Race director Charlotte Brookes on boosting female participation at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon
The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon has launched several new initiatives aimed at leading the way in boosting female participation
In Part 2 of our series on gender equality in road racing, we sit down with Canada Running Series CEO and Toronto Waterfront Marathon race director Charlotte Brookes.
After noticing a sharp drop-off in female marathon participation following the pandemic, Brookes and her team at CRS set out to address the decline, aiming to bring more gender parity to starting lines across CRS events. At the heart of their initiative has been their Women’s Training Program, which offers a free 16-week training plan to all female participants in the marathon and half-marathon events at Toronto Waterfront.
Now in its second year, the program has seen participation quadruple since its inception in 2024, and with it a growing community of motivated female participants supporting one another on their journey to the finish line this Oct. 19.
Tune in this week to hear more about the work Brookes and her team are doing, as well as how her own experience as a new mother and runner has given her a wider perspective on the needs of female athletes.
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