Dueling Banjos

Toronto features two fall marathons timed about three weeks apart.  Much has been said about the city’s ability to support two races, each striving to make a name in the competitive world of marathoning.  Some suggest the marathon experience would be improved by combining the two into a “mega”marathon in the footsteps of Chicago and New York.  Mega being relative to a population 1/10 that of the southern neighbours.  Recently David Grant, in his Up to Speed column at iRun, compared Toronto to other similarly-sized cities with multiple marathons on the race calendar.  The conclusion?  It can be done.   A newer question – should it be done? 

In the wake of the second marathon Torontonians are calling for Race Director’s heads.  Frustrated drivers, with urgent places to go Sunday mornings at 7am, lean on their horns, rev their engines, and shout obscenities at police and runners as they wait impatiently for roads to clear.  Nevermind the advance notice by media to avoid, at all costs, the runners downtown lest you catch the horrible exercise bug.  Nevermind the advance warning signs posted at all intersections indicating traffic closure dates and times.  How were they to know?  That’s the sound of my eyes have rolling directly into the back of my head.  I do sympathize with the frustration, but not the bad behaviour.  If I went all road-ragey and then wrote my councilman every time traffic foiled my plans I’d have high blood pressure and I’d get writer’s cramp on long weekends and during Leaf’s games.  Motorheads are demanding that the city force the races to either merge or reschedule one race to spring, thereby separating the traffic chaos by months instead of weeks.  In this city car = power.  That’s why the “bike lanes” I take to work are I-need-Starbucks stopping spots in disguise.  City Hall has (uncharacteristically) promptly responded to the complaints, demanding that the race organizer’s come to an agreement or the city will decide their fate. 

A little look-see into the history of the events and a friendly merger or a martyred move to May seems unlikely.  Peter Noehammer, head traffic guy (officially, Director of Transportation Services), confirms, ” We haven’t had too much success in getting one of them moved to the spring“.  Make no mistake, this is not known as a friendly rivalry – a showdown is likely.  If the two races won’t come together to work out a solution and the city won’t stand up to irate drivers who think that 363 days a year of road dominance isn’t enough, what will happen?  A third option might be an earlier start and time-dependent checkpoints (like the Marine Corps “Beat the Bridge” – you need to be over the bridge before it reopens to traffic, otherwise a shuttle picks you up to take your DNFed butt back to the finish line) for both races.  A 5 am start would mean that most runners would be off the road by 10 am.   It’s not perfect, but it’s an option.  To date no one has thought to consult me for a solution.

So which race will win the battle for fall dominance?  The Toronto Marathon, organized by Jay Glassman, has the advantage of longevity.  Under his leadership it has been held the first Sunday after Thanksgiving since 1995 (back then it was called the Canadian International Marathon; in 2003 it became the Toronto Marathon).   Glassman even protested the autumn timing of Toronto Waterfront in 2000, the inaugural year, foreseeing trouble ahead.   The Toronto Waterfront Marathon, under the direction of  Alan Brookes, has the weight of the IAAF Silver Label Road Race – one of only two in Canada – and the glitz of an elite field racing for money and fame, backed by a big sponsor.  If size matters, 1930 runners completed the Toronto Marathon and 2920 finished the Toronto Waterfront Marathon this year.  Toronto Waterfront is growing year by year, but Toronto seems to be shrinking.  If speed matters, the course record for Toronto is 2.15.17 and 2.31.47 versus Toronto Waterfront’s quicker 2.08.32 and 2.28.31 finishes for men and women respectively.  The men’s time, set this year, is the fastest ever on Canadian soil.  That will translate to more runners next year.  Despite a five-year advantage, I suspect if the city is forced to choose Toronto Waterfront will come out on top.  I also think people will continue to complain about traffic chaos regardless of the timing or number of races.  Damn runners.  Why can’t they stay on the sidewalks, hidden trails, and back streets?

For the record, I prefer Toronto sans-Waterfront for the cooler temperatures and more varied terrain.  That’s the beauty of choice – I can run the hometown race I like best and you can run the one you like best.   Although this isn’t an opinion piece, my vote is to stay the course.   I like the idea of a spring/fall race, but I don’t think either race should be forced to change by politicians holding permits hostage.  I like the idea of a single combined event, but that outcome seems unlikely.  Outside of the angry drivers, who are unlikely to be silences, the current model works.  I do like the double bill - it provides a great opportunity for a do-over if you go up in flames at Waterfront.

Title Reference: Eric Weissberg & Steve Mandell – Dueling Banjos. From the Deliverance Soundtrack. 1973.