After two years without in-person marathons, some of the most well-known races in Toronto are set to return for runners and cyclists.
The events returning this year include The Toronto Marathon, The Achilles St. Patrick’s Day Race, the Sporting Life 10K, Under Armour Spring Run-Off, Oasis ZooRun, and the Baycrest Foundation Bike for Brain Health.
Brian McLean, race director of the Achilles St. Patrick’s Day Race which was held virtually last year, said all “indications from the running community is that participants can hardly wait to get back to in-person racing.”
The Achilles St. Patrick’s Day Race, which will be held on March 20, supports athletes with physical and mental needs and is able to host more than 1,500 runners this year.
“For 2022, we anticipate returning to and surpassing pre-pandemic numbers with our hybrid events and the return of in-person races,” Charlotte Brookes, National Event Director at Canada Running Series, told Humber News on Tuesday.
The Canada Running Series is responsible for organizing the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, the Lululemon Toronto 10K, the Under Armour Spring Run Off, and Oasis ZooRun.
On the running series website, some marathons are sharing they will be requiring any attendants, from staff to participants to provide proof of full vaccination and have limited space.
Stephen Attong, a Toronto-based photographer, will participate for the first time in the Toronto Marathon on May 1, and he said how excited he is “for the return of in-person races. I think it’s one of the few events that can be done very safely.”
The photographer is “currently in week 5 of a 16-week marathon training plan,” and has been a consistent runner since 2016.
This year, with the expected end of lockdowns, runners and cyclists are waiting for their chance to get back on the tracks, people told Humber News.
Vitor Moita is a cyclist who practices every weekend. He said his not able to participate in a race this year but said it’s “good to have races back to in-person this year, exercising is very important for the mental health.”
But bringing back in-person races doesn’t mean the end of virtual marathons.
“To comply with evolving health and safety regulations, we switched our 2020 and 2021 in-person races to a virtual format, allowing participants to safely complete their chosen distances from wherever they were,” said Brookes.
And this is still an option, both the Toronto Waterfront Marathon and Achilles St. Patrick’s Day Race are keeping in-person and virtual marathons.
“The 2022 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon will feature both in-person and virtual race options, giving participants more choice in how, when, and where they complete their distances,” said Brookes.
Attong said it’s “great to have both options, especially for runners all over the world who want to participate.”
He also participated in a virtual marathon in 2020, running for the Lululemon SeaWheeze Virtual Half Marathon – which switched to online due to the lockdown – but has no intention of competing virtually this year.
And, even as safe as virtual marathons are, both McLean and Brookes said they brought a decrease in participation.
“More than 1,800 participants signed up for 2020, before it was cancelled, compared to only 300+ participants doing the 2021 Race Virtually,” McLean said.