The Toronto Marathon

Logo #788 - Qian #488 - Mario

Qian and I dragged ourselves out of bed at 6am on a cold, rainy, and windy Sunday October morning in Toronto. A slice of toast, banana, and cup of black coffee later we bummed a ride on the Holiday Inn marathon bus to the start of the 11th Toronto Marathon. We huddled together with 1,500 other marathoners in the lobbies of several obliging businesses within view of the starting line. Stretching while recounting past races and discussing the route we constantly eyed the skies and prayed for the rain to stop - which it did minutes before our 9am start. The cars honked, spectators cheered, and volunteers served water while we made our way down the 42km (26 mile) route to the finish. 3 hours and 48 minutes later I crossed the finish line with Qian following at 4 hours 29 minutes. Personal best times for both of us on a challenging course in less than perfect conditions. A couple of hours and a hot shower later we were proudly displaying our medals - a token of months of training that finally paid off. Now, almost a week later, the agony of the last couple of miles are forgotten and we're already dreaming of even faster times next year in New York City.