A pair of P.E.I. runners win the Fredericton Marathon
Stanley Chaisson of Bear River P.E.I. came away with the victory in a course record time of 2:25:22
The 44th annual Stewart McKelvey Fredericton Marathon returned to its traditional Mother’s Day date for the first time in three years, welcoming almost 2,000 runners in N.B.’s capital city. Stanley Chaisson of Bear River P.E.I. came away with the victory in a new course record time of 2:25:22, while Jennie Orr of Stanley Bridge, P.E.I. won the women’s race in a personal best time of 3:00:32.
Chaisson led the race from the start, finishing a 25-minutes ahead of second place. Chaisson was also the 2021 Frederiction Marathon champion in 2:29.20, taking 22 seconds off the previous record (2:29:42) held by James MacLellan of Sydney N.S.
Orr, a four-time Boston marathoner, managed to take two minutes off her previous personal best of 3:02. This year’s race marked the first time Orr has run the Fredericton Marathon in six years. In 2016, Orr finished fourth in 3:23:27.
The conditions for the race were ideal for running, as race temperatures hit around 10 degrees C on Sunday morning. “It was good to see an event come together and set the tone for the running season,” said race director Bruce MacFarlane. “It was the perfect day for running.”
The Fredericton Marathon is one of the popular destinations for many Canadian runners looking to hit a Boston Marathon qualifying time due to its flat and fast course. At this year’s race, it was reported that 31 per cent of the finishers ran under the BQ standard for their age.
The event featured five races, including the marathon, half marathon, 10K, 8K and 5K run.