TORONTO, May 29, 2013 /CNW/ - Canadian Olympian and World Championship Marathoner Reid Coolsaet is aiming to break the longstanding Canadian Marathon Record this year, and has chosen the 2013 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon as the race to do it. Coolsaet is targeting a time under 2:10:09, the current Canadian record set by Jerome Drayton 38 years ago.

"We are thrilled that Reid will be on the start line at this year's Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon," said Race Director Alan Brookes. "He is a great competitor and someone who is not afraid to challenge and push the limits of what we thought was possible in Canadian marathoning. He's truly a Canadian athlete of international calibre and with all the marathon choices he has this fall, we're delighted he's chosen to do it in Toronto."

Brookes is also very pleased that 18-year title sponsor, Scotiabank, is putting up a bonus of $38,000 as an incentive to beat Jerome Drayton's 38-year-old Canadian record at this year's race.  That's $1,000 for every year since the record of 2:10:09 was set.

"Scotiabank wishes Reid Coolsaet, one of Canada's preeminent marathoners, all the best in his quest to break the Canadian Marathon race record," said Jacquie Ryan, Scotiabank's Vice President of Sponsorship and Partnership Programs. "The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is a true demonstration of athleticism, philanthropy and community spirit. Last year we saw records broken in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge, which raised more than $4.3 million for charities - and we can't wait to cheer on Reid and the thousands of other participants at the race again this year."

Coolsaet was very pleased to hear of the incentive offered by Scotiabank.

"The $38,000 prize is a big sum for a professional runner and it's amazing that Scotiabank offers such a generous bonus," Coolsaet said. "You have to be motivated intrinsically in order to maximize performance but having that big carrot sure does help. I think a lot of people would like to see the record get broken because it's stood for so long but so many things have to go right for any of us to even take a shot at it."

The 33-year-old Hamilton, Ontario native is understandably cautious when it comes to predicting his finishing time at this year's race in Toronto.

Reid has been an ambassador for Canadian distance running and his return to this prestigious IAAF Silver Label race is an enormous addition to one of the world's most recognized running events.

Canadians across the country shared the pride of seeing him finish third at the 2011 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in a top international field. It was at that event that he recorded his personal best time of 2:10:55 - the third fastest in Canadian history - and confirmed his place at the London Olympics. And we proudly applauded his efforts on the world stage at the London Games last summer.

The 2013 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon is once again an IAAF Silver Label race and we are confident this year's event will produce world class performances by both Canadian and foreign competitors.

About Scotiabank:

Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, both in Canada and abroad, through our global philanthropic program, Scotiabank Bright Future.  Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, Scotiabank has provided on average approximately $47 million annually to community causes around the world over each of the last five years. Visit us at www.scotiabank.com.

For more information and entry to the event:
www.stwm.ca

SOURCE: Scotiabank - Sponsorships & Donations