Sunday morning brought no shortage of runners across the city as thousands took part in the 46th installment of the Manitoba Marathon.
“The Manitoba Marathon was really fun this year, huge amount of participants, like I’ve done this a few years already, and the amount of people here were staggering,” said Bryce Desender, a participant in this year’s half marathon of 21.2 kilometres.
“Just getting the starting line with all those people, you just feel that energy and the ambition and just beat off that. It was just so great to be on the course, see so many people on there just cheering us on, encouraging us to keep going. It was a great time.”
Despite overnight thunderstorms and early morning precipitation, more than 10,000 runners participated in the marathon on Father’s Day. The course began and finished at Princess Auto Stadium, and dozens of friends and family members brought their support to all those who participated.
Desender, who was a part of the Bee Line Blazers relay team with his friends, has been participating in the Manitoba Marathon since 2017.
He said he enjoys the training that goes in to preparing for the marathon and each year and does not let the distance intimidate him before he approaches the starting line.
“Just take it one step at a time and focus on the moments that are right in front of you, and that’s how I get through it,” Desender said.
“It takes a while, to train for it. There’s no question about it. What’s great about running is you can always compete against yourself, and it’s a sport about competing against yourself, as well as a sense of community, and no one cares. It’s just that’s a great thing.”
Xi Yin marks his calendar each year when it comes time to prepare for the Manitoba Marathon. This year was Yin’s sixth time as a relay participant and the morning was a great success for him as he held a Manitoba Marathon flag with enthusiasm.
“I’m really happy with the result that we’re able to accomplish this year,” Yin said.
“I think we’re the 44th out of 141 teams. So it’s a team effort, and I’m proud of everyone that was able to participate.”
Yin said he was appreciative of the organization’s effort this year to design a great marathon route.
“I love how much effort the Manitoba Marathon and the volunteers and the citizens in Winnipeg have put into this event,” Yin said.
“You know, along the path, we had police officers, we have residents cheering us. It’s just a great experience seeing that many people rooting for us.”
Participants who chose to take on the full length of the Manitoba Marathon ran for a total of 42.2 kilometres.