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 dot of colour that they will set as their goal for the year. We wanted to offer another experience, that of starting the season,” he explains.
Mr. Arsenault and his team hope to gradually increase the capacity of participants over the coming years. For 2025, the goal is to accommodate a maximum of 7,500 runners. “It’s roughly a 50% increase on the version we just had in 2024,” he says.
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 changes, 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 10km or 5km events.
Courons Montréal is considering other changes to the cost of registration, including the possibility of registering for several races for a reduced rate.