WINNIPEG — Runners lacing up for the Manitoba Marathon this June, will now get to race inside Investors Group Field.
On Wednesday, Manitoba Marathon organizers said all runners will cross the finish line inside the stadium.
This is the first time the finish line has been altered in more than 30 years. The change comes months after the marathon route was reversed last June.
READ MORE: Manitoba Marathon switching gears in 2016
“Moving into Investors Group Field this year, as far as runner experience and spectator experience, it’s just going to take it to the next level,” Rachel Munday said, the marathon’s executive director.
This move makes the Manitoba Marathon the only race in Canada to end on a CFL field, according to Munday. Participants will run down the loading dock onto the field, but they likely won’t run on the turf, Munday added. This is because flooring will probably be put down.
Spectators will be able to sit in the stands and watch their friends and family members finish the race on the video boards.
Munday said this is another step toward making the marathon a destination race.
“I think people see the value and that special experience of running on to a CFL field and seeing yourself on the Jumbotron as you’re coming in,” she said.
The 2017 Manitoba Marathon is scheduled for June 17.