The Usual Suspects are leading the pack at the 35 kilometer mark

Canadian Matt Loiselle, left, is looking good

I consider myself a twisted Sartorialist, here is my vote for best dressed

I have a soft spot for Scotiabank’s Toronto Waterfront Marathon. I always think of it as the marathon that got away. Flashback to 1998: Oh how I wished I had run this flat, breezy, cakewalk instead of the Toronto International Marathon with its up and down hills in Hog’s Hollow and Forest Hill. And on that particular day, October 18, the weather was cold then hot, then rainy, then cold again. The only thing consistent was the wind although even that seemed to change direction. I learned a few things that day though: hills are for skiing and running is for people who have somewhere to go. Which is why now I just like to stay put and watch others go places. The Waterfront Marathon is perfect for that because the weather is always just right and the 35 kilometer mark is at the bottom of my street in front of Starbucks. The runners have 7 more k’s to go to finish the whole 42.2k’s . The last quarter is the toughest and most intense so it’s important to cheer these athletes on. I remember losing my pace bunny at the 30 k mark but I adopted two finely dressed Italian men both of whom were worried about what the humidity was doing to their hair. And I had problems of my own, I had lost my shirt(!) on Rosedale Valley Road and I had severe upper buttcrack chafing issues because I should have cut the tags from my shorts. Fun times! But in a marathon, anyone who crosses the finish line is a winner but some are more winny than others.

And speaking of races, the one where even winners can be losers, Toronto has a municipal election coming up on October 25. Do you need me to remind you how important it is to vote? For Ward 30, the Leslieville Post (see blogroll) has a Q & A with the candidates for councillor, click here for the link. I’ll keep you posted on the other east end neighbourhood wards in the coming weeks.