For the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, a chauffeur gets runners to the downtown start before the roads close, moves supporters between viewing points, and collects everyone outside the closures after the finish. Race weekend is usually in mid-October; the 2026 race weekend is October 17 and 18. Downtown is about 27 km from Pearson. Book your race-weekend car at a fixed fare.
Toronto Waterfront Marathon car service: what runners book
The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Toronto's big autumn road race, organised by the Canada Running Series with a marathon, a half marathon and a 5K over one weekend. For 2026 the organiser lists the 5K on Saturday, October 17, and the marathon and half marathon on Sunday, October 18, with an 8:00 a.m. start; all three distances are sold out. The official race site carries the course map, start corrals, bag check, race kit pickup and the road closure schedule. Runners and their families book three kinds of rides with TorontoBlackLimousine.com: an early drop-off to the start, a supporter car that moves between viewing points, and the post-race pickup. A short hourly chauffeur booking covers all three in one car.
Where are the start and finish?
The start and finish are downtown, and in recent years the finish has been on Bay Street north of Queen Street, close to City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square. The course then uses major streets through the core and long stretches along the waterfront. Exact start corrals, the route and any changes are published by the organiser each year, so check the course map on the race site or on the Canada Running Series site in race week. We plan every booking around the current map rather than last year's.
Road closures on race morning
A marathon closes a lot of road. On race Sunday, streets around the start, the finish and the course close in stages from early morning, reopening as the last runners pass. The City of Toronto and the organisers publish the closure schedule; expect restrictions in the downtown core and along the waterfront, and expect the routes you would normally use to cross the course to be blocked for part of the morning. Your chauffeur checks Ontario 511 and the City of Toronto notices the night before, plans the approach from outside the closures and drops you at the nearest point the closures allow. Walking the last few hundred metres to the corral is normal.
Distances and drive times on race weekend
| Trip | Distance | Typical drive (normal conditions) |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto Pearson (YYZ) to downtown hotels | about 27 km | 25 to 45 minutes |
| Yorkville to the downtown start area | about 4 km | 10 to 20 minutes |
| North York to the downtown start area | about 15 km | 20 to 35 minutes |
| Mississauga to the downtown start area | about 30 km | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Oakville to the downtown start area | about 38 km | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Markham to the downtown start area | about 35 km | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Finish area to Pearson (after reopening) | about 27 km | 25 to 45 minutes |
Early on a Sunday the highways are quiet; the slow part is the last few kilometres around the closures. The exact fixed fare for your address and vehicle shows in the reservation engine.
Planning the race-morning drop-off
Runners want an easy morning: up early, a light breakfast, and a calm ride to the start without worrying about parking or transit schedules. We usually set pickup so you reach the drop-off point well before the corral closes, with time for the washroom queue and bag check. Tell dispatch your corral, your hotel or home address and whether anyone is coming with you. The chauffeur arrives early, keeps the car warm (mid-October mornings in Toronto can be cold and wet), and knows the closure plan. For runners staying in Mississauga, Oakville or Markham, the early start means the highways are clear and the drive is predictable.
A sample race-morning timeline
For a Sunday start, a runner staying outside the core might plan it like this: pickup early enough to arrive near the start well before the corral closes, with breakfast already eaten at home or at the hotel; drop-off at the nearest open point, then the walk, washroom and bag check; the chauffeur moves to the agreed waiting area or collects the supporters. After the race the car meets you outside the closures, and if you are flying home, goes on to Pearson. Dispatch builds the exact times from your corral, address and the published closures.
Supporters: seeing your runner at several points
Spectators who want to see a runner at more than one place along the course face closed roads and crowded transit. A chauffeur cannot drive the course, but on an hourly booking they can move the family between viewing areas that are reachable from open roads, timed to the runner's expected pace. Share your runner's tracking from the official race app with the chauffeur, choose two or three realistic viewing points with the course map, and let the car do the hopping. Then meet your runner at the finish area by the agreed point.
Post-race pickup: getting tired legs home
After the finish, runners walk through the recovery area, collect bags and meet family. The streets immediately around the finish stay closed for a while, so the chauffeur waits at a pickup point outside the closures, agreed in advance, and you walk to the car. Expect crowds and a slow reopening around the core. The car is warm, there is room to stretch out, and anyone heading to Pearson for an afternoon flight can go straight there; our downtown Toronto to Pearson page covers that run.
Out-of-town runners: Pearson, Union Station and hotels
Many runners fly in for the race. Your chauffeur tracks the flight into Toronto Pearson, waits at the pre-arranged pickup area on the arrivals curb (meet and greet inside arrivals is an optional add-on at booking) and drives you to your hotel. Runners arriving by train are met at Union Station. Hotels close to the start and finish save time on race morning: see our pages on Financial District hotels and downtown Yonge and Eaton Centre hotels. Our travel desk books rooms, flights and packages for race weekend.
Race kit pickup and the days before
Bib and race kit pickup happens before race day at the location the organiser publishes, and many visiting runners combine it with a short run, a meal and some sightseeing. An hourly chauffeur on Friday or Saturday covers kit pickup, a carb-loading dinner and a look at the course without walking more than you should on the day before a marathon. Keep your legs fresh; let the chauffeur do the miles.
Which vehicle for race weekend?
- A runner on their own or with a partner: a business sedan or the electric
- A runner and family of up to six: the business SUV, with room for warm layers and a change of clothes.
- A running club or charity team of up to twelve: the Sprinter luxury van.
- A large club or corporate team: a coach from a partner operator, priced in writing.
Running clubs, charity teams and corporate teams
Clubs and corporate teams often travel together for the start and celebrate together after the finish. A Sprinter for up to twelve picks up the team at one hotel or office, drops everyone at the start, waits outside the closures and takes the group to a post-race brunch. For larger teams, two Sprinters or a partner coach keep everyone on one plan. Our Sprinter group transportation page explains how group bookings work.
TTC, walking or a chauffeur?
The TTC subway is the organiser's suggested way into the core on race morning for many runners, and if you are staying close to the start, walking is easiest of all. A chauffeur makes sense when you are coming from outside the core, from Pearson or the suburbs, when you are travelling with children or older relatives, or when you simply want a warm car and no transfers before and after the hardest run of your year. The car also keeps your post-race clothes and bags safe while you run, which the bag check does too, but without the queue.
The day after: recovery and getting to the airport
The morning after a marathon, stairs and long walks are unwelcome. Many visiting runners book a simple hotel-to-Pearson ride on Monday with a later pickup so they can sleep, or a short hourly booking for a relaxed brunch and a little sightseeing without much walking. Our chauffeurs help with bags, the car door is at the curb, and the ride to the terminal is about 27 km from downtown, typically 25 to 45 minutes depending on the Monday morning traffic.
Older spectators, children and accessibility
Marathon mornings are long for supporters too. Child seats (infant, convertible and booster) are available at booking. Older relatives who use a wheelchair or walker and can transfer to a seat ride comfortably, with the chauffeur stowing the mobility aid; we have a wheelchair-accessible vehicle for anyone who must stay seated in a wheelchair or scooter, available when booked in advance. Choosing viewing points that need little walking from open roads makes the morning easier for everyone.
Weather in mid-October
October in Toronto can bring anything from crisp sunshine to cold rain and wind off the lake. Pack a throwaway layer for the start, dry clothes for after, and let the chauffeur hold your bag of warm things. If the weather turns, the car is the closest warm room you have. We watch the forecast and the organiser's updates, and we will call you if anything about the race-morning plan needs to change.
What does the fare include?
No prices are shown on this site. The reservation engine shows a fixed, all-in fare before you confirm, covering chauffeur, vehicle, fuel, the gratuity and any airport fees on a Pearson pickup, with HST shown separately. What changes it: vehicle class, hours, addresses and the date. Cancellation follows the sitewide policy: free more than 72 hours out, 10 per cent at 72 hours or less, 50 per cent at 48 hours or less, and the full fare at 24 hours or less or on a no-show.
More autumn events we drive to
Race weekend falls in a busy autumn. Nuit Blanche and the winter events follow soon after, and the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair opens in November. In summer, the National Bank Open brings a different kind of athlete to town. See all events on our events page.
