Brendan Kenny pushed into the lead with two kilometres remaining in his run on Sunday, securing the fastest time in the 2011 GoodLife Fitness Toronto Marathon and avoiding a repeat of his second-place finish the previous year.

Kenny, of Dundas, Ont., finished the rain-drenched race with the fastest time of 2:27:20. The 25-year-old high school teacher placed second in last year's run and said it was a thrill to cross the finish line first.

"It's never easy. The first half is really fast, then we got the wind out from the waterfront," he told reporters after completing the race. "I was worried about the conditions today, with the rain and the wind. But you tough it out, and it turned out well for me,"

Thousands of runners braved chilling winds and spitting rain on Sunday, cutting their way through downtown Toronto during the annual marathon.

More than 10,000 competitors from 40 different countries tested their mettle, leaving North York's Mel Lastman Square as early as 8 a.m. and pacing themselves toward downtown Toronto.

Runners competing in the full marathon followed the race route south along Yonge Street before weaving through the downtown core and west along Queen's Quay, before turning north toward Queen's Park, where a cheering crowd was greeting them at the finish line.

Josephat Onegeri finished just two minutes behind Kenny with a time of 2:29:19.

Nashville's Melissa Begin was the fastest woman with a time of 2:54:51, according to official race results posted online.

Last year's fastest female, Nathalie Goyer, from Sait-Bruno, Que., finished second with a time of 2:58:20.

Other runners strapped on their sneakers to participate in a half marathon and five-kilometre race.

"It's a great accomplishment. You get a great sense of satisfaction, and you get to brag about it to people," said Paula Krulicki.

Some came for the challenge -- including Jamie Harris, who competed in his 133rd marathon – while others came for the fun.

Yoshi Naruse travelled from Rochester Hills, Mich. and was running dressed in a monkey suit. "If I wear this suit I can run faster; monkey power," said a laughing Naruse.

Organizer Jay Glassman said 42 kilometres of roads were closed during the race, although most closures were brief.

Yonge Street, for example, was reopened after the last runner cleared the area at about 11 a.m.

The race raised more than $1 million for charities across the country, specifically the Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation.

The event was held for the first time since the marathon moved from its traditional October time slot.

Thousands took part in this year's full marathon, half marathon and five-kilometre run, held for the first time since the event moved from its traditional October time slot.

Originally moved because it was too close to the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, the GoodLife Fitness run now coincides with a marathon in Mississauga, also held Sunday.

Mississauga race organizer Elliot Kerr said the Toronto race was infringing on his event's time slot and even questioned why Toronto needed two annual runs.

"The best thing they could do is move it away from ours and, quite frankly, not even have a second marathon in the city," Kerr said.

But Glassman disagreed, saying there was no reason why the runs can't work well together.

"Two choices for people. You've got Mississauga or Toronto. It is great for the charities; it is great for the cities. That's how we have to look at it," Glassman said.

With a report from CTV Toronto's Scott Lightfoot