Farewell to the wondrous Ed Whitlock

In the world of long-distance running, the name Ed Whitlock ranks highly among the sport’s most legendary – both for reasons related to his performance and longevity. The mere mention of his name brings smiles to the faces of those who knew, and knew of, the man’s amazing accomplishments. Words like inspirational, determined and ageless are used to describe the master runner who set more than three dozen world age-class records and attracted fans of his passion for running throughout his lengthy life.

“We were very fortunate to cheer Ed on, and watch his fame and legendary status grow each time he finished a Scotiabank marathon. He was a gifted athlete and an iconic figure to many – and will be sadly missed,” said John Doig, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.

Among his long list of achievements in the sport, Ed became the only person over 70 years of age to complete a marathon in less than three hours – a feat he accomplished three times. Even more astounding was his sub-4 hour time at the 2016 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, which shattered the previous world record, when he was 85 years old. It seemed the older Ed got, the more determined he was to push his limits well past the conceivable. A Wikipedia page dedicated to Ed contains a summary of his most impressive finishing times over various distances.

Ed emigrated from England and settled into his adult life in Milton, Ontario, a short distance from Toronto, where townspeople could often see him training for his races in a local cemetery. His friendly demeanor and gentle smile defined the character of the man whose life came to signify how age should not stand in the way of anything you want to achieve.

In observance of a visitation and funeral service arranged for March 24 & 25, Scotiabank again extends its sincere condolences to Ed’s family, friends and fans the world over.

Canada Running Series, organizers of events like the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, has posted a tribute to Ed Whitlock on their website.