Fredericton Marathon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fredericton Marathon |
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Fredericton Marathon Logo with Scotiabank Sponsorship
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| Date | May |
| Location | Fredericton, New Brunswick |
| Event type | Road Race |
| Distance | Marathon |
| Primary sponsor | Scotiabank |
| Established | 1979, 47 years ago |
| Course records | Men: 2:24:40 (2023) Stanley Chaisson Female: 2:53:30 (2023) Sarah Mulcahy |
| Official site | FrederictonMarathon.ca |
The Fredericton Marathon is a big annual running event in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. It is the oldest yearly marathon race in New Brunswick. A marathon is a very long race, about 42.195 kilometers (26.219 miles).
This race started in 1979 with only a few hundred runners. It has grown a lot since then! For example, in 2012, over 1,300 runners took part. The Fredericton Marathon is also special because it's a "Boston Marathon qualifier." This means if you run fast enough here, you can enter the famous Boston Marathon. In 2012, 65 runners qualified for Boston from this race.
The event happens every year in mid-May. It is usually one week before the Blue Nose Marathon in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Today, Scotiabank helps sponsor the race. The local running club, The Capital City Road Runners, organizes it.
In 2017, Canadian Running Magazine said the Fredericton Marathon had the highest rate of Boston qualifiers in Canada. More than 30 percent of runners met the time standard that year.
Contents
Race Events: More Than Just a Marathon
The Fredericton Marathon weekend has races for everyone, not just the full marathon!
Different Distances to Run
- Full Marathon: The main event, a 42.195 km race.
- Half-Marathon: Half the distance of a full marathon.
- 10 Kilometer (10K) Race: A popular distance for many runners.
- 5 Kilometer (5K) Race: A shorter race, great for beginners.
Races for Kids and Teens
- Youth and Kids Run: Kids aged 5 to 14 can run 1 km or 3 km.
- High School 5K Challenge: A special 5 km race for students in high school.
The Race Course: Where Runners Go
The Fredericton Marathon starts and finishes at Queen Square. This spot is near the University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University.
Crossing the River and Trails
Early in the race, runners cross the Saint John River. They then run along paved and gravel trails next to the Nashwaak River.
Turnaround Points for Each Race
- 5K Runners: They turn around soon after crossing the river.
- 10K Runners: They continue towards Marysville, a part of Fredericton, before turning around.
- Half Marathon and Full Marathon Runners: These runners go even further. They turn around after about 10.25 km. Half marathon runners finish when they get back to the start line. Full marathon runners do a second lap of the same course!
Race Records: The Fastest Times
Runners work hard to set new records in these races. Here are some of the fastest times recorded:
10K Race Records
- Male: 33 minutes, 13 seconds - Byron Wood (from Fredericton, NB) in 2007
- Female: 39 minutes, 47 seconds - Rachael McCarvill (from Fredericton, NB) in 2011
Half Marathon Records
- Male: 1 hour, 13 minutes, 24 seconds - Alex Coffin (from Saint John, NB) in 2003
- Female: 1 hour, 19 minutes, 29 seconds - Paula Keating (from Miramichi, NB) in 2012
Marathon Records
- Male: 2 hours, 24 minutes, 40 seconds - Stanley Chaisson (from Charlottetown, PE) in 2023
- Female: 2 hours, 53 minutes, 30 seconds - Sarah Mulcahy (from Fort Kent, ME) in 2023
Running Challenges: Earn Special Medals
Runners can earn special medals by completing races in different cities.
The Tri-City Run Medal
In 2013, the Fredericton Marathon joined with two other races:
If runners finished a race in each of these three events, they received special medals. These medals could be put together to form a "mega-medal" called the "Tri-City Medallion." This challenge was even featured in iRun magazine as one of Canada's unique races.
The New Brunswick Challenge Medal
In 2014, another race was added to the Tri-City Run:
- The Miramichi Rock 'n' Run race
Now, if runners completed a race at all four events, they earned the "New Brunswick Challenge" medal.
See also
- List of marathon races in North America
