The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon and half start at 8 a.m. on Sunday, October 18, 2026, on Yonge Street between Elm and Queen, and finish at Nathan Phillips Square. A marathon car service should drop runners west of the start, around University Avenue, before closures tighten. Pearson to a downtown hotel is a $130–160 sedan planning fare, all-in plus HST.
TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon car service: race weekend at a glance
The TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon is Toronto's big autumn road race. For 2026 the organisers list the 5K on Saturday, October 17 at 9 a.m., and the marathon and half marathon together on Sunday, October 18 at 8 a.m. All three distances were listed as sold out in September. Race Central, where runners collect their kits, is at the Better Living Centre at Exhibition Place on Friday, October 16 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday, October 17 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
A marathon car service from TorontoAirportTransfer.services covers every leg of that weekend: the Pearson arrival, the kit pick-up at Exhibition Place, the pre-dawn run to the start, supporters moving along the course, and the tired ride home. Each ride is a fixed fare in the reservation engine, shown before you confirm.
Start and finish: exactly where
For the marathon and half marathon, the start is on Yonge Street between Elm Street and Queen Street, and the finish is at Nathan Phillips Square, the square in front of City Hall at Queen and Bay. Bag check is at Nathan Phillips Square, north of Queen Street, open 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. on race Sunday. The 5K on Saturday starts at University Avenue and Pearl Street and also finishes at Nathan Phillips Square.
The organisers say Bay Street closes to east-west pedestrian crossings between Lake Shore Boulevard and Dundas Street from 9 a.m. on race Sunday, and that the Green P garage under Nathan Phillips Square has accessible parking. They recommend transit for spectators and publish an interactive map of closure times on the official site.
The pre-dawn drop-off for runners
The start is in the heart of the downtown core, and roads around Yonge, Bay and Queen close early on race morning. Our chauffeurs aim to drop runners on University Avenue or a nearby open street west of the start, with enough time to walk to bag check at Nathan Phillips Square and then to the start corral.
For an 8 a.m. start, most runners want to be at bag check between 6:30 and 7 a.m. From a hotel in the core, that is a short hop; from Etobicoke, Mississauga or North York, allow 25 to 40 minutes at that hour on a Sunday, plus the walk. Tell dispatch your corral and hotel when booking, and the pick-up time will be set for you.
The course and what it closes
The course runs through the downtown core and along the waterfront, through more than a dozen neighbourhoods. The organisers' course notes mention Bathurst Street, a hairpin at Lake Shore Boulevard and Ellis Avenue in the west end, the Spadina fly-over, Eastern Avenue crossing the Don Valley Parkway, a hairpin on Bayview Avenue near River Street, and Queen Street East between Woodbine Avenue and Maclean Avenue in the Beach. The marathon's time limit is six hours and the half's is three and a half.
That means Lake Shore Boulevard, parts of Queen Street East and many downtown streets are closed or restricted for much of the morning. Any non-race trip across the south of the city on Sunday morning, including a Pearson run from a downtown hotel, needs extra time and a route chosen around the course.
Supporters: following a runner around the course
Friends and family who want to see a runner at two or three points use the car as a moving base. Because the course loops west to the Humber area and east to the Beach, a supporter car can see a runner early downtown, catch them again in the east end, and be back at the finish in time, but only if it uses roads north of the course, such as Queen Street West, Dundas Street or the Gardiner where it is open.
For this plan, book an hourly chauffeur. Planning figures: sedan $130–150 per hour, SUV $160–190, Sprinter $225–270, each with a 3-hour minimum, all-in plus HST. Share the runner's expected pace so the chauffeur can plan viewing points and set realistic timings.
After the finish: the pick-up that works
Finishers are cold, tired and often limping, and the area around Nathan Phillips Square is one of the most crowded places in the city on race Sunday. Bay Street is closed to crossings, and nearby roads are under traffic control until the course clears.
Agree a pick-up point a few blocks away from the finish, typically west on University Avenue or north on Dundas, and plan for the walk from bag check to the car. The chauffeur texts when parked. Point-to-point pick-ups include 15 minutes of waiting, but finish times are unpredictable, so an hourly booking or a generous pick-up time avoids stress.
Flying in for the marathon
Runners arrive from across Canada and abroad on the Thursday and Friday before race weekend. Every Pearson airport transfer is flight-tracked, with 60 minutes of included waiting on international arrivals and 30 minutes on Canadian and US, counted from the actual landing. Pick-up is at the terminal's pre-arranged commercial pickup area; meet and greet inside arrivals is an add-on at a planning figure of $25–35.
The drive downtown is about 27 km on Highway 427 and the Gardiner, 25 to 45 minutes depending on the time of day. International runners should check whether they need an eTA before flying. If you are flying into Billy Bishop, see our Billy Bishop transfer page.
Race Central at Exhibition Place
Kit pick-up is at the Better Living Centre at Exhibition Place, on the west side of the core near Lake Shore Boulevard and Strachan Avenue. Many runners go straight from the airport: Pearson to Exhibition Place is a similar planning fare to downtown, and the chauffeur waits while you collect your kit if you book hourly or add waiting time.
Exhibition GO station, on the Lakeshore West line, is on the grounds, and the TTC Exhibition Loop and Dufferin Gate Loop serve it too. With a hotel downtown, a car there and transit back is often a sensible mix.
Planning fares for race weekend
All-in planning figures plus HST. The reservation engine quotes the exact address, date and vehicle.
| Trip | Business sedan | Executive SUV | Sprinter (14) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pearson to downtown hotel | $130–160 | about $160–205 | about $285–345 |
| Pearson to Race Central (Exhibition Place) | about $130–160 | about $160–205 | about $285–345 |
| Hotel to start drop-off (downtown) | short hop, quoted | quoted | quoted |
| Hourly supporter car (3-h min) | $130–150/h | $160–190/h | $225–270/h |
Running clubs and group travel
Running clubs from outside Toronto often travel together. A Sprinter van seats 14 with their luggage and suits a club doing the airport run, the kit pick-up and the race morning together. For larger clubs, coaches come through vetted partner operators in the LimousineWorldwide.Directory network; we say so plainly, and a coordinator prices it in writing.
For clubs coming from Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton or London, a group transfer on Saturday and a return on Sunday afternoon is simpler than several cars and downtown parking, and the fare is split across the whole van. See our pages on Hamilton and Kitchener-Waterloo for fares.
Hotels and where to stay
Hotels around Queen, King and Bay put you a short walk from both the start and the finish, which removes the car from race morning entirely. Hotels near Union Station, including the Fairmont Royal York on Front Street, are a 10-minute walk from Nathan Phillips Square.
If you are staying further out, near Pearson or in the suburbs, the pre-dawn transfer is the most important booking of your weekend. Book it early, give the chauffeur your corral time, and have a backup plan in case of unexpected road closures.
The 5K on Saturday
The Saturday 5K starts at 9 a.m. at University Avenue and Pearl Street and finishes at Nathan Phillips Square. The organisers note that King streetcars divert from 7 a.m. and Queen streetcars from 8:15 a.m. that morning, so the core is already restricted before the main race day. Families running together often book a van with child seats for the Saturday and then use the rest of the day for sightseeing.
If you are running the 5K and supporting a marathoner on Sunday, a two-day hourly booking with the same chauffeur keeps things simple and lets the driver learn your group's routine.
Weather and race morning
Mid-October mornings in Toronto can be chilly, and the start is before sunrise warms the streets. The car is warm, and the chauffeur can wait while you finish your preparation if you have booked hourly. Bring throwaway layers for the start corral.
Check the Environment Canada forecast the day before. Heavy rain or wind off the lake slows the drive and changes how long you will want to stand at the finish; the car can be positioned closer if weather turns.
Accessibility and supporters with mobility needs
For supporters who use a wheelchair or cannot walk long distances, book a wheelchair-accessible transfer and let dispatch know. The organisers note accessible parking in the Green P garage under Nathan Phillips Square; we plan drop-offs at the nearest open curb with the shortest route to viewing areas.
Children cheering on a parent can ride in infant, convertible or booster seats on request; add them at booking.
Booking lead time for race weekend
Marathon weekend is one of the busiest early-morning weekends of the year for car services downtown. Dispatch recommends:
- Pre-dawn race morning drop-offs: book at least two to three weeks ahead.
- Club Sprinters and coaches: four to six weeks ahead.
- Airport transfers: one to two weeks ahead.
- Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup; 10 % applies at 72 hours or less, 50 % at 48 hours or less, and 100 % at 24 hours or less or on a no-show.
How to book
Open the reservation engine, enter your hotel and the start area, choose the time, and see the all-in fare. Add your corral, bag-check time and a mobile number in the notes, and book the return from the finish as a separate ride or as an hourly block. For club groups, a coordinator prices the weekend in writing.
TorontoAirportTransfer.services is not affiliated with the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon or its organisers; we are a private car service that drives runners and supporters.
