{"id":140416,"date":"2025-06-25T10:48:28","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T14:48:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/runningmagazine.ca\/?p=140416"},"modified":"2025-06-25T11:12:33","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T15:12:33","slug":"toronto-waterfront-marathons-bold-initiative-to-get-more-women-racing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runningmagazine.ca\/the-scene\/toronto-waterfront-marathons-bold-initiative-to-get-more-women-racing\/","title":{"rendered":"Toronto Waterfront Marathon\u2019s bold initiative to get more women racing"},"content":{"rendered":"

In recent years, the running boom has seen races across the globe fill up faster than ever, but not everyone is showing up in equal numbers. At the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, race director Charlotte Brookes<\/strong> has noticed a concerning trend: fewer women are signing up, even as total race participation climbs.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore the pandemic, female participation was higher,\u201d says Brookes, who also serves as the founder of the marathon\u2019s new women\u2019s training programs. \u201cMore men registering, and we don\u2019t have the same entry restrictions as Boston or London, where lotteries or qualifying times allow for more controlled gender splits.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Photo: Canada Running Series<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The reasons behind the drop-off are complex, but one keeps surfacing: life gets busier. Brookes, now a new mom herself, says she relates to many women in their late 20s and 30s who find that family, careers and other responsibilities push running down the priority list. That\u2019s exactly what Brookes and the team at Canada Running Series are trying to change.<\/p>\n

To meet women where they are, the Toronto Waterfront Marathon is launching several new initiatives to create a more inclusive, flexible, and supportive environment. Among them: a two-year deferral option for pre- and post-partum runners, lactation stations along the course for nursing mothers, and baby-changing tents near the finish line at Nathan Phillips Square.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re trying to build more than just a race,\u201d says Brookes. \u201cWe want a community. There\u2019s something in the program for every type of runner\u2014beginner, intermediate, or advanced. Our goal is to offer support and make sure no woman feels alone on this journey.\u201d<\/p>\n

The centrepiece of this is the race’s women\u2019s training program, a free, 16-week plan designed for those signed up for the half-marathon and marathon. With coaching input from experienced female runners and mentors from Mile2Marathon, the program is tailored to help women at different stages of their running journey.<\/p>\n

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The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon Women’s Training Program “Move Her Mind” shakeout run powered by ASICS. Photo: Canada Running Series<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ottawa’s Becky Pieterson<\/strong>, a sub-three-hour marathoner and former assistant cross-country coach at Western University, is one of three coaches leading the initiative. She says she’s excited to watch new runners surprise themselves. \u201cI coached a woman who had never run or considered herself athletic,\u201d Pieterson says. \u201cLast year, she ran two marathons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alongside detailed weekly training plans, the program, supported by ASICS, offers a weekly virtual speaker series, where runners can hear from experts about recovery, nutrition, gear and more. \u201cWe\u2019re building the content around what the women in the program want to learn,\u201d Pieterson says.<\/p>\n

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Photo: Canada Running Series<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pieterson says the response to the new initiative has been unexpected: more than 1,200 women have already signed up\u2014600 for the half-marathon and 400 for the full. Most participants are between the ages of 25 and 50, and many are new to structured running.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were hoping to beat last year\u2019s 450 sign-ups,\u201d Pieterson says. \u201cIn just the last few weeks, we\u2019ve added 300.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like Brookes, Pieterson says she has also noticed a decline. \u201cLast year, when I stood on the start line in Berlin, I remember looking around and seeing twice as many men as women,\u201d says Pieterson. \u201cBalancing kids, careers and marathon training is tough. But when women see more women running, they start to believe they can do it too.\u201d<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Toronto Waterfront Marathon (@towaterfront42k)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n