I have 41 hours in a city that hasn’t been that friendly to me historically. My task is to document Mile2Marathon athletes, before, during, and after the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon, with a few side projects.
My task list is not short. My time is not long. This will be a grind like I haven’t had in a while. I land on Saturday at 5:00AM on the red eye from Edmonton. UP Express that shit downtown, food and some relaxation time to try and feel human again at Over Easy, and I am in the hotel lobby by 8:00AM getting gear ready for the M2M 9:15AM shakeout run.
Like riding a bike.
Short chats with Coach Rosario, Mr Canadian Debut Rory Linkletter, plus a few other “industry” friends I’ve made over the years, and M2M athletes slowly start filtering into the lobby.
Those cute moments of hesitation as two — clearly visible runners ready for a shakeout run — eyeball each other across the room. After minutes — that must feel like hours — of an inner dialogue arguing over how to accomplish the seemingly monstrous task of going for it and saying; “hello.” Knowing the whole time that they are there for the same thing but maybe not the same, same thing. It never gets old I smirk.
Nothing but 4%s everywhere you look. To go get coffee? Really? It’s definitely race weekend. You feel it. You see it.
I love it.
There have not been many race weekends for me this year, and my initial anxiety about a weekend bender of work in Toronto are washed away the second I see my first athlete in tights and a toque, trot down the main hotel staircase. It’s cold this morning, but 24 hours from now it will be cool and perfect.
My time on the ground in Toronto ends as my 100% capacity Airbus A319 lifts off just before 10:00PM Sunday night. Four hours to nap on the plane, then a 24 hour bender of processing, designing, writing, emailing, posting, commenting, reading, dm’ing — disseminating photos, begins. What you see below, is what happens in-between now and then.
Thank you Mile2Marathon for making this weekend happen. All the photos you see here and in my galleries of the day, are all thanks to M2M. Thank you Toronto for a delightful day and a half. It’s always great to reconnect with my always growing run family. Sorry I couldn’t see everyone, it’s just one of those weekends. See y’all soon in NYC.
Dylan Wykes runs with Mile2Marathon running during their shakeout run for the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada.Shelia Reid and Kate Gustafson, Mile2Marathon coaches, lead a group on the M2M shakeout run for the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada.Taylor Maxwell runs across a bridge during the Mile2Marathon shakeout run for the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada.Canadian Running elite, Rachel Hannah ties her shoe before heading out on a shakeout run the day before the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada.Reid Coolsaet chats with Dylan Wykes as other runners do strides during their shakeout runs for the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada.Reid Coolsaet finishes up his shakeout run with some strides the day before the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada.Evan Esselink poses for a portrait the day before his marathon debut at the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon Expo in Toronto, ON Canada.Evan Esselink poses for a portrait the day before his marathon debut at the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon Expo in Toronto, ON Canada.
2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon: Expo.
Rachel Hannah RD talking about nutrition at the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon Expo in Toronto, ON Canada.
2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon: Start Line Vibes.
Dayna Pidhoresky warming up before the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada on October 20, 2019.Trevor Hofbauer & Evan Esselink warming up before the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada on October 20, 2019.Inge Johnson smiles for the camera in the starting area before the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada.Rory Linkletter warming up in Hoka One One blue before the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada on October 20, 2019.Alan Brookes of Canada Running Series doing an interview before the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada.Marta Fenollosa start line Fashun game is strong at the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada.Marta Fenollosa start line Fashun game is strong at the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada.
2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon: LFG.
Canadian, Hoka One One, and NAZ Elite athlete Rory Linkletter around 5KMs at the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada on October 20, 2019.Emily Sexton heads down Bathurst St just past BlackToe Running during the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada on October 20, 2019.Sasha Gollish waves to me as sher runs past during the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada on October 20, 2019.A Mile High Run Club singlet spotted in the crowd of runners during the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada on October 20, 2019.Trevor Hofbauer runs with the pack that includes Evan Esselink, and Cam Levins running along Lakeshore Boulevarde on his way to top Canadian in an Olympic qualifying 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada on October 20, 2019.Canadian, Hoka One One, and NAZ Elite athlete Rory Linkletter at the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada on October 20, 2019.Mile2Marathon coach Kate Gustafson runs during the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada on October 20, 2019.Mile2Marathon athlete Kelsey Hunter smiles for the camera on her way to a Boston Qualifying race at the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada on October 20, 2019.Cam Levins battles tough at the 40KM point of the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada on October 20, 2019.Evan Esselink runs toward the camera at the 40KM point of the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada on October 20, 2019.Chris Balestrini works past toward the 40KM checkpoint at the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada on October 20, 2019.Mile2Marathon founder and coach Dylan Wykes during the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada on October 20, 2019.Magdalyne Robertson looks strong at 40 KMs on her way to winning the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada on October 20, 2019.Emily Setlack during the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, ON Canada on October 20, 2019.
The Rice Howard Howler
A regular — absolutely not regular — update on what I've been up to, some thoughts I've had, and content I've consumed.
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