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In the shadow of a light drizzle and on a cool, windy morning in mid-October, 1,500 runners took part in the 2005 Toronto Marathon. Included in this collection of participants was a quartet of one-time athletes who had ventured north from the United States. These four runners – Mike Freeman, Josh Freeman, Nora Weiss, and Tony DiPasquale – were not looking for glory, and they certainly were not looking for impressive times. What they were looking for was that sense of accomplishment that comes from quests such as this. They were looking to complete twenty-six grueling, tiring miles and to sleep peacefully with the knowledge that they had succeeded. Five hours after the race began, all four runners were able to make that claim.
In order to understand what the October 16 marathon in Toronto is, it is important to understand what it is not. This marathon, unlike its cousin held three weeks prior in Toronto, is not flat, which is an especially disheartening thing to learn mid-race. As first marathons go – and this marked the debut performance for Nora & Tony – this race was not an easy one, but it was not without its advantages. After initial threats of rain, the course remained dry for the duration of the race. In addition, early morning temperatures hovered right around fifty degrees and even warmed up a bit throughout the race. Finally, the crowd was significantly smaller than some of the larger races typically held in the United States, with less than a thousand runners taking part. All in all, the runners were dealt a pretty fair hand on that particular fall day.
As the race began, Mike, Josh, Nora, and Tony assessed their chief goal – to finish the race. After watching the participants in the half-marathon and the 10K go before them, the runners finally got their chance to run when the gun went off at precisely 9 AM. The group quickly gained confidence as it trotted past the five-hour pace “bunny” on the very first hill, giving everyone a convenient target for their efforts. These four individuals gradually pulled away from the five-hour bunny, although they would never be far enough away to catch site of any additional pacesetters. Water was provided every 2-3 miles – or 3-5 kilometers, as Canada has the nerve to utilize the metric system – leaving the athletes hydrated throughout the race. Unfortunately, fatigue and injury would take their toll during the latter half of the course.
Almost twenty miles into the marathon, the foursome was still united, chatting amiably while waiting for periodic relief – in the form or granola and Snickers bars – from official photographer Colleen Freeman. Around that time, the effects of the race began to take their toll on Josh, Nora, and Tony, with only Mike – a veteran of two previous marathons – seemingly immune. As the group gradually stumbled towards the finish line, all well under the targeted time of five hours, reality began to surface. Aching legs and stiff bodies were destined to follow these runners to their beds that night, but no one could take away their accomplishments – or their shiny medals. Whether or not this marathon will be the last one for some of these participants remains to be seen, but the memories of this one will surely last a lifetime.
Submitted 10/18/05.