Monday, November 14, 2005 - 02:46 PM

Toronto runner Danny Kassap atones for a tough day at Scotia Bank Waterfront Marathon to close out the fall season in style...

Toronto's Danny Kassap entered the fall race season with a big burden on his shoulders, the defending champion in Canada's fastest-growing road race, the Scotia Bank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. In 2004, Kassap made his marathon debut, and all local eyes were watching as the refugee from the Congo made the move up to the 26.2 mile distance.

Alas, a hard summer of training did not translate on race day, as Race Director Alan Brookes assembled a world-class field, bringing in top-flight Kenyan and International runners from all over the globe. The day would not kind to Kassap, some possible over-training in the weeks preceeding Sept. 25th, and although he was still in the hunt to defend his title at the 1/2 way mark, the eventual winning time of 2:11:57 by Simon Bor would prove too much for the defending champ and the rest of the field.

Danny was determined to not let his disappointing 8th place finish at Scotia deter him from putting an exclamation mark on another great year of racing for him, and so he decided to follow the same path as 2004 and find two more "money races" on the calender to try and beef up his bank account.

As he did last year, Danny entered the Toronto Marathon, where prize money was offered for the second year in a row. Kassap faced another tough field, and although he ended up 3rd this year, one back from his 2nd place finish in 2004, he was right in the thick of things heading north on University Avenue, a fight to the finish with two other runners, when some tight hamstring muscles slowed him to a 2:17 finish, just 40-seconds off the winning time by David Cheriyot. The slow times were a reflection of the windy and miserable day for the runners.

The three-peat would take place just one week later, with Kassap receiving royal treatment from the Casino Niagara Marathon, a limo picking him up and bringing Danny to the new Fallsview Casino and Hotel. The pampered treatment proved to be what the tired running star needed, as he fought off a slew of African runners to claim victory in the 1/2 marathon, 1:05:35, from local St. Catherines favourite Gitah Macharia. In 2004, Danny had nothing in the tank after 2 marathons and wound up 4th, so his 1st place finish would give him a neat tri-fecta this year, 1st place finishes in Mississauga, Quebec City and now Niagara Falls.

Unfinished, and to put an explanation mark on the season, Danny entered the new Angus Glen 1/2 marathon in early November, and ran away from the field in an impressive 1:07 winning time, on a day when the winds whipped in excess of 80km/hr on a hilly course.

Congrats to Danny for a super fall season of running and racing.