Who could have imagined that the runner-up of the ninth annual Toronto Marathon would turn out to be a U of T student? Finishing the 42 km race with a time of two hours and 36 minutes, Mark Stone was the first Canadian to cross the finish line on Oct. 19. He placed second, only minutes behind the champion Lemy Chengere from Ethiopia. It’s all rather impressive for a guy who’s been running seriously for only a year and a half, and has raced in only two other marathons prior to this one.
At 6’2 and 150 lbs, Stone is certainly gifted with the physique necessary to run long distances. Finishing ninth in his first marathon appearance last year, Stone found he had qualified for the Boston Marathon–something that often takes years of training with coaches and running clubs. “I haven’t really had a coach…I’ve just trained by myself,” he replies modestly. Relying primarily on the recommended schedule found inside the running book, Running from Start to Finish, Mark makes it his goal to run everyday, no less than 60-70 miles per week.
Originally from Lindsay, Ont., Stone has attended U of T for the last four years and is currently studying medicine. An honours student, he picked up running as a hobby two and a half years ago. “I started originally because it relieved the stress from school, then I really started enjoying it,” he says.
Although his dad is an avid runner, he never competed in high school track or cross country, and surprisingly only tried out for the U of T cross country team for the first time this year. “Sadly it didn’t fit into my schedule because of med school. Hopefully next year.”
In this year’s Toronto Marathon, Stone was looking to beat his former record. “My goal was to finish at 2:30, though I didn’t do as well as I had hoped,” he says, adding “I felt good at the start, a little nervous, I have to admit though, I was really tired at the end.” Stone qualified for the Boston Marathon again this year. “I really just want to run the best I can [in Boston], hopefully I can beat last year’s time [of 2:50].”
Although “it was neat getting press,” Stone laughs off the idea of becoming a professional runner, saying “I run for the challenge. I’ve never considered a pro career; I’m just not fast enough.”
The Toronto Marathon (formally known as the Canadian International) is the largest competitive marathon in the country. The grueling race spans the entire city, all the way from Steeles Avenue to Front Street. This year, the marathon was host to 30 different countries and close to 10,000 participants.
