MONTRÉAL, le 25 sept. 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - On Sunday, the 35 000 runners participating in the Rock 'n' Roll Oasis Montreal Marathon, Quebec's largest running event, took to the streets of Montreal with a backdrop of glorious skies and rock.
The event's starting lines and finish line venue were bubbling with energy as 26 bands, a capelle groups, DJ's and dance troops were giving the beat to the runners and entertaining the crowds who had come to cheer them on.
Athletes and amateurs took on all kinds of challenges in the five distances offered. « Some signed up with ambitious personal goals while others were just running for the fun of taking on a challenge alone or with friends. Our goal is to provide all participant types and their supporters an opportunity to share the thrill of the race in a festive atmosphere. This year, we can really say mission accomplished ! » said event spokesperson Dominique Arsenault.
Winners - Marathon
The winners of the 42.2 km distance are Kari Steinn Karlsson (men's), who is from Iceland, and Quebec's Arianne Raby (women's), with respective times of 2:24:18 and 2:48:54.
"The race was hard," Raby, who ran unopposed, admitted. "I didn't feel my best today but I'm happy with how it went. The race was like a big party. When you are in so much pain and you see a band playing for you, it's great. You look forward to the next band," Raby said.
Second place in the women's marathon was awarded to Joanne Normand (2:57:26). Mylene Sansourcy rounded out the podium—good for third in 2:59:56.
In the men's race, finisher Bagdad Rachem (2:27:48) and Fethi Oukid (2:29:25) came in second and third, respectively.
Winners – Hal-Marathon, 10 k, 5 k and 1 k
Ebisa Ejigu of Ethiopia was the first person to cross the line in the half marathon (1:09:21). Antony Larouche, a Quebec City resident, was second 6 seconds later (1:09:27). Third place in the half was awarded to Kindi Asefa of Toronto (1:09 :53).
Jane Murage of Kenya was the women's half marathon champion. Having run the entire race unopposed, she recalled afterwards that the wind was a factor. She had hoped to break 1:15 for the 21.1 race and ended up clocking 1:18:10. Second and third went to Jullien Flynn (1:21:05) and Paula Wiltse (1:24:11) respectively.
Julius Arile Lomerinyang (16:53) and Marie-Syrine Daigneault (18:25) prevailed in the 5k, while Kevin Robertson (34:14) and Genevieve Shurtleff (39:01) won the 10k race.
At the finish line of the P'tit Marathon Tel-jeunes, Marc James de Man won first place while Benjamin Niquette was the winner in the Provincial Championship category.
A complete list of winners will soon be available here : http://ca.competitor.com/montreal/resultats.
A race for everyone in the community
Hailing from 64 countries, runners from all parts of the community and levels ran side by side. Nine Syrian refugees participated in the 5k while a dozen Canadian olympic athletes participated in the different races on offer to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Montreal Games as well as Canadian performances in Rio this summer, all the while taking on a personal challenge with Montrealers. Among them, soccer player Rhian Wilkinson, who participated in the Beijing, London and Rio Olympic Games, finished her first-ever marathon in 4 hours, 20 minutes and 4 seconds.
"We are very proud to provide an opportunity to such diverse groups to celebrate their passion for running, music and Montreal together. Running is an acessible sport and we are happy to gather together runners of all stripes on our courses," said Dominique Arsenault.
For many groups, running Sunday's race was a way to raise funds for charity causes. Fondation Tel-jeunes, a partner of the event for 14 years, raised $34,386.
The party continued all afternoon in Parc La Fontaine. Our Lady Peace's concert was a hit with runners, supporters and fans from the public who had come to watch the show.
A 26th edition that bodes well for the future
The smashing success of this 26th edition sets the table for a new formula to be rolled out in 2017. With the event held over two days, participants will be able to sign up for new challenges such as the Remix Challenges, which will offer them the possibility of earning three medals by running one distance on each day.
A limited presale is available online through Sunday, offering the lowest prices for the year. For more information, visit runrocknroll.com/montreal.
About the Rock 'n' Roll Oasis Montreal Marathon
In 2016 the Rock 'n' Roll Oasis Montreal Marathon will be celebrating the 26th edition of the Montreal Marathon. Organized by Festival de la Santé, in conjunction with Competitor Canada, the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series is the world's largest running series, with over 500,000 runners participating in events worldwide every year. The series started in 1998 with the simple idea of making running fun, and has transformed the running landscape by livening up the route with live bands, cheer teams and entertaining water stations, creating a block-party atmosphere for participants and spectators alike. Today, the series of marathons and half-marathons has spread to more than 30 destination cities, drawing visitors from around the world. Over the history of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series, charity partners have raised more than $300 million through the events for a variety of worthy causes.
SOURCE Rock'n'Roll Oasis Montreal Marathon
Rock 'n' Roll Oasis Montreal Marathon: Arielle Mathieu, Tél. : 514 260-4372, [email protected]; Caroline Lavoie, Tél. : 514 781-4501, [email protected]
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