By Nick Butler

Road races at the Pan American Games will take place on the Lake Ontario waterfront in Toronto ©Getty ImagesCycling and road running events at the Pan American and Parapan American Games in Toronto next year will take place along the waterfront of Lake Ontario, it has been confirmed.


This will maximise views showcasing the Toronto's beauty, it is hoped, with finish lines set to particularly include "incredible views of the cities skyline".

All road races, including race-walking and marathon events as well as cycling road races at both versions of the Games, will start and finish on Lake Shore Boulevard, with each sport consisting of laps of different length and levels of difficulty.

This will include a blend of the "challenging" hills in High Park or the long, straightaways such as Lake Shore Boulevard, favoured by race walkers.

All the race routes were designed under the direction of international experts to meet the critical technical requirements that govern Olympic, Paralympic and World Championship courses, it was claimed, with temporary road closes expected to ensure a "world-class" field of play.

More information on this is, as well as the exact routes to be used, is available via the Toronto 2015 website, here, with further details to be provided in the New Year.

A successor to Brazil's Solonei Silva, winner of the marathon at the 2011 Pan American Games, will be crowned on the Lake Ontario Waterfront ©AFP/Getty ImagesA successor to Brazil's Solonei Silva, winner of the marathon at the 2011 Pan American Games, will be crowned on the Lake Ontario Waterfront ©AFP/Getty Images



But the use of the waterfront region is also expected to be a major legacy benefit of Toronto 2015, with "new and enhanced sports facilities, additional affordable housing and a series of Games-related programmes, projects and initiatives for residents and visitors", all envisaged.

Hosting the Games will strengthen Toronto's international reputation, spur economic development and bolster Toronto's ability to attract national and international athletic competitions, it is claimed.

The Pan American Games are set for July 10 to 26 next year before the Parapan American are scheduled for the following month from August 7 to 15.

A total of 41 nations are set to compete across a total of 36 sports. 

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