Tim Hortons GWN Dragon Boat Challenge September 6th & 7th, 2025

LOCATION

Address:  The event will take place in Marilyn Bell Park, located at 1095 Lakeshore Blvd West in Toronto, just south of Exhibition Place and east of Jameson Avenue. The closest intersection is Lake Shore Blvd West and British Columbia Drive.

Site Map: The 2025 event site map will be posted 1 week prior to the event.

Directions:

From the West: Exit the Gardiner Expressway at Jameson Avenue and follow Lakeshore Blvd Eastbound to Marilyn Bell Park

From the East: Exit the Gardiner Expressway at Dunn Avenue. Stay right for Jameson Avenue. Make a sharp left onto Jameson Avenue and merge on to Lake Shore Blvd. Marilyn Bell Park is on your right. Alternatively, you can take King Street westbound to Jameson Avenue. Turn left onto Jameson Avenue and then turn left to merge onto Lake Shore Blvd.

Park Rules: We're committed to creating a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable experience for participants and spectators. Before heading out to the races, there are some things you should know:

Pets are welcome at Marilyn Bell Park but should be leashed at all times. No BBQ grills and/or cooking devices are allowed on park grounds. No bottled water will be sold or distributed under the Bottled Water Ban at Marilyn Bell Park.

Teams are responsible for picking up their waste within their team sites.  Teams will receive waste bags during check-in and there will be waste bins located throughout the Athletes' Village.  Let's all work together to keep Marilyn Bell Park clean and green.

Medical Services: Medical services and first aid will be available on site. If you're in need of medical attention, please report to the medical tent for immediate assistance. Toronto Police officers will also be on-site patrolling the grounds.

SCHEDULE

The 2025 Race Schedule will be posted on Monday September 1st.

Racing Structure
Festival crews (Mixed and Women's entering Mixed) race all weekend, will compete in 4x500m (2 per day) and 1x200m race (on Sunday).

Open and Women's teams will compete in 2x500m (1 per day) and 1x200m race (on Sunday).

Final race format is dependent on event size, subject to change at GWN's discretion. 

For the 1-Day option, crews will compete in 3x500m races on Saturday September 7th. 

At least 3 teams must be registered in a division. Any division with less than 3 teams registered will be amalgamated into the next closest racing division offered. 

To ensure races run smoothly, smaller divisions may be combined in heats but will race independently of each other.

Industry Cup Races

To qualify for a cup race, at least 70% of the crew must be part of the same company or industry. 

Top 6 teams based on the first round of racing on Saturday will qualify for the Industry Cup Race. 

Live Results

Get live race results and progressions on race day using your phone. Visit www.gwnresults.com.

Race Marshaling
Marshaling for races will begin promptly half an hour before the first race of the day. Teams must be in the Marshalling area 30 minutes before their scheduled race throughout the day.

Race Day Check-In
Every Team Captain must check-in their team at Race Headquarters on race day. Registration will be open at approximately  7:00AM. All waivers must be completed prior to check-in. Please visit the FAQ section for more information on how to check in on race day.

For a speedy check-in, ensure that all waivers for your team are completed. The electronic waiver deadline is 11:59AM EST on Wednesday, September 3rd. Online access to waivers will be restricted after the deadline, after which only paper copies will be accepted on Saturday morning.

Team Captain's Meeting
There will be a Team Captain's meeting on Saturday morning, 1 hour before the first race at the Main Stage in the Left Field Brewery Beer Garden to discuss race day rules and address any questions.

AWARDS

Industry Cup Races: First-place teams will receive a trophy and gold medals.
Grand Finals: Third and second-place teams will receive bronze and silver medals, respectively. First-place teams will receive a trophy and gold medals.
Consolation Finals: First-place teams will receive a trophy and gold medals.
200m Finals: The first-place team in each Grand and Consolation final will receive a medal.

Awards Ceremonies
Ceremonies will take place after each Industry Cup, Consolation Race, and Grand Final Race. Volunteers will gather the gold medal-winning team as they come off the water.  They will be escorted directly to the stage in the Beer Garden. Bronze and silver medal-winning teams will receive their medals in the dock area.

ENTERTAINMENT

Stay tuned for the 2025 schedule of events.

VENDORS

Marketplace: 

Artisan Village:

Health & Wellness Village: 

Food Vendors:

Left Field Brewery Beer Garden

Interested in being a vendor? Email us at info@gwnevents.com to find out more.

PARKING

BIKE PARKING ZONE:

We are pleased to provide cyclists bike parking area on-site! Go green, ride your bike to this year's race!

VEHICULAR PARKING:

There is no parking allowed on Marilyn Bell Park property and all unauthorized vehicles will be towed. Parking is available at Lot 6 near the CNE Grounds, Exhibition Place. Overflow parking will be available at Lot 4 and then near the bandshell, once Lot 6 is full.

Directions to Lot 6, Exhibition Place

From the East (Gardiner Westbound)
Exit at Dunn Avenue
Turn left on Jameson Avenue
Turn left onto Lake Shore Blvd (heading eastbound)
Stay in the farthest lane, turn slight left onto British Columbia Drive
Turn left into Parking Lot 6

From the West (Gardiner Eastbound)
Exit at Lake Shore Blvd West
Stay in the furthest left lane, turn slight left onto British Columbia Drive
Turn left into Parking Lot 6

VOLUNTEER

Looking to have some fun on the docks? GWN is always looking for fantastic volunteers.

As a volunteer, you'll have the opportunity to be a part of the exciting and fast-paced action that is dragon boat racing. You'll also get to experience the energy and excitement of the festival event atmosphere and be a part of a vibrant community of dragon boat enthusiasts. Volunteers will be needed to help with various tasks in ensuring the safety and smooth operations of the event through the various outlined tasks:

• Boat Marshalls: Will be on the dock assisting paddlers with getting in and out of the boats. This position should be filled by people who are comfortable around the water.
• Results Runners: Will be posting the results from the Timing Officials at the Registration Headquarters. This position requires neat handwriting.
• Team Marshalls: Will assist the Marshalling Manager in ensuring that all teams are ready to load into boats at the correct time to maintain smooth running of the races.
• Crowd Control: Will ensure one-way flow traffic from the Marshalling Area after boats are unloaded.

If you would like to volunteer, we can promise some food, drinks, a really cool shirt, and community service hours (if applicable) so please complete this Volunteer Form to join our team! To get more info or ask any questions, feel free to send us an email at volunteers@gwnevents.com.