A first in the event’s history at the 2017 Manitoba Marathon

Investors Group Field in Winnpeg is typically reserved for professional and University of Manitoba football players.

On Father’s Day Sunday, the field was reserved for thousands of runners as part of the Manitoba Marathon. For the first time in the event’s history, the finish line was located inside the stadium, which can hold upwards of 40,000 people in the stands.

No other marathon in Canada finishes on a Canadian Football League (CFL) playing field. It was a rainy morning in the Manitoba capital on Sunday with the start and finish line located at the University of Manitoba’s Fort Garry campus.

RELATED: Have you ever seen this at a road race before?

This year marked the second time that the course has been run in reverse, after the change was made to the race in 2016. Upwards of 12,000 participants took part in the Manitoba Marathon race weekend, which featured the Mini Mites Run, an untimed 4.1K, 10K, half-marathon and marathon on Sunday.

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Not only did runners get to finish the race on the field, live footage from the finish line was projected onto the stadium’s big screen. After the race, runners turned into spectators as the grandstands began to fill with those looking to take a break and grab a seat. The only obstacle to get into the stands? Stairs, a runner’s nightmare after a road race.

@mb_marathon I see what you did there. Very funny #ManitobaMarathon very funny. But thanks for a great day! pic.twitter.com/3f4Xrzs7ie

— Anthony (@DrAnthonyH) June 18, 2017

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Teresa Fekensa (2:38:03) and Emily Ratzlaff (3:14:39) won the 2017 Manitoba Marathon.

Full results can be found here.