Article contentTop female runnerArticle contentJessica Willis of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., was the top female runner in the full marathon with a chip time of 3:03:30.Article content“That was very exciting,” Willis told The Guardian after crossing the finish line. “I just came out just to see the (East) Coast and have a nice time. So, it was a nice perk.”Article contentWillis, a pediatrician in Sault Ste. Marie, established a personal-best time in only her second full marathon.Article content“I was hoping for 3:05:00, but I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to do that or not,” said Willis, 29. “I’m still relatively new to marathon training, so it was a nice, exciting turn of events, I suppose.”Article content Jessica Willis of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., was the first female runner to complete the full marathon in Charlottetown on Oct. 19. Willis had a chip time of three hours three minutes 30 seconds (3:03:30). Photo by Jason Simmonds /The GuardianArticle contentWillis, who has been running for a long time, likes the higher mileage training and running marathons provide.Article contentAsked about the conditions for runners, Willis said they had to deal with a lot of wind.Article content“There’s a good, decent amount of hills to keep you on your toes a little bit, but then the way back is nice, because you got a lot of downhills on the way back,” said Willis. “We run a lot of hills in the Soo, so it was actually OK in the end.”Article contentArticle contentOff trackArticle contentThere was an unfortunate incident in the full marathon as a group of runners went off the course.Article content“They just didn’t turn onto the trail,” said race director Myrtle Jenkins-Smith. “They just kept going straight, (were) caught up in the moment, and that happens, unfortunately.Article content“All participants are supposed to know the course … but it does happen when you get caught up, and they just kept running.”Article contentAs a result, the group of “eight or nine” runners, said Smith, will not get a course time as although they completed the course, they ran about four fewer kilometres than the full-marathon route.Article content“That’s pretty standard,” said Jenkins-Smith. “I mean, every marathon would tell you that.”Article contentOverall, Jenkins-Smith described the three-day marathon weekend as excellent and the largest ever.Article content“We had just shy of 3,200 participants throughout the 12 categories of the weekend, and it’s been amazing,” said Jenkins-Smith. “The weather could have been a little nicer to us, but you know what, these participants don’t mind this weather. It really was an incredible weekend.”Article contentArticle content Runners race along the muddy trail near UPEI on Oct. 19 as part of P.E.I. Marathon weekend. Photo by Ryan Ross /The GuardianArticle contentArticle contentCourse recordsArticle contentFollowing are the course records set during the 2025 Prince Edward Island Marathon events:Article contentFull marathon – Luc Gallant (Mont-Carmel, P.E.I.), 2:28:41. Dennis Mbelenzi of Halifax set the previous mark of 2:30:23 in 2021.16K run – Ryan Merrett (Summerside, P.E.I.), 1:00:51. The previous mark of 1:03:34 was set by Michael Peterson in 2023.5K run (male) – Quixote Froese (Crapaud, P.E.I.), 15:53. Froese set the previous mark of 16:10 in 2024.5K run (female) – Lindsay Lamrock (P.E.I.), 16:56. Madeleine Crowell set the previous mark of 18:31 in 2019. Lamrock also holds the female records for the half marathon (1:19:12, 2023) and the full marathon (2:45:33, 2025).10K run (female) – Allie Sandluck (Thorburn, N.S.), 35:27. Rosie Mullins set the previous mark of 37:30 in 2006.Corporate team relay – Rolo Bay Fiddle Festival (Bradley Chaisson, Matthew Antle, Desi Peters, Darren Chaisson, Nathan Paton, Trevor Dunphy, Stanley Chaisson, Mitchell Chaisson), 2:39:45. The previous record of 2:49:56 was set by Court 6 CrossFit – G7 in 2018Article contentArticle contentJason Simmonds is the sports editor at The Guardian in Prince Edward Island. He can be reached at jsimmonds@postmedia.com and followed on X @JpsportsJason.Article content
Island runner sets new P.E.I. Marathon record
