A weekend-long celebration of Edmonton’s running community wrapped up Sunday afternoon.
The 25th Servus Edmonton Marathon kicked off Saturday with a free friendship race, and also included a sports expo. It finished with 5K, 10K, half-marathon and full-marathon races on Sunday.
The event, which attracts both recreational and competitive athletes, boasts a wide range of activities for runners of all types — even kids.
“There was over 250 kids down at Remax Field participating in a kids’ event,” said Brian Torrance, elite athlete coordinator. “They run through activities and also do a small race. It kind of has something for everybody.”
The races also attract world-class athletes. The 25th year of the marathon was a big one.
“It continues to grow. This year we had over 4,500 participants, which is great. We also had a lot more buzz and energy in terms of spectators. We had over 10,000 spectators on the course, so that was a great success,” said Torrance.
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“In terms of times, we were flirting with the marathon event record.”
Race organizers confirmed the on-course emergency personnel responded to a medical situation. Witnesses reported a runner who collapsed on the road around the 20-kilometre mark. The runner was brought to hospital by ambulance.
On Sunday evening, organizers said they weren’t able to provide any information on the status of the runner.
Evans Maiko from Hamilton, Ont. came in first, finishing just shy of the long-standing marathon record.
Maiko finished at two hours, 25.10 minutes, which is about two minutes longer than the all-time record.
The Servus Edmonton Marathon has seen a spike in popularity in recent years, despite this being the 25th anniversary. The addition of a title sponsor and the return of athletes year after year has contributed to its success, along with hard-working and passionate volunteers.
“We have five new cheer stations out there on the course. We do want to make sure the course supports the athletes as best as possible with hydration, but also energy,” said Torrance. “We have hundreds of volunteers that participate, water stations, and then obviously the start and finish lines.”
“They kind of captivate the whole event.”
You can already register for the 2018 Servus Edmonton Marathon online.
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