TORONTO, October 16, 2026 – The 2026 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon will take place on October 17 and 18. Over the weekend, multiple roads in downtown Toronto and along the waterfront will be closed at different times for the races, while several TTC bus and streetcar routes will be diverted.
The 5K race will take place first on Saturday, October 17, starting at 9 a.m. on Bay Street north of Front Street. The full marathon and half marathon will begin at 8 a.m. on Sunday, October 18, with the start line on Yonge Street north of Gerrard Street. All three events are currently sold out.
The race routes will travel along major roads including Bay Street, Yonge Street, Bloor Street, Bathurst Street, Lake Shore Boulevard and Queen Street. Some sections will begin closing early in the morning and will reopen gradually after runners have passed.
Traffic impacts will be greatest on Sunday. The marathon and half-marathon routes will extend across downtown, the waterfront and several east- and west-end neighbourhoods. Residents travelling to areas around Nathan Phillips Square, Union Station, Ontario Place, The Beaches and the Distillery District may need to avoid parts of the race route.
The TTC will begin adjusting some surface routes from 10 a.m. on Friday, October 16. Routes affected on Saturday include 19 Bay, 97 Yonge, 114 Queens Quay, 121 Esplanade-River, 202 Cherry Beach, as well as 501 Queen, 503 Kingston Road, 504 King and 510 Spadina.
On Sunday, as the race area expands, routes including 13 Avenue Road, 64 Main, 65 Parliament, 72 Pape, 75 Sherbourne, 80 Queensway, 83 Jones, 92 Woodbine South, 94 Wellesley and 97 Yonge will also be diverted, along with several streetcar routes on Queen, King, Dundas and Carlton.
The 511 Bathurst streetcar will be suspended from 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Sunday to accommodate road closures along Bathurst Street.
Runners taking part in Sunday’s races should also note that TTC subway service will begin its regular Sunday operations at 8 a.m., the same time as the marathon and half marathon start. Participants and staff who need to arrive earlier should make alternative transportation arrangements.
After 8:45 a.m. on Sunday, east-west pedestrian crossings on Bay Street between Lake Shore Boulevard and Dundas Street will also be restricted. People travelling through downtown will need to use designated crossing points or routes through Union Station.
Residents driving through downtown or the waterfront over the weekend are advised to check road closure times in advance. TTC passengers travelling through the race area should also allow extra time for transfers and diversions.
（LJI by Yuanyuan）
