1. What is a marathon?

A marathon is a 26.2mile – or 42 kilometre footrace. All marathons are always the same length. The Boston Marathon is 26.2 miles. The Medoc Marathon in France, where they serve wine at the water stations, is 26.2 miles. The Death Valley Marathon is 26.2 miles.

And how far is 26.2 miles? Well, it’s the distance between the Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville and the Ford Assembly Plant in Oakville.

2. What is JeansMarines?

It’s a non-profit organization whose mission is to lead women toward a mighty goal: to run or walk a marathon.
We take in revenues through memberships, through corporate sponsorship and through the sale of JeansMarines gear. And like any self-respecting non-profit, we try to break even.

We have a full-time administrator, a volunteer board of directors, and the much appreciated help of JeansMarines past and present for everything from organizing events, handing out water on long runs, to taking tickets and designing envelopes.

3. Can I join JeansMarines and just walk?

Yes you can; 20% of JeansMarines are walkers. They walk at the start line and they walk through the finish line.  We began a dedicated training program for JeansMarines in 2005 and will be expanding and enhancing it in 2007.
All we ask is that you walk fast enough to keep up a 13-minute mile pace if you’re entering our official marathon for first-year JeansMarines: the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington D.C. in October.

All the walkers ask is that we never say “just” walk.
The fact is, nearly all JeansMarines will do a combination of running and walking to finish their marathon. For many of us on the day of the race, we’ll run 10 minutes, and then walk 1 minute. Or 9 and 2. Or whatever combination. This not only reduces your chances of injury, but can get you across the finish line more upright and smiling than if you “just” ran the whole distance.

4. Do I have to do a marathon? And if so, do I have to do it in a year?

We know you can  -- over the past four years, the large majority of women who did the full JeansMarines training program also entered and finished a marathon in October. But some women can’t and others don’t feel comfortable trying. To which we say: Bravo…if you want to make your big goal this year a half marathon, or a 10K, that’s great, and we’ll support you and cheer you on all the way.

5. So what does it cost to join JeansMarines?

It costs $225 plus GST for the year. A little less than a dollar a day.
But you’ll spend more. How much more is hard to say: but for sure, you should budget $300 for running shoes – you’ll wear through your first pair and need to buy a second; $100 to $300 for other running gear; $225 for race entries, which includes the entry fee for the Harry’s Spring Runoff 5K in April; the Sporting Life 10K in May, the Scotia Half Marathon in September, and the Marine Corps Marathon or other marathons in October.

The good news is that no one’s asking you for this money now, just as no one’s asking you to do a marathon tomorrow morning.

6. Yes, financial assistance is available.

The good news is that Franklin Templeton Investments has, for the third year in a row, funded a number of bursaries for women who need financial help with the JeansMarines program. So if money is a real problem for you, we may have the answer…to find out how to apply for a bursary, click on bursaries on the website

7. Can men join JeansMarines?

Absolutely maybe.
For sure, they can join the Gentlemen’s Auxiliary, which does today what Ladies Auxiliaries have done for centuries, that is, serve the tea, knit the socks and raise the funds. And yes, they do take part fully in the JeansMarines program.

Last year, we had 500 women JeansMarines, and 10 men, so it’s a pretty elite group and we wouldn’t want to upset that balance by inviting in many more. So if you’re a guy and want to join, it’s better if you’re related legally or genetically to a JeansMarine woman. And if you’re a guy who’s secretly joining so he can meet a lot of women, one word of advice: don’t. You’ll be eaten alive!
Bottom line: We’ll try to accommodate them.

8. How often do I have to train?

We meet formally once a week, from February through October. Informally, you’ll also get together with smaller groups or on your own two more times a week from late January through October.

Every Saturday from mid-February through June, we meet on Saturday mornings at 8:00 a.m. at locations across the GTA. Through the generosity of the YMCA, we are able to use many of their facilities, from downtown Toronto to Scarborough. Location information is posted on the website under “Locations.”

Aside from these meetings, which consist of an expert talk and a comparatively short run or walk, you should be running or walking two more times a week, either on your own or with other JeansMarines.

In June, our weekly meetings shift to Tuesday or Wednesday evening at 6:30, depending on location, and Saturday morning is taken up with an increasingly long run or walk.

9. What if I get hurt?

Training for a marathon is not without risks or hurts. Pretty much all of us were in some kind of pain at some time during our training, and certainly during the marathon itself. But we have a program to reduce the chances of being injured, and if you do get injured, to help you get back to health as soon as possible.

10. What is our charity of choice?

The Running and Reading Club Program of KidsFest Canada. This innovative program, directed by former Olympian and Canadian record holder in the Marathon, Silvia Ruegger, helps children in impoverished areas of Toronto and Hamilton get in shape through a program of running 2 hours a week, followed by a reading and writing adventure which improves their literacy skills. For more information on the program, log on to: www.kidsfestcanada.com .

When you join JeansMarines, we encourage you to help raise funds for the Running and Reading Club, and to volunteer either as a runner or a reader.  There’s a long tradition in marathoning that many people use this race-of-a-lifetime to solicit pledges from their friends and colleagues for their favourite charity. For example, the London Marathon, the world’s largest, raises over 30 million pounds from its runners each year for literally hundreds of charities. 

Now you don’t have to raise funds for the Running and Reading Club if you become a JeansMarine; you don’t have to raise funds for anyone. But we encourage it, that’s all. 

11. What is this thing we have with the U.S. Marine Corps?

We have no view on American politics or the military and we neither endorse nor oppose any initiative of U.S. foreign policy.

But the Marine Corps Marathon is different from all other marathons because it’s organized by the Marines – 4,000 of them. They make it fun and enlightening and deeply meaningful. And boy, do they ever know how to organize a marathon. Besides, it’s the only marathon in the world where you get a medal and a hug from a Marine.

We also have a special relationship with one Marine in particular, Major Daniel O’Connor (Ret). In fact, he’s our Friend-in-Chief, and we love him for the best reason of all – he loves us.

Website FAQ

Question 1. What is my User Name?

Answer 1. Your User Name is what you created for yourself when you registered online, or it was sent to you from the administrator.  Forgotten it? Email admin@jeansmarines.com and simply ask for it.