San Antonio, Texas, runner Hillary Burgess ran two marathons in two weeks, taking it easy at the Chicago Marathon and then hitting a four-minute PB at the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Burgess originally planned to run the Toronto Waterfront as part of a trip to visit her friend, Carly Bath, in Waterloo, Ont. The pair planned to run the 5K together before Burgess tackled the marathon with Carly’s husband, Sam Bath.
Burgess spent five months training for a sub-four-hour finish in Toronto, but was then presented with an unexpected opportunity to also race Chicago and help promote the race’s sustainability efforts (a cause she cares deeply about). She decided to take the opportunity and to run both marathons.
“I knew there was no way I would be able to PR at both races, and so it all came down to the weather,” Burgess told Canadian Running.
Hillary Burgess at the 2026 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Photo: courtesy Hillary Burgess
A tough day in Chicago
Chicago was a difficult day for Burgess, with high temperatures that made racing conditions challenging. She finished in 4:36:15, one of her slowest recent marathon finishes. But it was all part of her plan to finish Chicago without exhausting herself, and to leave her in better shape for Toronto two weeks later. “My goal at Chicago was to survive the heat, make it to the finish line, and not trash my legs, so that I would be okay in Toronto,” she said.
Burgess used the week between the races as a full week of recovery. She didn’t run at all, but stayed active through her normal day-to-day activities. Despite some soreness, she was surprised by how well she felt throughout the week. The Toronto Waterfront 5K the day before her marathon was her first run after Chicago, and that’s when she started to think a PB might be possible (her previous PB was 4:15:29, set at the 2025 Chicago Marathon).
(From left) Hillary Burgess and Carly Bath at the 2026 TCS Toronto Waterfront 5K. Photo: courtesy Hillary Burgess
About seven kilometres into the Waterfront marathon, Burgess felt better than she expected to. She continued to check in with herself and maintained a steady pace. By halfway, she recognized that she had a chance to beat her previous best if she could sustain her effort.
Burgess crossed the finish line in 4:11:14, taking more than 25 minutes off her Chicago time and improving her PB by four minutes and 15 seconds. She also ran negative splits, covering the second half of the race faster than the first. “When I crossed the finish line, it was pure joy, relief and disbelief,” Burgess said. “[After] 30 km I knew that all I had to do was keep a similar pace and I would PR; I did not have to speed up.”
The hardest part was holding back
Burgess said the biggest challenge about running two marathons wasn’t physical, but mental. At a major marathon like Chicago, the atmosphere is highly competitive. Most runners are chasing PBs, so deliberately holding back can be difficult. “I think the biggest challenge was letting go of my ego in Chicago, and committing to running at a comfortable pace, instead of trying to PR there and being unable to run at all in Toronto,” she said.
Resisting the urge to push harder in Chicago was ultimately what helped Burgess at Waterfront. Instead of measuring the experience by a finishing time, she focused on enjoying both races and making it to both finish lines.
Her experience also reinforced the importance of knowing her own abilities. There was no question about her ability to do both races; she has been training for many years and felt confident that her body could handle the distance. She also went into the challenge with realistic expectations, prioritizing completing both marathons over achieving a particular time.
“I genuinely love to do this, and I knew I would enjoy both races,” Burgess said. “It was never an obligation, nor was it done to impress or please anyone other than myself.” Although she does not plan to run two marathons so close together again anytime soon, Burgess would consider doing it again if the right opportunities arose.