The Montreal marathon's history goes back as far as 1979 with 9,000 participants. It was held for the next 10 years, then disappeared until 2004. Last year the Competitor Group took over the race, adding the marathon to its famous Rock and Roll marathon series. Last year's total race participation was around 24,000. There are some people who are polarized over their opinion of Competitor Group and the Rock and Roll series events. I've only participated in one Rock and Roll marathon, and it was their very first marathon in San Diego back in 1998. Yes it was a disaster, but yes it was a blast! I don't particularly care for the larger, "hoopla" races, which is why I haven't done one since, but I've wanted to travel to Montreal since I last visited there briefly a few years ago. Last year's reviews on marathonguide are very good--it appears that Competitor Group has a handle on this race, so this marathon is now on my ever expanding marathon wish list.
The stats: This year's marathon is to be held on 9/22. In addition to the full marathon, there is a half marathon, 10K, 5K, and even a 1K. Word of warning: I found 10K and 5K reviews out there and they are bad! These 2 events are disorganized messes, which does not surprise me, as they are trying to juggle too many races (with different starting locations no less). The marathon and half marathon start together. Another word of warning in that the half marathon is the bigger draw. I am not fond of events where the marathon is the side bar event, but this situation is pretty hard to avoid these days. At any rate, I didn't see any complaints that are common in other races about half marathoners merging into the full or emptying out the finish line provisions, so hey.
The expo sounds decent, with Brooks having a presence there--always a good thing. Generic shirts and medals--typical of Rock and Roll events.
The race day logistics aren't too bad, with the start and the finish close together. (No shuttles!) The course appears to be interesting--with a great tour of some of the highlights of Montreal. The race starts on the Jacques-Cartier bridge and actually runs on Canada's Grand Prix F1 race course! Other interesting sights include: the Montreal Island, Old Montreal, the Botanical garden, and the Olympic stadium, which is a really unique building (see below)
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| Jacques-Cartier bridge |
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| F1 circuit...minus the cars and fans |
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| Olympic Stadium |
Terrain-wise the course is pretty flat, and as far as spectators go, it can be sparse in the residential areas, but pretty lively for the most part. You may want to brush up on your french in order to understand the cheers, as French is the predominant language of Montreal. The post race party, held in La Fontaine Park, is reportedly a blast! This is to be expected with a Rock and Roll marathon, and here they appear to deliver.
A con would be the cost. Montreal is a pretty expensive city, and the marathon entry fees are high, but I do think this is a top destination marathon choice. If you have extra vacation time you can take a train to Quebec City and spend a few days there as well. Quebec has a European feel to it--sometimes you have to remind yourself that you are in Canada.
Here is the marathon link. Be sure to hit the "translate" button at the top!
http://ca.competitor.com/montreal
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