Please join us for a 5 km walk/run as we participate in this year’s Toronto Waterfront Marathon Charity Challenge in October 2025. Islington United Church has participated in the Toronto Waterfront Marathon for 15 consecutive years (!). Captain Dennis Bradley was at the helm of our enthusiastic Running and Walking for Refugees team since the beginning and has continued to lead us as we WALK the WALK for Social Justice. All funds raised will go toward our social justice programming, making a real difference in the lives of so many who need help.
Why is Islington participating?
What is social justice?
Social justice aims to ensure the full and equal participation of all groups in a society that is mutually shaped to meet their needs. Social justice includes a vision of society that is equitable and where all members are physically and psychologically safe and secure.
Source: Teaching for Diversity and Social Justice: A Sourcebook. Edited by Maurianne Adams, Lee Anne Bell, and Pat Griffin. (2007)
Why should I participate?
You can have a direct impact on improving people’s lives by walking for social justice. This year we aim to raise $35,000. With your participation as a walker, sponsor, or donor, we are confident we will reach our goal!
How can I participate?
There are four different ways to participate:
- Register to walk or run 5 km on October 18 with our team from the church grounds or our downtown team.
- Register to run a half or full marathon on October 19 downtown.
- Register to walk or run 5 km on your own, with a friend, or with the team anytime between October 1 and 31. You can cover the 5 km in shorter distances over the month if you prefer.
- Sponsor an Islington United Church team member(s) by making an online pledge.
How does it work?
You start by registering online here. Using this special link to register prompts Race Roster to donate $5 to the Islington United Team.
After you register, you will be given your own fundraising web page. (We can help you with setting this up if you wish.)
Then you approach friends, family, co-workers, colleagues, neighbours, and online contacts to sponsor you. When you share the link to your personal Race Roster page, your sponsors can make a donation online and will automatically receive a tax receipt for donations of $10 or more.
If you have a sponsor who wishes to donate by cash or cheque instead of online, we can assist with that as well.
Is there a cost?
The registration fee is payable online when you register for the 5 km walk or run. If you would like to participate, but the fee is prohibitive, please contact us confidentially at ministry@islingtonunited.org and we will work out the details.
Please register early. Some of the race events are already sold out but there is still time to register for both the in person and virtual 5k event.
What does the fee cover?
The registration fee supports all aspects of the organization of the Toronto Waterfront Marathon event. It does not go to Islington United Church.
In return for your registration fee you will receive
– 5K Finisher Medal
– ASICS Souvenir Shirt
– Bib (in person participants)*
– Nuun and Gu on course (runners)
– Post-race Recovery Food
*The Impact Bib Program gives participants the choice to receive a race shirt as part of their race day experience. If a participant chooses the Impact Bib option
- a donation will be made to a participating sustainability charity in lieu of a race shirt.
- On race day, your bib will have an Impact Bib sticker on it to celebrate your choice!
At Canada Running Series, we’re always looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact, and we want to provide our participants with that same ability. By offering the impact bib as a registration option, we allow our participants to choose what they receive as part of their race experience.
More information
More information about the Toronto Waterfront Marathon event is avaiable at www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.com/event-info/
If you have any questions about the IUC team and participating, please contact Team Captain Dennis Bradley: dennis-bradley@hotmail.com
If you aren’t able to participate as a walker or runner in this year’s WALK the WALK for Social Justice, you can still make a difference by supporting one of our wonderful team members. (Go to #2 below, Support the Team.)
Right now, right here, there are three awesome ways to support our team:
- Join the team!
Register to walk or run the 5 km route with us and get your family, friends and colleagues to sponsor you. All funds raised will serve to help others.
To register:
Anyone who raises $500 or more in sponsorships for the Islington United Church team can receive a refund of their registration fee upon request to the church office.
Go to https://raceroster.com/95235?aff=LNG5M. When you register using this link, you automatically trigger a $5 donation to the Islington United Church team from Race Roster.
- Select the ‘register now’ image
- Use the three drop down menus to select the race you would like to participate in (virtual or in-person or both, and distance).
- Fill out your personal information.
- In the section that says “General & TCS Charity Challenge Fundraising Teams”, select “Yes, add this registrant to a team created by someone else”, select “Fundraising Team – TCS Charity Challenge”. In the next drop-down menu that reads “Select team”, search for and select “Islington United Church”.
- Complete the page information, including selecting a shirt size and any add-ons.
- Select ‘Continue’.
- Read and agree to the documents and waivers by selecting the boxes and entering your name.
- On the next page you can select a donation amount you would like to start yourself off with.
- Purchase or decline a protection policy.
- Complete your payment information and submit order.
2) Support the Team
Support Islington United Church as an organization or one of our individual team members with a donation.
To support:
- Go to https://raceroster.com/events/2025/95235/2025-tcs-toronto-waterfront-marathon/pledge/team/794818
2. Choose Islington United Church from the drop down menu as the Official Charity you wish to support.
3. You can choose to support the Islington United Church team specifically, or an individual team member. Scroll down the page to choose where you wish to direct your sponsorship.
4. Select a donation amount and add any additional information.
Spread the Word
Share on your social media channels to help us promote the run.
To share on social media:
Click image to open/download for posting on your social media channels. Please include a link to islingtonunited.org
Banner: (1920 x 380 px)
Square: (400 x 400 px)
Facebook Post – Landscape
Instagram Post – Square
Twitter Post
We’ve Got History!
Islington United Church has participated in the Toronto Waterfront Marathon as an official charity for 15 consecutive years.
Captain Dennis Bradley has been at the helm since the very beginning, first leading the Running and Walking for Refugees team and now leading our team as we WALK the WALK for Social Justice.
All the funds raised during WALK the WALK will go to support our social justice programs, making a measurable and meaningful difference in the lives of so many who need our help.