Manitoba Marathon ready for growth

Manitoba Marathon 2009.Sunday’s Manitoba Marathon will see nearly 13,000 runners take to the streets of Winnipeg to run an event that’s been happening each summer since 1979.

The 35-year-old event has changed a lot since it was first run in the sweltering heat i’s first year, when over 4,000 runners showed up but over half didn’t finish. The course also lends itself more to the time of year the event is held.

“The very first course ran straight out to the west of the city on the highway and back, so there were no trees,” says Manitoba Marathon Foundation executive direction Shirley Lumb. “Now we run though the city and follow the river through some of the city parks. It’s shaded and somewhat sheltered. It’s just a really nice, friendly course.”

The course is also fast, with only a three-metre elevation change over the course.

Still, Lumb would like to see the race grow. With the 40th anniversary coming up in five years, she hopes to see numbers for the weekend reach the 20,000 mark and be one of the top-four marathons in Canada.

“[We] treat out participants really well. At the finish line there is a recovery area and entertainment tent and places to meet your family and whatnot,” says Lumb. “So it’s really a celebration.”

The race is put on by the Manitoba Marathon Foundation, an organization which supports all Manitobans living with intellectual disabilities, which is why the event is named after the host province, not Winnipeg.

And they come out to support. Over 95 per cent of participants are Manitoba residents.

“We invite all Manitobans to support us, whether they come and participate or make a donation.”

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