Enjoy Toronto Marathon on May 15 or Avoid Areas of Road Closures

On Your Mark! Get Set! Go!

Or Avoid the Numerous Road Closures as Listed in This Blog.

Toronto Marathons and relays are great for people to exercise together.

There are four types of races:

  1. Full Marathon is the Boston Qualifier – the sweatiest, biggest challenge! All participants in the Marathon must maintain at least a 12 minute per mile pace and may be asked to move on to the sidewalk and obey normal traffic laws if running slower than a 12 minute per mile pace.
  2. Half Marathon – upwards of 5000 participants in a downhill, fast and scenic course from Mel Lastman Square to Queen’s Park. The Half Marathon Walk begins at the same time as the Half Marathon and follows the same course. Results will be posted separately from the Run. There are no awards for the Half Marathon Walk division.
  3. Relays – are really corporate challenges whereby more than 200 teams representing the top corporations in Canada will participate in this eight-person relay from Mel Lastman Square to the Finish Line at Queen’s Park.
  4. 5k Run – more than 3000 participants will help raise funds and awareness for the programs and clinics at Princess Margaret Hospital and other beneficiaries. Please be aware that participants in the 5k must be able to complete the course in 1 hour to allow for a clear roadway for the Half Marathon.

Please note the following general rules:

  • Sorry, no in-line skates, roller-skates, bicycles, strollers or dogs will be allowed on the course.
  • Please note that persons under age 18 on race day are not permitted to participate in the marathon.
  • Sorry, walkers are not permitted in the Marathon.
  • For the safety of all participants, it is strongly recommended you do not wear iPods, walkmans, or similar devices which inhibit your ability to hear surrounding sounds.

Please click here for interactive maps for both the Full Marathon and Half  Marathon.

The GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon Expo is FREE and open to the public during registration/kit pick-up.

Also, please note that the exact location for the start of the Full Marathon, Half Marathon and Relays is Mel Lastman Square on Beecroft Ave. Mel Lastman Square is a public square at North York Civic Centre.

Please click here for complete info on the Toronto Marathon.

Good Luck! Bonne Chance!

Happy Running!

Happy Walking the Half Marathon Walk!

In order to make these exhilarating events possible on race day, there will be closures of roads and vehicular traffic areas as well as intermittent delays on Sunday, May 15, 2011, as follows:

  • The race begins at the North York Civic Centre at 8 a.m. (road closures begin at 6 a.m.) and the main segment of the race will take place on Yonge Street from Finch Avenue to Bloor Street.
  • Some lane restrictions will take place in the area bounded by Yonge Street in the east, Spadina Avenue in the west, Davenport in the south and Chaplin Crescent in the north.
  • There will be some intermittent lane closures along Queen’s Quay from York Street to Bathurst Street.
  • There will also be some partial closures of Lake Shore Boulevard, from Bathurst Street to Windermere Avenue, on an intermittent basis.
  • Queen’s Park/Queen’s Park Circle/University Avenue will be closed from Bloor Street to Queen’s Quay.  The end of the race ends at Queen’s Park.  This area will be reopened at 4 p.m.
  • To accommodate the Toronto Marathon and the closure of the Bayview/Bloor ramps, Bayview Avenue will be closed between Pottery Road and Rosedale Valley Road between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.

It is the better way to take public transit because it’s a greener, faster and more affordable way of getting to your destinations.

If you need to drive in the general vicinity of special events this Sunday, allow extra time to get to and from your destination.

Also, please click here for a more complete list of events and road work requiring road closures.

Enjoy Toronto Marathon on May 15 or Avoid Areas of Road Closures
Enjoy Toronto Marathon on May 15 or Avoid Areas of Road Closures

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

News Release

May 12, 2011

Weekend event and road closures in Toronto

One special event this weekend – the Toronto Marathon – will involve road closures. Residents and visitors are encouraged to come out and enjoy this event. Businesses in the affected areas are open to pedestrian traffic but some roads will be closed to vehicles.

Festivals and other special events are important to the city, injecting hundreds of millions of dollars annually into Toronto’s economy and they are enjoyed each year by local residents.

In addition to road closures related to special events, there is a significant amount of road work taking place in the city. People are encouraged to take public transit as a greener, faster and more affordable way of getting to their destinations. If you need to drive in the general vicinity of special events, allow extra time to get to and from your destination. A more complete list of events and road work is available at http://www.toronto.ca/torontostreets.

The Toronto Marathon

Sunday closures and intermittent delays:

The Toronto Marathon will take place on Sunday, May 15 and all closures and lane restrictions will occur on that day.  The race begins at the North York Civic Centre at 8 a.m. (road closures begin at 6 a.m.) and the main segment of the race will take place on Yonge Street from Finch Avenue to Bloor Street.

•    Some lane restrictions will take place in the area bounded by Yonge Street in the east, Spadina Avenue in the west, Davenport in the south and Chaplin Crescent in the north.

•    There will be some intermittent lane closures along Queen’s Quay from York Street to Bathurst Street.  There will also be some partial closures of Lake Shore Boulevard, from Bathurst Street to Windermere Avenue, on an intermittent basis.

•    Queen’s Park/Queen’s Park Circle/University Avenue will be closed from Bloor Street to Queen’s Quay.  The end of the race ends at Queen’s Park.  This area will be reopened at 4 p.m.

•    To accommodate the Toronto Marathon and the closure of the Bayview/Bloor ramps, Bayview Avenue will be closed between Pottery Road and Rosedale Valley Road between 8:30 a.m. and 3 p.m.

More information about the marathon is available at http://www.torontomarathon.com.

Toronto is Canada’s largest city and sixth largest government, and home to a diverse population of about 2.6 million people. Toronto’s government is dedicated to delivering customer service excellence, creating a transparent and accountable government, reducing the size and cost of government and building a transportation city. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can dial 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.