New Brunswick runner races his 400th Demi-marathon de l’Acadie

The 409th edition of the Demi-marathon de l’Acadie (DMA), held on Nov. 7, 2021, marked an event
that will probably never repeated. The president of the DMA, Jean-Marie Breau of Tracadie, N.B., crossed the finish line of the DMA for the 400th time.

Demi-marathon de l’Acadie hosts in-person races in consecutive months

Breau ran 387 editions of the DMA consecutively, returning to running after an injury that had kept him away for three months. This legendary runner from Tracadie, who started running at the age of 33, is proud of his accomplishment. When he took over the destiny of DMA with his wife, Marcelle, in the 1990s, no one could have predicted that this monthly event would become his passion, his way of making new long-term friends, to stay healthy and to contribute to the well-being of his community. Breau helped build a framework for the DMA that allowed it to radiate, not only in the Acadian Peninsula, but also elsewhere in Canada and in the United States.

“The temperature was perfect for my big day,” says Breau. “My wife Marcelle came with me for the event. Together, we reminisced about the past 33 years. For me, the running lifestyle keeps me fit and healthy. I don’t intend to stop running the half-marathon. I still love it, and I’ll keep doing it as long as my health allows me to.”

Rain or shine, elite and recreational runners alike meet in Tracadie on the first Sunday of every month and carpool to St-Isidore for the 10 a.m. start, except in July and August, when the race starts an hour earlier to avoid the summer heat. 

Demi-Marathon de l’Acadie, Tracadie, N.B.

The certified, net-downhill, point-to-point course starts around 70 m above sea level and undulates with rolling hills as it leads east toward Tracadie, which is at sea level. The course leads runners across the bridge in downtown Tracadie, where they can admire the fishing fleet docked at the marina in summer, then through the town until they reach the finish line near the pool at the S.A. Dionne sports complex. There are free showers at the finish, and the very reasonable $15 registration fee includes lunch. 

The Demi-marathon de l’Acadie is posted on Canadian Running’s raceguide.ca, and the virtual version attracts runners from sea to sea and beyond our borders. Daryl Steeves, a popular columnist, has said that
every runner in New Brunswick should run this race at least once in their lifetime. The NB running community is proud of this runner. Kudos, Jean-Marie!