser’s estimate of cumulative ascent is about 138 m. Aid stations stand roughly every 3 km.

Km 0–3: North to Bloor and west. The gun goes at 08:00 on Yonge Street, facing north. The road climbs 14 m in the first 1.2 km, from 107 m to 121 m, an average of 1.1%. Start patiently: a fast first kilometre in a crowded corral costs more than the hill does. The course turns west onto Bloor Street at about km 1.2 and follows it to Bathurst Street at km 3.3, easing from 121 m to 116 m on the way.

Km 3–8: Down Bathurst Street to the lake. At km 3.3 the course turns south onto Bathurst Street and loses 38 m in the next 3.7 km, at 1.2% to 1.4% between km 4 and km 6, to reach Lake Shore Boulevard West at 78 m by km 7. Streetcar tracks cross the road at Queen and King, at about km 5, and the surface is rough in places. Look down, not ahead.

Km 8–20: The lakeshore. Lake Shore Boulevard West is wide, open and flat: the profile stays between 76 m and 81 m for 12 km. The course passes Exhibition Place, where the expo is held, at about km 8, goes through Sunnyside at km 11 and turns in South Parkdale at km 12. The turn is a hairpin on the same road, so faster runners meet the slower field coming the other way and slower runners see the leaders. This is the most exposed stretch of the course: a westerly puts the wind in your face on the way out, and a southerly can push sideways on the way back. The course crosses Bay Street beside Union Station at about km 20, and halfway falls on Front Street East a kilometre later.

Km 20–33: The east. From Union Station the course runs east along Front Street East through St. Lawrence and Corktown, rising 8 m between km 20 and km 21, then turns north onto Bayview Avenue at about km 22.7 for an out-and-back through Regent Park, with the turn at km 24.3 and the return to Front Street East at km 26. It continues on Eastern Avenue at km 27 and Carlaw Avenue at km 28, then follows Lake Shore Boulevard East from km 29 to km 31. Support thins along this stretch. The road climbs 10 m between km 31 and km 33, from 78 m to 88 m, as it joins Queen Street East, where the crowds return in the Beaches. The turn is near Beech Avenue at km 33. Runners pass the same spot going out and coming back within a few minutes, which makes it the best place for spectators to see a runner twice.

Km 33–42.2: Home into the wind. The return leg retraces Queen Street East, Lake Shore Boulevard East, Carlaw Avenue and Eastern Avenue, dropping from 88 m to 77 m by km 37 and staying within 3 m of that level until km 40. In 2026 several runners described the last 8 km as hard work into a headwind, and a cold westerly blew off the lake. The final climb starts at km 40: 14 m in 2.3 km, from 79 m on Eastern Avenue to 93 m on Bay Street, which takes the course along Front Street East and Wellington Street East and then north up Bay Street. The finish is on Bay Street just north of Queen Street West, in front of City Hall.

Aid stations stand roughly every 3 km and each has accessible toilets. Water, electrolytes and gels are covered under nutrition. Chip timing is by Sportstats.

Course Map

The map shows the course from Yonge Street through Bloor Street and Bathurst Street to the lake, out along Lake Shore Boulevard West and east to the Beaches, with the start, finish, both turnarounds, bag check, expo and the subway and GO stations used by runners and spectators.

Pacers

ASICS pace teams run on a single start with no waves. Corrals are colour-coded by expected finish time, with the colour printed on the bib.

There is no pacer for 3:35 or 3:55. Check the list again when the 2027 teams are published.

What to wear

Start-line temperatures in recent years have run from about 4°C to about 19°C, and the range counts for more than the average. The 2026 race started cold, at roughly 4 to 7°C depending on the source, with a westerly wind off Lake Ontario. The 2025 race started at about 19°C with a southerly wind and was warm for the whole distance. The two years between those, 2023 and 2024, began at 8 and 9°C.

Dress for the first 5 km and carry a layer you can abandon. Clothing thrown away at the start is a common sight on Yonge Street, and the organiser asks runners to hold rubbish until the drop zones at water stations marked with Clean Streets signs. Gloves and a hat are worth having in a cold year, because the corral wait on Yonge Street is exposed to wind between the buildings.

The lakefront stretch from km 8 to km 20 has no shade and little shelter. A thin windproof layer tied around the waist helps in a cold year, and sunscreen is useful in a warm one. On the return leg the wind is stronger than the forecast number suggests: several 2026 runners described the final 8 km as a headwind. Check the Toronto forecast in race week, look at wind direction as well as speed, and plan fluids for either extreme.

Entry

Entry is open registration on Race Roster. There is no ballot and no waitlist. The marathon field is capped at 9,500, the half marathon at 13,000 and the 5K at 8,500, and the marathon and half sell out months before race day. The 2026 marathon and half sold out more than five months ahead, and the 2025 pair sold out earlier than any previous edition. Registration for the next race opens in late October, straight after the previous race, and prices rise in blocks as registrations are sold.

In the most recent edition the base marathon fee was CA$190 before a CA$33.25 processing fee and 13% HST. The half marathon was CA$155 plus CA$23.15, and the 5K was CA$60 plus CA$11.03. The minimum age is 18 for the marathon and 16 for the half. The Impact Bib costs the same but replaces the souvenir shirt with a donation to a sustainability charity on the runner’s behalf. A walk category, with separate results, lets entrants complete the full distance on foot from the last corral. No separate international fee appears on the registration page.

Registration fees are non-refundable and non-deferrable. Race Roster’s optional Enhanced Refund Protection, bought at checkout, covers qualifying reasons. Pregnant and postpartum runners (up to 24 weeks after birth) can request a deferral with medical confirmation no later than 14 days before race day. Each entry can be transferred once, through Race Roster, with the incoming runner paying the current fee plus CA$10.

The TCS Charity Challenge offers places through about 150 partner charities, though a charity commitment does not secure a place in a sold-out race. Marathon Tours & Travel, the official travel partner, sells packages with guaranteed entry and three nights near the start and finish.

Elite entry is by invitation. Applications ran from 1 May to 31 August, with a race-specific men’s A standard of 2:10:00 and a women’s A standard of 2:27:00. Looser standards on the Canada Running Series programme page, 2:15:00 for men, apply to the programme and not to this race.

Fast Runner / GFA Standards

No guaranteed fast-runner entry exists. Entry is open to everyone in the eligible age range. The elite standards below apply only to invited athletes.

Race Weekend

Expo

The expo and bib pickup are at the Better Living Centre, 195 Princes’ Boulevard, Exhibition Place. That is about 4 km west of the start and finish, not at City Hall. Exhibition GO Station on the Lakeshore West line is on the edge of the grounds, and TTC streetcars serve Exhibition Place, though race-weekend diversions apply. The course itself passes the grounds at about km 8.

In the most recent edition the expo opened on Friday 10:00 to 20:00 and Saturday 10:00 to 18:00. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing. Saturday pickup is for marathon and half marathon runners only. The 5K runs on Saturday, so 5K runners had to collect on Friday and no 5K bibs were issued on Saturday. No Sunday pickup was listed for any distance, so allow time to reach the expo before race day.

Collecting for someone else requires their race-week bib number email and a text, email or handwritten permission from them. One person may collect up to three kits, including their own. No identification requirement for collecting a bib in person is published.

The expo is free to enter and includes a main stage with talks on both days. Expect a queue on Friday afternoon and Saturday midday. Early Friday morning is the quietest window for an international arrival that lands before noon. Bag check on race day is at Nathan Phillips Square, not the expo. Bags must fit within 45 x 32 x 17 cm, carry the tear-off sticker from the bib and be supplied by the runner. The organiser does not give out clear bags.

Getting to the Start

Start times. The marathon and half marathon start at 08:00 on Yonge Street, north of Gerrard Street, facing north. The wheelchair division starts at 07:57. There is a single start with no waves, and runners are placed in colour-coded corrals by expected finish time, with the colour printed on the bib. The south corral gate closes at 09:25 and the start line closes at 09:31 after the walking corral crosses. Those are deadlines for the last starters, not advice for a runner with an 08:00 target.

The Sunday transit problem.The TTC subway did not start Sunday service until 08:00 in the most recent edition, the same moment as the gun, and the organiser’s road closure notice tells participants to plan around it. The Saturday 5K had an earlier subway start of 06:00, and a 06:00 Sunday start remains a mayoral campaign pledge, not a service change. Sunday arrivals by transit rely on buses: the 306 Carlton night bus gives the most direct access to the start, the 320 Yonge and 300 Bloor-Danforth night buses connect to it, and the organiser recommends the Yonge and Bloor buses. Westbound Bloor buses divert at Church Street from 07:00. Streetcars are disrupted: about 25 routes divert from 04:00, and the 511 Bathurst does not run until 11:30. The simplest answer is to stay within walking distance of the start. No free transit for runners has been announced.

Road closures. Yonge Street from Gerrard to Adelaide closes at 03:00, Lake Shore Boulevard West at 05:00, and Bloor Street, Bathurst Street and most of the downtown grid between 06:00 and 08:00. Bay Street closes to east-west pedestrians from Lake Shore Boulevard to Dundas Street at 08:45. Cross at Dundas Street or through the pedestrian bridge inside Union Station, just south of Front Street.

Bag check. Marathon bag check at Nathan Phillips Square, just north of Queen Street, runs from 06:00 to 15:00. Half marathon bag check is on Queen Street, just south of the Square, from 06:00 to 14:00. Unclaimed bags go to the Canada Running Series warehouse in Etobicoke and must be collected by arrangement. Bike valet is available on Queen Street east of York from 06:30 to 13:00.

On course. Accessible toilets stand at every water station. The organiser asks runners to carry their own bottle and refill it at the first table of each station, and to hold waste until the Clean Streets drop zones. Lactation stations are in the medical tent at Nathan Phillips Square and at the water stations near km 12 and km 31.

Finish. The finish line closes at 15:30. Finishers receive a medal, recovery food and fluids. The Odyssey Medical tent is just past the finish at Queen and Bay, and Running Physio offers post-race treatment at the finish line and Nathan Phillips Square. Marathon awards take place on the Main Stage at 11:30. Results are by Sportstats.

Timing buffer. Allow 60 to 90 minutes between leaving the hotel and the gun if you are walking, to clear the road closures and reach your corral.

Nutrition on Course

Water and electrolyte drink are served roughly every 3 km, and gels are handed out at three points. In the most recent edition the electrolyte drink was Organika Extra Strength Electrolytes in lemon-lime, and the gels were Hornet Energy in Original, Blueberry Raspberry and Apple Cinnamon, all without caffeine. The gel tables stood at about km 11.8, km 23.1 and km 30.6. Earlier editions served Nuun and GU, so guides and race reports from 2025 and before describe different products. Runners who have only trained on GU should practise with Hornet before travelling.

Every water station has accessible toilets. The first table at each station will refill a personal bottle. The organiser asks runners to drop cups and gel wrappers at the Clean Streets zones marked with signs at the stations, not on the road.

Two runners in the 2026 race reported that gels ran out at stations late in the field, while others found them plentiful. That is a small sample, but carrying your own fuel costs little. The 3 km spacing is generous enough that a bottle is not essential, though a runner who uses a specific carbohydrate drink should carry it.

Spectating

A spectator can realistically see a runner four times on a morning: at the start or on Bloor Street, at Union Station near km 20, on Queen Street East in the Beaches, and at the finish. The best single spot is Queen Street East near Beech Avenue. The course reaches the eastern turn at km 33, and a runner passes the same spot twice within a few minutes.

The subway did not run until 08:00 on Sunday in the most recent edition, so a spectator who wants to see the start must walk, take a night bus or arrive by 07:30 at the latest. The 306 Carlton night bus runs closest to the start. After the start the surface network is diverted, and the subway becomes the dependable way to move. Bay Street closes to east-west pedestrians between Lake Shore Boulevard and Dundas Street at 08:45. Cross at Dundas Street or use the pedestrian bridge just south of Front Street inside Union Station.

The organiser’s older cheer-zone list names Harbourfront, Corktown, Cabbagetown, GreekTown, Leslieville, the Beach and St. Lawrence, among others. That list dates from the 2019 route, so check zone locations against the current course map before relying on one. The Toronto Waterfront Marathon website has a live tracking map.

Spectator Transport Itinerary A: start, Bloor Street, finish

Watch the 08:00 start near Yonge Street and Gerrard Street. College station on Line 1 is about 100 m away and Wellesley about 450 m, but the subway opens at 08:00, too late for the gun, so walk in or take the 306 night bus. Take Line 2 (Bloor-Danforth) to Spadina or Bathurst station for the Bloor Street corridor, where runners pass between km 1 and km 3. Then take Line 1 to Queen or Osgoode station for the finish on Bay Street.

Spectator Transport Itinerary B: Union Station and the finish

Take Line 1 to Union Station for km 20, where the course crosses Bay Street beside the station. Use the pedestrian bridge just south of Front Street, inside Union Station, to reach the east side of Bay Street. Then take Line 1 to Queen station, two stops north of Union, for the finish on Bay Street.

Spectator Transport Itinerary C: the Beaches

Take Line 2 to Woodbine station, then walk about 2 km south along Woodbine Avenue to Queen Street East. Surface routes including the 501 Queen streetcar are diverted on race morning, so check the TTC race-day notice. Watch from Queen Street East between Woodbine Avenue and Beech Avenue for the outbound pass near km 32 and the return near km 34. Allow time to walk back, since the eastern end is the furthest part of the course from the finish. Do not send half marathon supporters to the Beaches: the half turns for the finish while the marathon continues east.

Post-Race Food

The organiser provides recovery food and fluids in the finish area at Nathan Phillips Square, which closes at 15:30. A sit-down meal needs a short walk from Race Central, and the useful places are all within 600 m of the finish.

Pizzeria Libretto at 155 University Avenue serves Neapolitan pizza and is open daily from 11:00 to 22:00, including Sundays. It is a straightforward choice for carbohydrates after a long run. Café Landwer at 165 University Avenue does a full breakfast menu with a Mediterranean slant and suits a late finisher who wants eggs before pizza.

Florin Trattoria at 80 Richmond Street West is an Italian restaurant a few blocks from the finish and works for a relaxed post-race dinner. Booking is advisable on race weekend. Richmond Station at 1 Richmond Street West serves farm-to-table dinners and suits a celebratory meal. Chefs Hall at 111 Richmond Street West is a food hall that works for a group with different appetites.

Dineen Coffee Co. at 140 Yonge Street and Maman at 100 King Street West sell coffee and pastries for the walk back to the hotel.

Where to Stay

Stay as close to the finish as the budget allows. The finish is on Bay Street beside City Hall, the start is about a kilometre north on Yonge Street, and the Sunday subway opened at the gun in 2026, so a hotel within walking distance of the start does more for the weekend than any other choice. Distances are straight-line and approximate.

City Hall and Queen West

City Hall and Queen West is the strongest finish-first choice. The Sheraton Centre Toronto at 123 Queen Street West faces Nathan Phillips Square, about 240 m from the finish and about 1.2 km from the start. Race Central, bag check and the finish line are on the doorstep.

Financial District and Union Station

The Financial District holds the Hilton Toronto at 145 Richmond Street West, about 430 m from the finish. Union Station, the UP Express from Pearson and GO trains are a short walk south. The district is quiet on a Saturday night, which suits a runner who wants to sleep.

Yonge-Dundas and the Eaton Centre

Yonge-Dundas puts the Marriott Downtown at CF Toronto Eaton Centre, 525 Bay Street, about 220 m from the finish and 750 m from the start. Shops and restaurants are open on Saturday, and the hotel is a few minutes from Dundas station. Noise from Yonge-Dundas Square can carry on Saturday night.

Yonge and Gerrard

Yonge and Gerrard is where the Chelsea Hotel at 33 Gerrard Street West stands, about 330 m from the start and 660 m from the finish. It is the nearest official partner to the start line.

Entertainment District and King West

The Entertainment District is livelier on Saturday night, with theatres and restaurants around the Hyatt Regency Toronto at 370 King Street West, about 1.1 km from the finish and 1.8 km from the start. The Westin Harbour Castle at 1 Harbour Square is a waterfront option about 1.4 km from the finish and 2.4 km from the start, so it suits a runner who plans to take a taxi to the corral.

The organiser’s partner hotel list, with rates published on the event page, included the Sheraton Centre, Marriott Downtown, Hilton, Chelsea, Westin Harbour Castle and Hyatt Regency in the most recent edition. Several offered a 15:00 late checkout on request, which is worth asking for after a long race.

Recommended hotels

Booking timeline

There is no ballot, so the timeline starts with the entry. Registration opens in late October for the following October, and prices rise in blocks as places sell. The marathon and half marathon sold out more than five months before race day in the most recent edition, so a runner travelling from overseas should register at the first sensible price and treat the entry as the anchor of the trip.

The organiser’s partner hotels release a block of rooms with a booking deadline. In 2026 the Marriott’s deadline was 15 September, and it offered free cancellation up to 72 hours before arrival. Book a refundable room after the entry is confirmed, then check rates again closer to race weekend. How early hotels fill for race weekend is not documented, but the weekend draws more than 31,000 participants across the three distances.

Flights into Toronto Pearson (YYZ) or Billy Bishop (YTZ) are cheaper in advance. Long-distance train fares to Montréal and Ottawa are also lower when booked early.

See & Do

These four places are all within a flat walk of the finish on Bay Street and of the downtown partner hotels.

Nathan Phillips Square and Toronto City Hall

About 0.2 km (0.1 miles) from the finish. The finish sits beside the square, so it is the first place a runner can walk to after collecting a bag. The reflecting pool, the Toronto sign and the curved towers of City Hall are on the same plaza and are free to visit. The square also hosts the post-race food and the awards stage.

Art Gallery of Ontario

About 0.9 km (0.5 miles) from the finish. The AGO at 317 Dundas Street West is a flat 10-minute walk from the finish and has seating throughout, which suits stiff legs. It is usually closed on Mondays, so a Sunday afternoon visit or a Tuesday is the more reliable plan. Check opening hours before going.

St. Lawrence Market

About 0.9 km (0.6 miles) from the finish. The market at 92 Front Street East sits a short walk from the finish and is flat all the way. The main building is usually closed on Sundays and Mondays, so a post-race visit works better on Tuesday or later. Check hours.

Toronto Islands

About 1.5 km (0.9 miles) from the finish. The ferry terminal at the foot of Bay Street runs boats to the islands, where flat car-free paths run along the waterfront. Ferry timetables and the number of sailings change in autumn, so check before planning an afternoon.

After the Race

The race falls in mid-October, on a Sunday, so the excursions start on Monday with cool days, early dusk and autumn colour. Legs will be stiff for two or three days, so the day trips come first: Hamilton and Niagara Falls are a GO Train ride from Union Station. The overnight trips to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ottawa, Prince Edward County and Montréal work best from the second recovery day, when the walking is easier.