ManitobaClear skies, cooler temperatures and clean air quality graced the streets for thousands of runners who hit the pavement on Sunday during the annual Manitoba Marathon. About half of the nearly 12,500 participants who signed up this year are new runners, organizers sayCBC News · Posted: Jun 15, 2025 11:08 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoThe Manitoba Marathon started at 7 a.m. at the Princess Auto Stadium. Runners are participating in a number of races, including the 42.2 kilometre full marathon. (Travis Globy/CBC)Clear skies, cooler temperatures and clean air quality graced the streets for thousands of runners who hit the pavement on Sunday during the annual Manitoba Marathon. The event kicked off at 7 a.m. at the Princess Auto Stadium in south Winnipeg. Runners are participating in a number of races, including the 42.2 kilometre full marathon.About half of the nearly 12,500 participants who signed up for this year’s event are new runners, Rachel Munday, the executive director of the race told CBC. “It’s a running boom,” she said. The Manitoba Marathon is just the latest example of races throughout the country seeing an increase in overall participation, Munday said. Just shy of 1,300 people registered for the full marathon, Munday said, marking one of the largest numbers recorded in the race’s history.”It’s not just about the numbers … it’s a new demographic, it’s a diverse group, there’s people from every background and it’s really exciting to see everybody in the community,” Munday said. Caleb de Jong, left, and Janine Zajac, right, were the first man and woman to finish the full marathon on Sunday. (Travis Golby/CBC)Janine Zajac finished first among the women participating in the full marathon after running for two hours, 58 minutes and seven seconds.Meanwhile Winnipegger Caleb de Jong was the first man to cross the finish line of the full marathon with a time of 2:26:47.A number of roads were closed on Sunday to accommodate the marathon including University Crescent between Chancellor Matheson Road and Pembina Highway, the city said in a news release.Wellington Crescent has a number of partial closures as the marathon route switches from Portage Avenue this year. Single lanes of traffic are also in effect including eastbound in Jubilee Avenue from Pembina Highway.With files from Gavin Axelrod
Thousands hit the pavement for annual Manitoba Marathon
