Toronto Waterfront Marathon’s bold initiative to get more women racing

In recent years, the running boom has seen races across the globe fill up faster than ever, but not everyone is showing up in equal numbers. At the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, race director Charlotte Brookes has noticed a concerning trend: fewer women are signing up, even as total race participation climbs.

“Before the pandemic, female participation was higher,” says Brookes, who also serves as the founder of the marathon’s new women’s training programs. “More men registering, and we don’t have the same entry restrictions as Boston or London, where lotteries or qualifying times allow for more controlled gender splits.”

The reasons behind the drop-off are complex, but one keeps surfacing: life gets busier. Brookes, now a new mom herself, says she relates to many women in their late 20s and 30s who find that family, careers and other responsibilities push running down the priority list. That’s exactly what Brookes and the team at Canada Running Series are trying to change.

To meet women where they are, the Toronto Waterfront Marathon is launching several new initiatives to create a more inclusive, flexible, and supportive environment. Among them: a two-year deferral option for pre- and post-partum runners, lactation stations along the course for nursing mothers, and baby-changing tents near the finish line at Nathan Phillips Square.

“We’re trying to build more than just a race,” says Brookes. “We want a community. There’s something in the program for every type of runner—beginner, intermediate, or advanced. Our goal is to offer support and make sure no woman feels alone on this journey.”

The centrepiece of this is the race’s women’s training program, a free, 16-week plan designed for those signed up for the half-marathon and marathon. With coaching input from experienced female runners and mentors from Mile2Marathon, the program is tailored to help women at different stages of their running journey.

Ottawa’s Becky Pieterson, a sub-three-hour marathoner and former assistant cross-country coach at Western University, is one of three coaches leading the initiative. She says she’s excited to watch new runners surprise themselves. “I coached a woman who had never run or considered herself athletic,” Pieterson says. “Last year, she ran two marathons.”

Alongside detailed weekly training plans, the program, supported by ASICS, offers a weekly virtual speaker series, where runners can hear from experts about recovery, nutrition, gear and more. “We’re building the content around what the women in the program want to learn,” Pieterson says.

Pieterson says the response to the new initiative has been unexpected: more than 1,200 women have already signed up—600 for the half-marathon and 400 for the full. Most participants are between the ages of 25 and 50, and many are new to structured running.

“We were hoping to beat last year’s 450 sign-ups,” Pieterson says. “In just the last few weeks, we’ve added 300.”

Like Brookes, Pieterson says she has also noticed a decline. “Last year, when I stood on the start line in Berlin, I remember looking around and seeing twice as many men as women,” says Pieterson. “Balancing kids, careers and marathon training is tough. But when women see more women running, they start to believe they can do it too.”

To make the program even more accessible, this year’s training is split into beginner and intermediate levels, offering gentle increases for newcomers and tougher sessions for runners looking to lower their times. There will also be a few in-person group runs in Toronto, giving runners a chance to connect, train together and build community.

At the core of the initiative, Brookes and Pieterson say it isn’t just about hitting personal bests—it’s about getting more women to the start line, and making sure they feel comfortable and confident there. The women’s training programs for the Toronto Waterfront Marathon are free and will kick off later this month.