This Canadian Operating x New Steadiness six-part collection is following 5 runners to the Toronto Waterfront Marathon. These men and women aren’t skilled runners, they’re simply passionate in regards to the sport. Their tales are your tales: Every runner has come to the marathon with completely different causes for operating, completely different coaching strategies, completely different operating communities, and completely different objectives. And every exemplifies the concept that Run Your Means can imply one thing completely different to everybody.
Like many people who got here to operating later in life, Jacqueline Tong wasn’t an athletic child. “Whereas my classmates skipped math, I attempted to dodge gymnasium class by faking sickness,” she laughs. The Toronto-based runner tried operating in 2019, however the behavior didn’t stick when the pandemic lockdown occurred. However that every one modified in 2023, when Tong found the weekly parkrun occasions in Downsview Park and fell in love with the individuals and the run.
“I’d say the factor that I really like most about operating is the group,” she says. “I’ve met numerous very beneficiant individuals locally, particularly by the parkrun–there are these folks that put of their time to supply everybody a great expertise. And I believe that’s very inspirational.”
“The weekly runs retains me motivated, and my tempo has improved considerably,” she says. She went from being a non-runner to collaborating in some 5K and 10K races, and is now preparing for her first half-marathon, on the TCS Toronto Marathon on Oct. 20.
However the racing takes a backseat to her real love: encouraging others. “I now volunteer at Downsview parkrun and I hope to encourage extra individuals to check out this glorious sport!” Tong says.
Volunteering to assist on the Saturday 9 a.m. 5Ks with parkrun might have offered a problem to her coaching, however as an alternative, Tong noticed it as a chance. “For the longest time, I struggled to seek out time to really do a weekly future, as a result of I simply don’t actually have the motivation,” she says. “However I’ve found a trick, as a result of I’m a volunteer on the Downsview parkrun, so each Saturday, they run at 9 a.m. I began making my future on Saturdays, from my residence to Downsview—which is 16 km. As a result of I’ve signed as much as volunteer, I can’t not present up. In order that motivates me to get off the bed and run that 16 km!”
“Each week once I’m there, I see individuals remodel from a walker to a runner, and that’s very inspirational,” she says. “I see guys who’ve been strolling each single week, and impulsively I see them operating down the hill. And I’m like, wow, we now have impressed one other runner. That’s superior.
“To me, Run Your Means means attending to your aim, irrespective of the impediment,” she says. “So that you try to attempt once more till you attain your vacation spot. My aim for the half-marathon is 2 hours and half-hour. If I can full it, I shall be very comfortable.”
Jacqueline shall be operating the half marathon within the New Steadiness Supercomp Elite V4, and has been coaching within the New Steadiness Insurgent V4s.
Keep tuned to listen to from 4 different runners heading to the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon!
