On Mother’s Day, 20,000 eager runners took to Toronto’s Yonge Street for the annual Sporting Life 10K. This year’s race saw the highest number of female participants in race history, with more than 10,200 female finishers. Leading the way was Canadian triathlete Tamara Jewett, who won the race in 32 minutes and two seconds.
This is the third time Jewett has won the women’s race at the Sporting Life 10K. (She also won in 2018 and 2015.)
“I think it’s been about five years since I laced up for a race,” Jewett wrote on Instagram. “This race is a Toronto classic (with about 20,000 runners this year!) from Midtown to Downtown down Yonge St and then along Lakeshore. I first ran it in high school, and this was my third time as the first woman (the last time I raced here was 2018!).”
Jewett is regarded as one of the top triathletes in the world for the half Ironman distance. She was a nationally competitive middle-distance runner on the track during her time at the University of Toronto before she moved to triathlon and holds the record for the fastest half-marathon split in an Ironman 70.3 triathlon (73:08).
Her winning time at the Sporting Life 10K was the fastest women’s finishing time in the last decade. Jewett ran the race with her younger sister Rachel, who trains with Toronto’s Monarch Athletics Club and finished as the 24th woman.
In the men’s race, Toronto’s very own Ben Shore was out on his own from the start to take the win over Ethiopia’s Gizachew Negasa in 29 minutes and 46 seconds. Negasa, who has been living and training in Toronto since last fall, crossed the line second, in 30:22.
Shore and Negasa were two of six male runners to dip under the 31-minute mark at Sunday’s race.
For full results from the 2024 Sporting Life 10K, check here.
Each year, the Sporting Life 10K raises over a million dollars for Campfire Circle (previously Camp Oochigeas), which provides enriching experiences for young cancer patients. This year the race pledged to reach their goal of $2,000,000 and has raised $1,787,000 so far.
