As mentioned in the ‘Financials – Budgeting and Marketing Strategies’ of this Bid Package, we anticipate leaving a legacy through our involvement in the WMA Championships. While we will put all of our resources into making the WMA Championships a first class event at all levels, we know that any international event of this nature leaves a lasting and important footprint on the sport and the country.

In fact, in communicating with our NGB, Athletics Canada, about our intentions to bid for the Championships, their first question was about legacy. We all believe that these Championships are about more than simply handing out medals. They are also about providing a lasting and meaningful benefit to our athletes, our sport and the community.

This legacy will, therefore, be both material and social. New and ancillary equipment purchases will be donated as appropriate to either the participating venues or partnering clubs and organizations. While our country is rich is sports history, we have fewer available training sites and less equipment than we should, and the opportunity to increase the available equipment is an important one.

Moreover, the Championships will receive some attention in the media and through social media as well. Positioned in the same timeframe as the 2020 Olympics in Japan, the world’s attention will be focused, at least for a short while, on amateur sport. We will take advantage of this attention by enhancing opportunities for local citizens and athletes to join the masters’ movement and get involved in the sport. We are all aware that there are a huge number of masters’ aged runners who participate regularly in long distance races and marathons. Our intent is to broaden that scope by engaging older athletes to compete in other athletics disciplines as well.

In addition, our work with Toronto Track Volunteers (noted in the section on ‘Master Athletics in Canada’), will provide over 100 young volunteers with a unique experience that could assist them in looking for future jobs and other workplace positions. Our experience is that most of these well trained volunteers will also continue to work with athletics competitions and, in some cases, they will become certified officials of the sport.

Finally, the Championships will provide upgrading opportunities to our existing and new officials who will be keen to increase their certification levels and add to their knowledge. International events like this are a draw for our officials, most of whom provide volunteer service to the sport and expect little in return. Providing them with a chance to work with international class athletes and an upgrading opportunity at the same time is vital to our ongoing partnership.