Toronto, October 18, 2026
TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon Pacing Plan
Starts at Yonge and Gerrard Streets (moved there in 2025 for construction tied to the FIFA World Cup 2026, and expected to remain the start for 2026), running north to Bloor before turning west toward Bathurst, then rejoining the familiar waterfront route along Queens Quay and Lake Shore Boulevard out through the Beaches neighbourhood. The only real climb is a ~50ft rise over half a mile coming out of the Beaches back onto the Martin Goodman Trail around mile 11-12; otherwise it's Canada's flattest major course, finishing at Old Toronto City Hall with Lake Ontario views for most of the route.
Weather is a 10-year seasonal average for this course's location and month, not a forecast for a specific date. See FAQ.
Distance
42.2 km
Elevation gain
+105m / -106m
Typically run in
October
Typical race-day weather
11Ā°C, 14 km/h
Elevation profile
Sample strategy: 3:45:00 goal
A real, AI-generated excerpt of what Splitshape produces for this exact course, not a hand-written example. Upload your own goal and recent results to get the full plan.
KM 1-2: The opening kilometer climbs slightly at 1.9% grade and runs long at 5:51/km. Don't panic and don't sprint to make it up. Km 2 drops to -1.5% and the watch shows 4:57/km; that's the downhill giving pace back to you, not you finding fitness. Let the terrain do the work here and settle your breathing, not your ego.
KM 3-12: This stretch is gently rolling and mostly net-downhill, with paces bouncing between 4:51 and 5:24/km as the grade flickers under a percent either way. You'll fight a headwind from km 7 through 12: hold effort, not a number, and expect these kilometers to feel a touch harder than the pace implies. You cross 10K around 52:11; if your watch reads meaningfully faster than that, you're banking risk, not time.
KM 13-19: Tailwind picks up here and the course stays flat to slightly rolling, with paces in the low-to-mid 5:00s and a brief dip to 5:07/km at km 16. Use the push at your back to relax, not to surge. You hit halfway-adjacent ground by 1:39:31 at km 19 still on schedule. This is the calm before the day's first real test.
Frequently asked questions
Is the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon course actually flat?
Yes, with only 105 m of total elevation gain over 42.2 km, it's regarded as Canada's flattest major marathon course. The single notable feature is a ~50ft rise over half a mile coming out of the Beaches back onto the Martin Goodman Trail around mile 11-12, but otherwise the route stays level along Lake Ontario.
Where's the only hill on the course, and how should I pace it?
The one real climb comes around mile 11-12, a roughly 50ft rise over half a mile as the course exits the Beaches neighbourhood and rejoins the Martin Goodman Trail. Since it's brief and the rest of the course is flat, a slight, controlled effort increase there without surging is enough to absorb it before settling back into rhythm along the waterfront.
Is a negative split realistic on this course?
Given the near-total flatness (105 m gain, 106 m loss over the full distance) and the lake-adjacent route offering few terrain-based excuses to slow down, a negative or even split is a realistic target since there's no late hill sequence working against you. The main variable is the mile 11-12 rise, which comes early enough that it shouldn't disrupt second-half pacing.
What weather should I expect on race day in Toronto?
Typical race-day conditions are around 10.6Ā°C with wind near 14.4 km/h, which is cool and generally favorable for marathon pacing. Runners should still account for wind exposure along the waterfront sections of Queens Quay and Lake Shore Boulevard, where the course runs close to Lake Ontario for much of its length.
How does the new 2025 start at Yonge and Gerrard change the route?
The course now starts at Yonge and Gerrard Streets, a change made in 2025 for construction tied to the FIFA World Cup 2026 and expected to continue in 2026. From there the route heads north to Bloor, turns west toward Bathurst, then rejoins the traditional waterfront course along Queens Quay and Lake Shore Boulevard through the Beaches before finishing at Old Toronto City Hall.
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Build my TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon plan āSplitshape is an independent pacing-plan tool and is not an official partner, sponsor, or affiliate of the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon or its organizers. Course data source: digitized from the official course.