Elvis Kipchoge Cheboi wins TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

It was an inauspicious arrival in Toronto for newly-crowned TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon champion Elvis Kipchoge Cheboi, who lost a day of travel after a missed flight, then had to deal with a 4:30 a.m. fire alarm in the elite hotel, but none of that seemed to faze the 27-year-old Kenyan, winning in a decisive manner at Sunday’s marathon in a personal best time of 2:09:20.

Adugna Takele Bikila of Ethiopia, who was the top-seeded runner, finished second, in 2:10:26, with Alfred Kipchirchir Mukche of Kenya finishing third in 2:10:56, in his first marathon.

Elvis Kipchoge 🇰🇪 is your 2023 @TOwaterfront42k CHAMPION 🥇

2:09:20!!#ChooseTORun pic.twitter.com/NntIFJQsnt

— Canadian Running (@CanadianRunning) October 15, 2023

From early in the race, the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon was a duel between Cheboi and Kipchirchir, cruising along the course in their contrasting dark (Cheboi) and light (Kipchirchir) singlets, until the hairpin turnaround in the east-end Beach neighbourhood, when Cheboi surged ahead and never looked back. 

This was only Cheboi’s second marathon, having debuted at the Vienna Marathon earlier this year, where he finished seventh in 2:10:21.

“For me, winning Toronto is a huge achievement,” said Cheboi on his result. “I am very happy I improved on my time (from Vienna) today.”

Bikila, 34, came to Toronto with a personal best of 2:05:52 from the 2022 Seville Marathon. He won the Ottawa 10K in 2013 and was third at the Ottawa Marathon in 2018; this was his first time racing in Toronto. The 29-year-old Kipchirchir, racing his debut marathon, has three sub-60 half-marathon finishes, with a personal best time of 59:43 from the 2021 Madrid Half Marathon. 

Cheboi’s splits

5K              14:45
10K            29:32
15K             44:24
20K            59:19
21.1K    01:02:33
30K     01:29:28
35K     01:44:50
40K     02:01:17
Finish 02:09:20

Top 10 men

1. Elvis Kipchoge Cheboi KEN 2:09:20
2. Adugna Takele Bikila ETH 2:10:26
3. Alfred Kipchirchir Mukche KEN 2:10:56
4. Yohans Mekasha ETH 2:13:47
5. Jesus Eduardo Aggi Bencomo MEX 2:13:55
6. Thomas Broatch CAN 2:16:25
7. Orlando Casillas Velazquez MEX 2:18:11
8. Benjamin Raymond CAN 2:20:15
9. Sergio Ráez Villanueva CAN 2:20:48
10. Alejandro Sanchez Viveros MEX 2:21:13

Broatch wins Canadian men’s title in debut

Thomas Broatch of Vancouver took the Canadian men’s title in marathon debut in 2:16:25. Broatch ran alone for most of the race, having surged ahead of Sergio Ráez Villanueva at halfway, with whom he had traded the lead for the first half of the race. Broatch is coming off a win at the Vancouver Eastside 10K, where he beat three-time Toronto champion and previous Canadian Marathon Champion Trevor Hofbauer, who did not race on Sunday. Benjamin Raymond finished as the second Canadian man, in 2:20:15, with Ráez Villanueva rounding out the Canadian podium, finishing in 2:20:48, improving on his fourth-place finish in 2022.

Josh Cassidy lowers course record in wheelchair race

For the second year in a row, Canadian Josh Cassidy won the men’s wheelchair race, taking down his own course record by more than a minute and crossing the line in 1:38:14 (unofficial). Cassidy is a former world record holder; this was his third marathon in four weeks.

For our coverage of the women’s elite race, click here. For our coverage of the Canadian Marathon Championships, click here.