TORONTO, Aug. 1 /CNW/ - Organizers today announced that the 2007
Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon will be broadcast live on CBC Country
Canada and on the internet at cbcsports.ca. The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront
Marathon takes place on Sunday September 30, 2007 and is the first Canadian
marathon ever to be covered live.
    "Live coverage for the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon provides
another wonderful opportunity for runners, fans and communities to come
together in celebration of this elite, international race," said John Doig,
Scotiabank Senior Vice-President, Marketing. "In addition to covering the
world class athletes, CBC's participation enables us to highlight more
elements of the marathon like the Charity and Community Challenges and the
MarathonKIDS programs."
    CBC Country Canada, CBC's digital channel that recently broadcast the
FIFA U-20 World Cup, will provide four hours of live coverage on September 30
starting at 7 a.m. ET. Five additional hours of live internet coverage will be
available on cbcsports.ca, starting at 7 a.m. ET and a one-hour "Highlights"
program will be presented during CBC Sports Weekend on a Saturday afternoon
following the race on CBC Television. A webpage for the Scotiabank Toronto
Waterfront Marathon will also go live in September on cbcsports.ca and will
feature training tips, a runner's blog, pre-event information and more.
    "We are looking forward to providing Canadians coverage of the Scotiabank
Toronto Waterfront Marathon, both on television and on the internet," said
Scott Moore, executive director, CBC Sports. "This is one of Canada's top
marathons, and is also an important community event. CBC is committed to
providing viewers with unparalleled sports coverage, and we are proud to
partner with the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon to bring this event
into Canadian homes coast to coast."
    "We're absolutely thrilled to have live television and broadband coverage
with the calibre of CBC's production and quality," said Race Director,
Alan Brookes. "Other world marathons have shown us that live television and
internet coverage changes everything - it leads to more participants,
spectators, charity involvement and more fundraising. This is one of the most
important and final pieces we needed to create a truly international-class
marathon in Toronto."
    More than 12,000 runners from over 30 countries and 40 American states
are expected to participate in this year's event. Highlights will include
returning champion Daniel Rono of Kenya and his attempt to run the fastest
marathon ever on Canadian Soil. Ethiopian runners Asha Gigi and Merima Denboba
and last year's women champion Malgorzata Sobanska of Poland, are expected to
challenge the 2:30 mark in the women's race.
    Canadian marathon celebrities like 76-year-old Ed Whitlock will attempt a
new age-group world record, and competing for the Guinness Book of World
Records is Toronto's own Michal "The Joggler" Kapral who will juggle and run
while raising funds for Sick Kids Hospital.
    This year the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon hopes to beat world
records and surpass last year's fundraised amount of $703,000 for community
charities. "People run at our race to support important initiatives from the
fight against breast cancer to supporting children's needs" continued Brookes.
"Families can run for one another or can all run together while being cheered
on by their friends and neighbours."

    Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live
and work, both in Canada and abroad. Recognized as a leader internationally
and among Canadian corporations for its charitable donations and philanthropic
activities, in 2006 the Bank provided more than $42 million in sponsorships
and donations to a variety of projects and initiatives, primarily in the areas
of healthcare, education, social services and arts and culture. Scotiabank is
on the World Wide Web at www.scotiabank.com.
    For further information on the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, to
register or raise pledges, see www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com

    About CBC Country Canada:

    CBC Country Canada is the new home for provocative programs and series
with sauce. From world championship sports to cutting-edge bands, CBC Country
Canada is television unlike anything else. It's a very different CBC channel.
CBC Country Canada currently has more than 900,000 subscribers across the
country, and the channel is available via more than 60 television service
providers in Canada. Viewers can log on to www.cbccountrycanada.ca for
additional program information and contact their television provider to
subscribe to CBC Country Canada.