Hoping to double the number of participants, the promoter of the Bénéva de Montréal Marathon, Courons Montréal, has just acquired the 21K, a half-marathon which is held annually in April at Jean-Drapeau Park.
“I believe that the Montreal Marathon must have larger tentacles in the calendar,” explains Sébastien Arsenault, CEO of Courons Montréal, which has organized this sporting event since 2020.
The marathon takes place every year in September. “For most runners in Quebec, the Montreal marathon is the little point of color that they will set as their objective for the year. We wanted to offer another experience, that of starting the season,” he explains.
Welcome more runners
Mr. Arsenault and his team hope to gradually increase the capacity of participants over the coming years. For 2025, the objective is to welcome a maximum of 7,500 runners. “It’s roughly a 50% increase on the version we just had in 2024,” he specifies.
Aside from the increase in the number of participants, regulars at the Montreal 21K will notice almost no change. The 2025 edition will take place as usual, at Parc Jean-Drapeau and the route will remain the same.
“It’s an event that was already very popular, so we’re not going to reinvent the wheel. We are planning some modifications, but minor ones,” says Mr. Arsenault.
By 2026, Courons Montréal hopes to extend the event to two or more days and welcome more than 10,000 running enthusiasts. Running enthusiasts can also take part in the 10 km or 5 km events.
Courons Montréal is considering other changes to the cost of registrations, including the possibility of registering for several races for a reduced rate.
A previous version of this text indicated that Mr. Arsenault’s title was general director of Courons Montréal, while he is its president and CEO. The name of the Bénéva de Montréal Marathon has also been corrected. The previous version indicated Montreal International Marathon. Our apologies.