Toronto-based marathoner Liza Howard is in the final weeks of her training build for the 2024 Toronto Waterfront Marathon on Oct. 20. On her last long run, Howard accomplished a remarkable feat, covering 50 kilometres faster than any Canadian woman ever has.
Howard completed the 50K distance in an impressive three hours, 14 minutes and 58 seconds (elapsed)—nearly eight minutes faster than the official Canadian record of 3:22:24, held by 2016 Olympian Krista DuChene. However, since Howard’s effort wasn’t part of a sanctioned race, it won’t be recognized as a national record.
According to her Strava activity, Howard passed the marathon mark (42.2 km) in 2:44:30, maintaining a blistering pace of 3:54/km for the remaining eight kilometres. The purpose of this run wasn’t record-breaking, but rather a key part of her mental and physical preparation for the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. “I realize it may seem uncommon to do such long workouts in training, but Greg Purkis (my coach) and I believe over-distance runs are highly beneficial,” Howard explained. “This is my second one of the build, and we typically include one or two in a training cycle.”
Howard, 36, did the first 50K long run of her marathon build on Sept. 8, where she also recorded time faster than the Canadian record (3:18:50).
Howard says the purpose of the ultra-long run was to run at 90 per cent of it at her target marathon pace. Runs like this help build aerobic capacity, leg strength and the ability to recruit fast-twitch muscle fibres as fatigue sets in. “It simulates what happens in the last 10K of a marathon,” she says. “These runs make the race feel shorter, and I often channel them mentally in the final stages.”
With a personal best of 2:35:29 from the 2022 Chicago Marathon, Howard has proven herself as one of Canada’s top female marathoners. In 2023, she cemented her standing as the top Canadian female finisher at the Boston Marathon.
Howard’s goal for the Canadian Marathon Championships on Oct. 20 is to reach the podium and possibly better her personal best. However, she will face stiff competition from Canadian marathon record-holder and two-time Olympian Natasha Wodak, as well as road race star Erin Mawhinney, who will be making her marathon debut.
The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, one of only two World Athletics Label marathons in Canada, consistently attracts elite athletes from around the world. This year’s race on Oct. 20 will feature more than 20,000 participants from more than 50 countries.
