Olympians and refugees among 35,000 runners in province's largest running event
MONTREAL, Sept. 22, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - On Sunday, over 35,000 runners hailing from all parts of the community and the world will convene on the starting lines of the Rock 'n' Roll Oasis Montreal Marathon's five races.
"We are proud to welcome more runners than ever before, including in the full marathon, which is breaking a new record with nearly 5,000 registered," said Marathon spokesperson Dominique Arsenault at the event's press conference at City Hall this morning. "This speaks volumes about of the passion that Montrealers have for running and how they are constantly looking to take on new and bigger challenges", she adds.
Professional athletes and part-time joggers will be running side by side in Quebec's largest running event. In addition to the 30 elite runners that will vie to win the race, a dozen Olympic athletes from an array of disciplines will be trying a new kind of challenge by participating in the event's races, a great way to celebrate this year's performances in Rio and the 1976 Montreal Games anniversary with Montrealers. Among them, soccer player Rhian Wilkinson, who participated in the Beijing, London and Rio Olympic Games, will run her first-ever full marathon: "I won't be breaking any course records but I will be immensely proud of myself no matter what time I get ! », she says enthusiastically.
A group of Syrian refugees will also be participating in the 5k race, in addition to many community groups who will be running for a variety of causes.
"We are extremely pleased that the Rock 'n' Roll Oasis Marathon continues to bring together more Montrealers and visitors every year, providing this unique opportunity for amateurs, athletes and supporters to celebrate their shared passions and all that the city has to offer", says Dimitrios (Jim) Beis, the member of Montreal's Executive Committee responsible for sports and leisure.
For its part, STM is proud to help put the city on the move by offering all participants free access to its network: "We want to make the connection between active transportation and collective transportation even stronger in people's minds. Data shows the unambiguous benefits of collective transportation on one's health: STM users walk 2 km daily on average, which is the equivalent of 30 minutes of walking", says its Chairman Philippe Schnobb.
Faithful to Rock 'n' Roll's distinctive style, 22 bands will take the stage along the 42.2-km course, joined by three choirs, local DJ's and dancers from the Greater Montreal area. Headliner Our Lady Peace will offer a free concert at the finish line in Parc La Fontaine at 12:40.
At the P'tit Marathon 1 km Tel-jeunes, singer Anne-Lune will join actor and P'tit Marathon spokesperson Maxime Tremblay on the stage and kick off the race with a concert and warmup song for the young runners. "Tel-jeunes wishes all runners good luck and reminds them that Tel-jeunes is there to support them when they need it", says Céline Muloin, President and Chief Executive Officer at Fondation Tel-jeunes, a cause associated with the P'tit Marathon for the past 14 years.
A New Format and New Challenges for Rock 'n' Roll Runners in 2017
At the Marathon's press conference, Dominique Arsenault also announced that a new challenge will be available to runners starting in 2017, when the event will be held over two days. With the 1k and 5k distances taking place on Saturday and the 10k, half marathon and full marathon held on the Sunday, runners will be able to participate in the Remix Challenge, which will allow bling-loving runners who run one distance on each day to earn the Remix Challenge medal in addition to the medals they will earn for each race.
Oasis is looking forward to this new event format: "Having partnered with the Marathon for 14 years, we are excited to associate our brand with an event that will encourage Montrealers to stay active and take care of their health more than ever before", said Mr. Jean Gattuso, President and Chief Operating Officer of Lassonde Industries.
Getting around the day of the event – Courses and street closures
Instructions on how to get to the starting line of each race can be found here: http://www.runrocknroll.com/montreal/the-races/general-info/
Participants are encouraged to use public transportation the day of the event.
A detailed map showing street closures can be found here: https://goo.gl/6u2XmS
Media Accreditation
Media are invited to request accreditation by email at: [email protected].
Media who already registered may pick up their credentials at the Hospitality desk of the Health and Fitness Expo held at Place Bonaventure on Friday and Saturday.
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 Montreal Oasis Marathon : Arielle Mathieu, 514-260-4372, [email protected]; Caroline Lavoie, 514-781-4501, [email protected]
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