Photo: Half-marathoners start on Toronto's Yonge Street.

TORONTO (10/17/04) - "I wanted to stop so badly during the last few kilometers, but I didn't because I'm Type A," said an exasperated Maisie Wong clutching her medal and Mylar blanket at the Toronto Marathon finish line.

Wong was one of 10,000 runners who braved the rain, wind and a challenging 600-metre hill during the race.

On October 17th, the Toronto Marathon celebrated its 10th anniversary. While rain and wind have been common occurrences throughout its history, the runners have always come out in droves -- for whatever Mother Nature dishes out, they are handsomely compensated with stunning autumn scenery, well-stocked aid stations, and the penetrating kneading from the renowned Sutherland Chan masseurs.

To commemorate the milestone anniversary, race director Jay Glassman increased the prize money to $100,000, making it the largest purse in Canada. The top male and female runners -- Mexico's Procopio Franco and the Ukraine's Olga Kovpotina each won $25,000.

But American Todd Crandell finished the race richer emotionally, if not financially. The Ohio resident warded off exhaustion and inched his way across the finish line two hours and six minutes after Franco. The tattoo on his leg reads April 15, 1993.

"That's my sobriety date," Crandell explained from his office three days after the marathon. At 7 a.m., Crandell, the founder of Racing for Recovery (a substance abuse prevention and treatment program) is already between meetings. Crandell participates in marathons and Iron Man triathlons to inspire others to seek help.

"I lead quite a different life now and train 15-20 hours a week," he said. "I began drinking and using drugs at 13. I've been jailed and homeless. I lost my family, friends, and myself to substance abuse. Now the only thing I'm addicted to is running." Crandell is currently training for the Iron Man South Africa this March.

Next year's race date is Sunday, October 16, 2005. See the Internet video at http://michiganrunner.tv/2004torontomarathon/. For complete results, please visit www.torontomarathon.com. MR