Toronto-based marathoner Liza Howard is within the remaining weeks of her coaching construct for the 2024 Toronto Waterfront Marathon on Oct. 20. On her final future, Howard achieved a exceptional feat, protecting 50 kilometres sooner than any Canadian lady ever has.
Howard accomplished the 50K distance in a formidable three hours, 14 minutes and 58 seconds (elapsed)—almost eight minutes sooner than the official Canadian document of three:22:24, held by 2016 Olympian Krista DuChene. Nevertheless, since Howard’s effort wasn’t a part of a sanctioned race, it received’t be acknowledged as a nationwide document.
In response to her Strava exercise, Howard handed the marathon mark (42.2 km) in 2:44:30, sustaining a blistering tempo of three:54/km for the remaining eight kilometres. The aim of this run wasn’t record-breaking, however somewhat a key a part of her psychological and bodily preparation for the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. “I understand it could appear unusual to do such lengthy exercises in coaching, however Greg Purkis (my coach) and I imagine over-distance runs are extremely helpful,” Howard defined. “That is my second one of many construct, and we sometimes embody one or two in a coaching cycle.”
Howard, 36, did the primary 50K future of her marathon construct on Sept. 8, the place she additionally recorded time sooner than the Canadian document (3:18:50).
Howard says the aim of the ultra-long run was to run at 90 per cent of it at her goal marathon tempo. Runs like this assist construct cardio capability, leg power and the flexibility to recruit fast-twitch muscle fibres as fatigue units in. “It simulates what occurs within the final 10K of a marathon,” she says. “These runs make the race really feel shorter, and I usually channel them mentally within the remaining levels.”
With a private greatest of two:35:29 from the 2022 Chicago Marathon, Howard has confirmed herself as one in every of Canada’s high feminine marathoners. In 2023, she cemented her standing because the high Canadian feminine finisher on the Boston Marathon.
Howard’s purpose for the Canadian Marathon Championships on Oct. 20 is to succeed in the rostrum and probably higher her private greatest. Nevertheless, she’s going to face stiff competitors from Canadian marathon record-holder and two-time Olympian Natasha Wodak, in addition to street race star Erin Mawhinney, who will probably be making her marathon debut.
The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, one in every of solely two World Athletics Label marathons in Canada, constantly attracts elite athletes from around the globe. This yr’s race on Oct. 20 will characteristic greater than 20,000 contributors from greater than 50 nations.
