On the Run In… Montreal, Quebec

When I first moved to Montreal six years ago, I sent out a general call to find out the best places to run, and was told that Montreal is a terrible city for running. Having no choice in the matter, I moved there anyway, and was relieved to discover how wrong my sources were. There are several great running spots on the island that should be the envy of any Canadian city.

First there’s “the mountain,” a.k.a. Mont Royal. OK, it’s not really a mountain, but it is still the high point of the city – no new downtown skyscrapers are allowed to be built above the sightlines from the lookout. From that lookout, you can see all the way to Vermont on a clear day. On the north side you can see up to the Laurentians. From various points on the mountain you can catch a view of the Olympic stadium, Montreal’s impressive bridges, St. Joseph’s Oratory and the sprawling Plateau and east end. The mountain has many kilometres of trails that go up and down and across its ridges. You can run there every day and never get bored. I don’t, anyway. If you are more inclined to run long flat stretches, you can hit the bike path along the Lachine Canal that weaves through Old Montreal, old-industrial areas turned to parkland, the Atwater Market, and the historic lock system, all the way to Parc René Lévesque. The north shore also has a bike path, mostly on rue Gouin, which offer a quieter run with opulent houses on one side (Maurice “The Rocket” Richard was known to come out and greet young track club members working out) and the strong currents of the Rivière des Prairies on the other. Eastward there is Parc Lafontaine, and even further, out by the Olympic Stadium, Parc Maisonneuve was the site of the Canadian cross-country championships in the mid-90s. If you are out in the West Island (what passes for suburbs in Montreal), you can hit up Ile Bizard, or the Lachine bike path, which goes all the way to Ste. Anne-de-Bellevue on the western tip (but that’s a real ultra run).

Races:

There are several races and race series in and around Montreal. The main events are part of the Circuit Endurance (www.circuitendurance.ca), which consists of 11 races from February to October, usually with 5K and 10K events, as well as 1K and 2K runs for kids. The Endurance 5K in August is the most competitive, with separate men’s and women’s races. Many Montrealers run their PBs at this event. The Canada Running Series makes its only Quebec stop on Ile Notre-Dame in April with the 21.1K Montreal Half-Marathon (www.canadarunningseries.com/monthalf). This race attracts some of the best distance runners in the country.

Groups:

As is traditional in Montreal, the two largest running clubs are divided geographically east and west, and mildly along language lines. Les Vainqueurs (www.clubvainqueurs.com) is the city’s largest club, whose members include some of the city’s elites, as well as a youth section, and plenty of mid-pack joggers, too. They are based out of the east end and are largely francophone. Boreal Running Club (www.borealclub.net) owns the West Island, which is mostly anglophone territory, but is actually a bilingual club. Some of the best age-groupers in the country are members of Boreal, and the club hosts a number of beginners and veterans, too. Finally, Boutique Endurance (www.boutiqueendurance.ca) is the running store of choice for many Montreal runners and they also host a running club coached by Olympian Pierre Léveillé. They are found right in the middle, on St. Denis street, a short metro ride north of the Plateau.

Stores:

Boutique Endurance

6579 rue Saint-Denis

The Running Room (various locations)

1159 ave. Bernard, Outremont

4873 Sherbrooke Ouest, Westmount

Routes:

Parc Lafontaine (3.3K loop): This is a slight extension of the provincial road race championship loop, a race held in October as the final instalment of the Circuit Endurance. You can do it as many times as you like. There is one very gradual hill about halfway though the loop. It’s good for short, easy runs or tempo workouts. You can also cut out the section that goes into the park, and merely run the perimeter, which is 2.4K.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2547886

The Mountain (9-11K): Start at the monument to Georges-Étienne Cartier and follow the main gravel road (la calèche) up to the lookout and take in the views. You can add on 2.2K by doing the cross loop, or even more by diving into some of the trails that branch off the main road. You’ll make up for the long gradual climb on the way back down. From my old apartment in the Plateau to the monument was exactly a mile, which made this run, with two loops of the cross, a solid 10-miler.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2542622

The Canal (30K): Start at the end of the Berri bike path and follow the canal west. You can turn back at any time to vary the length of the run, but the payoff at the end of Parc René-Lévesque, or “the Jettee” as it is known, is well worth it, especially at sunset.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2542658

John Lofranco is the president of the Canadian Trail and Mountain Running Association.