Join us on May 4, 2008 for the Sporting Life 10k! Join 10,000+ other runners in a celebration of fitness, and take over Canada's most famous street! Starts at Sporting Life, 2665 Yonge St. Start time 8:00am.

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2008 Results and Photos are posted HERE

All photo galleries now posted!

2008 Race Report: Macharia, Jepkoskei win 2008 Sporting Life 10k; half a million dollars raised for Camp Oochigeas

Apr 28: 10,000 Runners hit Yonge Street! for the 11th annual Sporting Life 10k run

Apr 28: Be a part of the proud tradition of Toronto's big Spring 10k, the first weekend in May

April 28th. Councillor Adrian Heaps signs up for his third Sporting Life 10K
Adrian Heaps, Councillor for Ward 35 [Scarborough Southwest] and a good friend to runners as Chair of the City's Cycling Committee, today confirmed he's fit and ready to take the plunge down Yonge on Sunday morning for Camp Ooch. Adrian covered the Sporting Life 10K in 2006 in 60:42. His best time was in 2005, when he dipped under the magic one-hour mark in 59:08. When he's not out running, Councillor Heaps is on his bike, and representing our kindred interests as he fights to get more bicycle paths and bicycle lanes throughout Toronto.
For a full profile see www.toronto.ca/councillors/heaps1.htm.

SPECTATOR GUIDE: information on the six exciting bands on the course, and the best places to watch, in YOUR neighbourhood...
...and don't miss LADY SON Y ARTICULO VEINTE at the post-run Party in Roundhouse Park!

February 4th. Councillor Karen Stintz confirmed to run Sporting Life 10K for Camp Ooch.
Fresh from her first-ever half marathon at Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront last September, the dynamic representative from Ward 16 [where SL10K starts] says firing down Yonge Street for Camp Ooch on May 4th will be a breeze. Will she manage to persuade any of her fellow councillors to strut their stuff for the kids? Read more about Karen at www.karenstintz.com/bio.

2008 WINNERS

Moses Macharia

Florence Jepkoskei

Moses Macharia wins 2008 Sporting Life 10k

New Balance technical t-shirts to all registrants; medals to all finishers!

click to enlarge

PLEASE NOTE: for the safety of all runners and walkers participating in our event, NO STROLLERS, BABY JOGGERS, PETS or ROLLERBLADES are allowed.

WALKERS WELCOME! Separate Start corral and separate results for walkers.

See the TTC Sporting Life 10k ads

See the 2006 Sporting Life 10k video — Visualize yourself running down Yonge St. traffic free!

Runner's World experts, Coach Jenny Hadfield and John "The Penguin" Bingham created the 2008 Sporting Life 10K Training programs. They're FREE. They're for everyone—walkers, slower runners and speedy types, too!

Series Suppliers:

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Macharia, Jepkoskei win 2008 Sporting Life 10k; half a million dollars raised for Camp Oochigeas

TORONTO. 4th May 2008. Moses Macharia continued to tear up the roads in the Canada Running Series this Spring, with an impressive victory at this morning's Sporting Life 10K, in 28:18. Defending champion and course record-holder, Florence Jepkoskei retained her women's crown, crossing the line in 32:11. Macharia had already won Harry's Spring Run-Off Toronto 8K and placed second at Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal to Samuel Ndereba, in April. Kenyans Macharia and Jepkoskei led a record field of 9,916 down Canada's most famous Street, "running down Yonge without getting run down" in "Canada's Fastest 10K". The other big winner on the morning was Camp Oochigeas, a summer camp for kids with cancer in the Muskokas. They took home a record $502,000 from the morning's efforts, up appreciably from the $310,000 raised last year.

Macharia took off from the start of "Canada's Fastest 10K", on the shoulder of fellow-countryman Theophilas Musyoki. They covered the first kilometre in 2:46, followed by a brisk 2:44. This immediately opened up a gap of some 30 metres from a trailing group led by Jospephat Ongeri. The two settled in until 5K, passed in 14:00; Macharia then took charge dropping in another 2:44 and a 2:46, to open up a 20 metre gap. The separation was maintained, as they turned into a strong and gusty West wind for the last couple of kilometres [2:53 and 3:00]. Musyoki crossed the line just 9 seconds back in 28:27. Ongeri held on for third [29:27], while Canadians Amor Dehbi [Montreal] and Paul Chafe [Toronto] came through nicely to split up the Kenyans and take 4th and 5th in 29:54 and 30:03, respectively.

Florence Jepkoskei, who had blistered the course in 31:42 last year, had things all her own way today, cruising to victory in a respectable 32:10, after getting off the plane from Nairobi on Friday evening. Great Britain's Nicky Archer registered a big PR, placing second in 33:30. The 22 year-old Archer is coached by Bud Baldero in his GB Marathon Squad at the University of Birmingham. Kingston's Emily Tallen tucked in behind Archer for the first 5km, but then let her slip away, finishing 20 seconds back [33:50].

Masters winners Louis-Philippe Garnier of Montreal [32:03] and Paula Wiltse of Kingston [34:36], also ran well in the blustery and cool conditions.

For full results, see www.canadarunningseries.com/sportinglife/sl10kRESULT.htm.

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Final ELITE START LIST for 2008 Sporting Life 10K

BIB# LASTNAME     FIRSTNAME      CITY     PROVINCE CITIZENSHIP
 1   Musyoka      Theophilas     Nairobi           Kenyan 
 2   Macharia     Mose Nairobi                     Kenyan 
 3   Ongeri       Josephat       Nairobi           Kenyan 
 4   Rachem       Baghdad        Montreal QC  
 5   Fethi        Oukid          Montreal QC       Canadian 
 6   Ndirangu     David          Nairobi           Kenyan 
 7   Hetherington Stephane       Toronto  ON       Canadian 
 8   Githuka      Henry          Nairobi           Kenyan 
 9   Onsari       Bernard        Nairobi           Kenyan 
10   Karanja      David          Nairobi           Kenyan 
11   Chafe        Paul           Toronto  ON       Canadian 
12   Debhi        Amor           Montreal QC
13   Bassi        ABDELAMAJID    Montreal QC       Canadian 
14   Fyfe         Iain           Montreal QC       Canadian 
17   Gosleigh     Ken            Exeter   ON       Canadian 
18   Garnier      Louis-Philippe Montreal QC       Canadian 
19   Earl         James          Toronto  ON       Canadian
   
30   Jepkosgei    Florence       Nairobi           Kenyan 
33   Archer       Nicole-Marie   Cheshire UK       British 
34   Aboungono    Josiane        Milton   ON
35   Wiltse       Paula          Kingston ON       Canadian 
36   Ledroit      Isabelle       Montreal QC       Canadian

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10,000 Runners hit Yonge Street!
for the 11th annual Sporting Life 10k run

Toronto, ON – Sunday May 4th, 2008 8:00 a.m. A record 10,000 runners will be at the start line for the 11th anniversary of the Sporting Life 10k run in support of Camp Oochigeas on Sunday morning at 8am. This year's event is number 4 in the prestigious Canada Running Series, and hopes to raise over $300,000 for the camp for children with cancer.

Returning champion, Florence Jepkoskei and fellow Kenyan, Moses Macharia will toe the line at Yonge and Castlefield as pre-race favourites, ahead of a strong elite field. Jepkoskei blistered the downhill course last year in 31:42, helping it live up to its label as "Canada's fastest 10k". Macharia has already won Harry's Spring Run Off Toronto 8K on April 5th [23:37], and placed second at Banque Scotia 21k de Montreal on April 20th [63:57], in his Spring-season sojourn to Canada this year. A total of $12,700 in prize money will be up for grabs for the top finishers.

Elsewhere, lawyers and accountants will square off against each other, in a separate "Industry Challenge", with a strong focus on fundraising, as well as peer-group bragging rights on Bay Street. New this year, is a High School Challenge, where teams of students will vie for cash prizes for the "Fastest School" & "Fastest Runners". Councillor's Karen Stintz [Ward 16] and Adrian Heaps [Ward 35] are also confirmed to run for Camp Oochigeas.

While "running down Yonge Street without getting run down", participants will have the chance to "groove" to the sounds of "bands every mile" along the course, and finish on Bremner Boulevard, just adjacent to Roundhouse Park, for the post race party featuring the Latin sounds of "Ladyson". Other band locations are at: Yonge & St. Clair, Yonge & Bloor, Yonge & Dundas, Adelaide & Jarvis, Lakeshore & Sherbourne, and Lakeshore & York. Spectators are encouraged to come out to cheer-on local and international "heroes" and enjoy the tunes—bring your own coffee!

The event is open to runners and walkers of all abilities. It's still possible to register online at www.canadarunningseries.com/sportinglife/ until midnight on Tuesday 29th; then on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Sporting life Main store, 2665 Yonge Stree, between Eglinton and Lawrence. There is no sign-up or packet pick up on race morning. The Sporting life 10K for Camp Ooch is produced by Canada Running Series, is the 4th running event in the 2008 Race Series Calendar. Other signature events in the series include: Harry's Spring Run Off to fight Prostate Cancer (April) and the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, to be held September 28th, 2008.

SPORTING LIFE 10K RUN
SUNDAY MAY 4TH, 2008
8:00 A.M. START TIME (YONGE & CASTLEFIELD)
8:30 A.M. – 11:00 A.M.
POST RACE PARTY
ROUNDHOUSE PARK

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TORONTO, ON. April 28th.

Be a part of the proud tradition of Toronto's big Spring 10k, the first weekend in May

We're almost all set for the BIG Spring 10k in T.O. The bands are all booked, some fine looking New Balance tech tees are here, the brand-new-design finishers' medals are scheduled to arrive on Thursday, and even the weather seems to be cooperating… not too hot, but no rain is the forecast right now for Sunday morning.

Since I've been running and organizing races, the first Sunday in May has always been the "big one" in Toronto, and a special day. In the late '70s and early '80s, it was the Cadet Cleaners 10K that started off the tradition of a fast, downtown 10K on that Sunday. Almost from the beginning, the good-weather date and downtown route attracted 4,000 participants—and that was a lot, 30 years ago! In the early thru mid-80s it morphed into the Eaton's 10K. Everyone had their PR at Eaton's. And everyone knew the course was about 9.8k, but counted it anyway!

When Eaton's stopped doing the event in 1986, I snapped up the date and organized the Caledon Springs 10K, running from the Columbus Centre uptown to College Park at Bay and College. We promoted it as providing "an accurate and a safe course, and an accurate finishing time and place for everyone" [Eaton's 10K had also only provided results for the first 300 finishers—everyone else had to look at the clock as they crossed the line!]. Once Caledon Springs 10K set the trend, others had to follow.

By the end of the decade, Caledon Springs was gone, and the event was renamed the Columbus Centre 10k, keeping the same course.

As part of its illustrious history, the event was won in 1996 by a young Moroccan-immigrant dishwasher from New York City, who rode the Greyhound bus to the Tdot, and blew everyone away through the leafy streets of Forest Hill, winning in 29:38. His name was Khalid Khannouchi. In 1997 he won the Chicago Marathon in 2:07:10, the fastest-ever marathon debut at that time. Two years later he won Chicago in a World Record of 2:05:42 and became the first man on the planet to run under 2:06. In 2002 he set another World Record of 2:05:38 at London.

In 1998, Sporting Life began their marvellous sponsorship. The route was modified, to run from Sporting Life store, down Yonge Street, to downtown, but the basic principle of a fast, downhill course on the first weekend of May continued. In fact, it's flourished, growing from around 1,200 participants in '97, to 9,300 last year. Camp Oochigeas has become a great new charity, the bands every mile and post race party, the technical tees and finishers' medals are all new, but have only added to a fine, Toronto running tradition.

I hope you'll be part of it this weekend, as we take over Canada's most-famous street, and we all "run down Yonge, without getting run down!" Help us go over the magic 10,000 mark this year. We'll be close — you could make the difference!

And if you're not able to run, come out and cheer, at one of the 6 on-course entertainment centres with "live" bands, or to the Finish and post-run Party with LadySon. Check them out here. You can listen to some of LadySon's great Latin sounds on MySpace.

Hear that?
Gotta keep movin' ! [see you Sunday].

Alan Brookes,
Canada Running Series Director

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Are you inspired to run the Sporting Life 10K—voted Toronto's Best Run of 2005 by Get Out There Magazine ?

Check out our top 10 (okay, so there are a few more than 10!) list of things that have inspired our participants in the past.

Find your inspiration, and get over to Sporting Life Main store, 2665 Yonge Street, to sign up Thursday & Friday, 10am to 8:30pm, or Saturday 10am to 5:30pm.

TOP INSPIRATIONS TO RUN SPORTING LIFE 10K

• I love the course of this race, and the bands on the route
• So my husband can worship me even more – desperate housewife
• To be fit and able to run with my beagle
• Raise funds for Camp Oochigeas
• To run with my wife
• Peer Pressure
• Pour le plaisir
• To be hot and sexy
• Looking to meet women
• I'm hoping to get Flash Gordon's number
• To lose my beer belly
• My hockey team is running the 10 km
• My brother and brother-in-law made me
• Get back in shape after knee surgery
• Window shopping down Yonge Street
• Running with daughter and get into shape
• Lose weight and run with my Mom
• My wife is making me run with her
• For the chicks
• To prove to myself that I can run a 10k
• First 10km run - before I turn 40
• I am fat after 2nd baby and this my reno
• Inspired by friends getting into shape
• My ironman boyfriend inspires me
• Fighting cancer
• First Canadian race (from UK)
• First major race after back surgery
• Running down Yonge is a blast
• I love running with my mom Love2run4fun
• I love to run with my daughter
• So my uncle will stop nagging at me
• I connect with Mother Earth
• Because I never thought I could
• For children with Cancer
• Fitness. Have run it before. Loved it.
• To get off the couch
• Set example for little brother
• To get off my computer
• To beat my asthma
• Stepping stone goal towards a marathon
• Meeting the Challenge/Co-workers Support
• Challenged by my uncle twice my age
• See good looking women in spandex
• Nephew-cancer survivor - 5 years at Oochigeas
• Role Model for my kids and keep it fun
• Fun/Fitness/Freebies
• Vanity and sanity
• Large Latte at the finish, and the post-run PARTY!

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