FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2010 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon: Record Breaking Year
Toronto's premier running event breaks multiple Canadian records and raises
$2.7 million for 127 local charities
TORONTO, ON - September 26, 2010 - More than 20,000 runners took to the
streets in perfect weather conditions along Toronto's lakeshore today for
the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (STWM). With more than $2.7
million raised and several course records broken, including the four
fastest men and women's times ever on Canadian soil, 2010 marks the most
successful year in the marathon's twenty-one year history.
For the third consecutive year, Kenneth Mungara from Kenya won the men's
marathon, breaking his own record for fastest time in Canada. In a dramatic
sprint to the finish line, Sharon Cherop, also from Kenya, narrowly edged
out Tirfi Tsegaye of Ethiopia for the women's title. In an amazingly close
finish, the top four women all broke the record for fastest women's
marathon time on Canadian soil. The marathon also saw Reid Coolsaet of
Hamilton, ON finish with the fastest time ever run by a Canadian on
Canadian soil.
"The 2010 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon was truly astonishing, not
only because of the number of record-breaking wins but also the amount of
money raised for local charities," said Alan Brookes, Race Director. "With
over 20,000 people running, including Canada's very own Eric Gillis, Reid
Coolsaet, and Matt Loiselle, we had world-class talent on the streets of
Toronto. Watching Reid qualify for the next Olympic Games right here at
home was truly inspirational."
"The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon brings together athleticism,
philanthropy and community spirit from all over the world," said Robin
Hibberd, Executive Vice-President, Retail Products and Services, Canadian
Banking, Scotiabank. "This year, not only did we raise $2.7 million for 127
registered charities, we were also the only North American city to host the
Marathon Flame on its world tour for the 2,500th anniversary of the first
marathon."
"I think that the marathon ideals of world peace, fair competition,
participation in sport as a way of life - of setting goals and through
courage and determination in achieving them - these are ideals that all
Torontonians can embrace," said Mayor David Miller who was the official
starter of today's marathon. "I'm proud that we proclaimed this Marathon
Week in Toronto and salute all the triumphant finishers."
Marathon Highlights
Men's Race - Kenneth Mungara shattered his own Canadian marathon record by
34 seconds and was crowned Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon champion
for a third consecutive year, with a finishing time of 2:07:57. The top
four men in the marathon distance also broke the previous record for
fastest time on Canadian soil [2:08:32].
Women's Race - It was a tight and incredibly fast race to the finish line
for the women's marathon, with the top four breaking the Canadian
all-comers record previously set by Lidia Simon of Romania at the World
Championships in Edmonton in 2001. Sharon Cherop from Kenya ultimately took
the top spot for the women's race with a finishing time of 2:22:42, just
one second ahead of Tirfi Tsegaye of Ethiopia.
Canadian Race - Reid Coolsaet of the Speed River Track Club in Guelph, ON,
smashed his personal best of 2:16:53 with an international-class time of
2:11:22, qualifying him for the 2012 Olympic Games. This was the fastest
marathon run in Canada by a Canadian, and eclipsed the mark of 2:11:34
previously set in 1995 by the current Ontario Minister of Labour, the
Honorable Peter Fonseca. Reid's clubmate Eric Gillis finished next at
2:12:07, a two-minute improvement on his personal best.
Half-Marathon Highlights
Milton, ON phenomenon, Ed Whitlock ran a world-record for 79-year-olds in
the half-marathon, with a time of 1:34:27. Whitlock also currently holds
the world-record for the fastest marathon in the 70 plus category
(2:54:49), set at STWM in 2004.
Dagim Yeshitela from Mississauga, ON won the men's half-marathon, with a
time of 1:03:24. In the women's race, Toronto's own Nicole Stevenson took
the women's title at 1:18:06.
The full list of results for the 21st Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront
Marathon is available at www.stwm.ca.
The Scotiabank Group Charity Challenge and Neighbourhood Challenge together
surpassed the $2.5 million target with a final total of more than $2.7
million. This remarkable achievement exceeds last year's total of $2.36
million. In addition, Scotiabank will award $6,000 to the three charities
with the most runners, the largest amount of pledges per runner and the
most money raised in pledges.
Along the marathon course, 12 Neighbourhood Cheering and Entertainment
stations encouraged the runners to the finish line, with Swansea/Bloor
West/High Park winning this year's Neighbourhood Challenge. To honour their
exuberance and support, Scotiabank awarded them a charity bonus of $6,000
for having the most people, best costumes, best entertainment - and above
all, creating the most noise.
About Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon
The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Canada's premier Fall
Marathon, and the country's #1 big-city marathon. It holds the record for
the fastest men and women's marathons on Canadian soil [2:07:57 run in 2010
by Kenneth Mungara and 2:22:42 run in 2010 by Sharon Cherop, both of
Kenya]. For the third consecutive year, the event has been awarded a
prestigious Silver Label by the International Association of Athletics
Federation (IAAF) making it Toronto's only annual international athletics
event, and one of only five internationally recognized IAAF Label marathons
in North America. The event attracts participants from over 40 countries
and in 2010 raised $2.7 million for 127 local charities. For more
information, visit www.stwm.ca.
About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and
work, both in Canada and abroad. Recognized as a leader internationally
and among Canadian corporations for its charitable donations and
philanthropic activities, in 2009 the Bank provided about $39 million in
sponsorships and donations to a variety of projects and initiatives,
primarily in the areas of healthcare, education, sport, social services and
arts and culture. Visit us at www.scotiabank.com.
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