Saskatoon mom targets marathon comeback at TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Saskatoon’s Alex York has always considered herself a lifelong runner, and in her next race, she’s out to prove that motherhood doesn’t mean sidelining her goals.

Just one year after welcoming her second child, York is set to travel from Saskatoon to race the 2025 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon on Oct. 19. “I’m training to show myself that just because I’ve had kids doesn’t mean I have to give up my passions,” she says.

York is one of 2,500 women participating in the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon women’s training program, a free, 16-week plan designed to help women at different stages of their running journey prepare for race day.

For York, a female-focused training plan wasn’t just helpful. She loved that the training program was specific to women, and worked for her busy schedule as a mom. “Right now, my son’s down for a nap, and it’s the only time I have to get in a run,” she says.

The 33-year-old says training looks very different now compared to before motherhood. Naps now dictate workouts, and every long run requires careful negotiation and planning with her husband. “Looking back, I had so much free time before I had kids,” she laughs. “Now, you have to prioritize things.”

York and her husband (also a runner) have created a system that keeps them both on track. “We have a program for the program,” she says. “I do my long runs on Saturday, and my husband does his on Sunday. Everything is in our calendar.”

This structured support has helped York navigate her comeback more smoothly than after her first child. “The first time to get back into running was very hard; it was life-changing in the best way, but I had no idea what I was doing,” she says. “This time, I knew what to expect and have found the transition a lot better.”

Running has always been York’s social outlet. When she moved to Vancouver in 2015, she joined Mile2Marathon and trained toward qualifying for Boston and New York. A pact with her friends to reunite at races around the world led to more marathons in Chicago, Saskatoon, Las Vegas, and now Toronto.

“Once you find a group of girls whom you can meet up with two or three days a week, it makes everything easier,” she says. “I am so inspired by the people in my social group who continue running despite all the other things life throws at us.”

She insists that this trip is, first and foremost, a girls’ trip. “Even though it’s that, a lot of us are chasing Boston times for 2027; so it would be amazing to BQ,” says York. “It would be my first time qualifying after having kids.”