The Manitoba Marathon offers a delightful “runner-approved” beautiful, flat, fast, and shaded course through many of Winnipeg’s loveliest residential neighbourhoods. Fast, flat & friendly… the perfect Boston Qualifier! The Manitoba Marathon course has a great and storied history. Since its design by Fred Dawson in 1980, the 2nd year of …
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The Manitoba Marathon offers a delightful “runner-approved” beautiful, flat, fast, and shaded course through many of Winnipeg’s loveliest residential neighbourhoods.
Fast, flat & friendly… the perfect Boston Qualifier! The Manitoba Marathon course has a great and storied history. Since its design by Fred Dawson in 1980, the 2nd year of the Manitoba Marathon, it has been the site of past Canadian Marathon and Masters Championships as well as the site of the 1999 Pan American Games Marathons. We offer a delightful “runner-approved” beautiful, flat, fast, and shaded course through many of Winnipeg’s loveliest residential neighbourhoods.
The half marathon boasts all the benefits of the Full Marathon and you’ll burn only half the calories! Join over 4,000 runners on the first five miles of our scenic Full Marathon course before breaking off for two miles and then rejoining the Full Marathon course for the last six miles, back to IG Field for a big league finish.
The Manitoba Marathon Relay is one FUN event so grab four family members, friends, co-workers, classmates or anyone you can find for that matter! Create a team and enjoy an amazing race day experience while covering the entire Full Marathon course!
The 10K will have a corral start. This means a more enjoyable race experience for all 10K Participants. As you register choose your fitness challenge, enjoy a leisurely walk or full on run and experience the thrill of participating in the Manitoba Marathon! Enjoy a loop through St Vital park and be back at IG Field in time to see the half marathon, marathon, and relay runners cross the finish line!
The 5K Super Run is a non-competitive event. Join over 3,000 runners – kids, adults, and seniors alike – in a wonderful taste of the Manitoba Marathon experience, complete with a full refreshment station and the excitement of the Marathon Start and Finish lines.
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Finish in the CFL Stadium
Ok, I don't know squat about CFL (or really the NFL but...) but the Blue Bombers is where it all ends! Pay for parking at one of the shuttle lots … MORE
Ok, I don’t know squat about CFL (or really the NFL but…) but the Blue Bombers is where it all ends! Pay for parking at one of the shuttle lots if you’re from out of town and save the panic in the morning. These were big lots and they had a huge bus to drive you to the start. It was nice to talk to people from all over the place (most of whom were very confused by the rando American who came to Manitoba…). The race starts on the campus of the the University of Manitoba and is relatively flat with some uphills here and there. When you come into the finish line, you enter the stadium and run on the turf which was challenging because you’re really trying to sprint and you don’t have cleats. They had plastic mats to run on but that was actually harder because they shifted. You were on the jumbotron as you crossed and then got your medal. Then you get to walk up from field level ALL THE WAY UP to the top level of the stadium (brutal!). Nice thing is, there were real bathrooms to use since it is a stadium, both before and after. Really great food after, super eco friendly (they had people at the trash cans making sure you got it right!). You could hang out before you shuttled back to the car. They mailed AG awards which I thought was nice so you didn’t have to stand around forever (it was a big field so waiting would have been quite a production). Free pics. Nice city, friendly people.
Flat course through prairie city
I previously lived in Winnipeg and was proud to finally get a chance to run this race. The course was very flat and wound through several Winnipeg neighborhoods. There was … MORE
I previously lived in Winnipeg and was proud to finally get a chance to run this race. The course was very flat and wound through several Winnipeg neighborhoods. There was a lot of crowd support as it is a big event in the city. There were a ton of water stations, but what I really loved was that there were several stations that included ice-cold sponges soaked with icy water. It made a huge difference for me. It wasn’t a terribly warm day but it definitely helped cool me off at various points along the course. I loved the finish area inside the football stadium.
Well designed flat, fast course
I've run 30+ marathons, but this was the first time running the Manitoba Marathon. The course is flat and fast with enough turns to keep it interesting, but not slow … MORE
I’ve run 30+ marathons, but this was the first time running the Manitoba Marathon. The course is flat and fast with enough turns to keep it interesting, but not slow you down. On the right day this can be a PB course. The limiting factor being the weather, which I suspect tends to be on the warmer side. This year was quite good; starting out cool and foggy and burning off after about an hour and no wind.
The organizers do an excellent job running both the marathon and 1/2 marathon at the same time; keeping the races separate at key times as not to interfere with faster runners.
There were plenty of aid stations equipped with the standard water and electrolyte drinks, as well as sponges. The organizers were well prepared for heat. They also appeared well prepared for medical emergencies. I saw someone collapsed at a later point with EMS attending and a fire engine coming from the other way close behind.
The volunteers were excellent and were well organized.
The runners fair was quite small, but for me not that important. The T-shirts were nice (simple); you don’t feel like a billboard with sponsor logos plastered all over like some races.
My one complaint was getting to the race. We purchased a parking pass prior to the race as we were from out of town. It seemed like everyone also drove creating a chaotic traffic jam converging at IG Field. In hindsight we should have arrived an hour earlier. I’m not sure if it’s like this for CFL football games? At any rate I think dispersed parking lots with shuttles may be more effective.
Overall I enjoyed the race and would do it again if in the area.
Give this marathon a try.
This is my hometown marathon and I invite you to give it a try. The course is flat, but the weather is often quite warm on Father's Day. The route … MORE
This is my hometown marathon and I invite you to give it a try. The course is flat, but the weather is often quite warm on Father’s Day. The route is well-marked and the volunteers are exceptional. The finish line is in a stadium – so that makes it a bit more exciting. Participant shirts are very nice colours and style – but manufacture and sizing changes each year – so good luck with a size that fits. The relay adds to the fun – as there are more runners along the way. It is a Greener marathon – I volunteer after the marathon to sort our compost/ recycle/garbage waster. Over 80% of the waste is diverted from the landfill. Vehicle access is restricted on-site, and park and ride shuttles are offered.