Marathon running has a way of forging unlikely bonds.
The event is demanding, and often leaves athletes searching for shared understanding among the small group of people who truly know what it feels like to spend months preparing for 42.195 kilometres of uncertainty. For Canadians Dayna Pidhoresky and Rachel Hannah, mutual respect developed into friendship through years of competition, training, and shared experiences on the roads.
On October 18, the pair will renew a rivalry that stretches back more than a decade at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, which once again serves as both a World Athletics Elite Label Race and the Canadian Marathon Championships.
While their friendship remains firmly intact, both women will arrive in Toronto with the same goal: to win a national title.
Hannah, who lives in Port Elgin, Ontario, with her husband and coach Joe Chappell, returns as the defending Canadian champion after finishing as the top Canadian in last year’s race. The former Georgia State University athlete has been one of Canada’s most consistent marathoners for more than a decade.
Pidhoresky, originally from Tecumseh, Ontario, has built her life and career in Vancouver since 2013, alongside her husband and coach, Josh Seifarth. She captured the Canadian Olympic Marathon Trials in Toronto in 2019, earning selection to the Tokyo Olympic Games, and remains one of the country’s premier marathoners.
Her recent results suggest she is in formidable form.
Earlier this year, Pidhoresky dominated the Congers Marathon in New York, winning in 2:31:24 and finishing approximately three and a half minutes ahead of the next woman. She also owns three victories at the Vancouver Marathon, collected in 2022, 2023, and 2025.
The two athletes have crossed paths countless times over the years. Whenever schedules align in Vancouver, they occasionally train together. Pidhoresky has even sought nutrition advice from Hannah, who works professionally as a registered dietitian specializing in sports nutrition.
“The marathon is so long it’s almost like you are in it together until the last five or 10 kilometres,” said Pidhoresky. “It’s like you want a friend, a buddy, a compatriot out there. Maybe towards the end it’s more, ‘How do I win this thing?’ But I don’t know that I’m really standing on the start line trying to win it from the gun.”
As remarkable as their longevity has been, both athletes continue chasing personal best performances.
Pidhoresky’s best remains the 2:29:03 she ran on the Toronto Waterfront course in 2019. Hannah’s personal record of 2:32:09 dates back even further, to the 2015 Houston Marathon, the same year she earned bronze at the Pan American Games.
Despite approaching 40 years of age, neither athlete appears interested in slowing down.
Hannah will celebrate her 40th birthday shortly before race day, while Pidhoresky reaches the same milestone one month later. Both have recently run performances within striking distance of their career bests, reinforcing the belief that another breakthrough remains possible.
“I’d love to PB,” Hannah said. “Knowing the course really helps. There are a lot of spots where you can see your competitors and how they’re doing. That’s really helpful.”
Years of racing have taught both runners hard lessons about training load and recovery.
For Pidhoresky, those lessons often arrived through injury. Stress fractures, patellar tendon issues, and persistent quadriceps problems forced her to re-evaluate how much training her body could absorb.
Now she caps her mileage between 140 and 150 kilometres per week, a decision she credits with maintaining consistency.
“I have capped my mileage at 140 to 150 km a week maximum and that has tended to keep me healthy,” she said. “I had a patella issue a couple of years ago, and since then, I haven’t had any forced time off due to injury. My body has felt good. It’s something I wish I had done earlier.”
Cross-training has also become part of the equation. With Seifarth competing as a triathlete, bike sessions frequently supplement her running, while occasional long runs with Canadian marathon record holder Natasha Wodak provide both company and quality work.
Hannah’s preparation has taken a different shape.
A lighter racing schedule this season has allowed her to maintain consistently high mileage. Through much of the summer, she has been running more than 160 kilometres per week and expects those totals to increase considerably as marathon-specific training progresses.
“If you had told me at 40 I’d be running this much, I wouldn’t have believed it,” Hannah said with a laugh. “I’m grateful I’ve been competing at this level for a decade or more. As you get older, you don’t know how many more championships you’ll have, and that makes you appreciate the whole process.”
The support of Chappell’s training group has helped. During the summer, she has regularly shared workouts with Emily Bryce, the Saugeen District High School graduate now competing for the University of West Virginia.
Still, Toronto will ultimately come down to the athletes on the start line.
Friendships may flourish within Canadian distance running, but championships are won through competition.
“We’ve known each other for a really long time,” Hannah said. “We’ve been racing each other for about 10 years. Any time I’m out west, I’ll reach out to her for runs. She’s run two really good marathons this year, so I’ll have to make sure I’m in really good shape to compete with her.”
She laughs after saying it, but the competitive reality is obvious.
There is only one Canadian marathon title available in Toronto, and both women believe they can win it.
For 42.195 kilometres, friendship will take a back seat to competition. Once the finish line is crossed, there will be plenty of time to enjoy both.
[With files from Paul Gains].
