Manitoba Marathon wrapping up with around 8,000 runners participating | CBC News

The 45th Manitoba Marathon is wrapping up Sunday after around 8,000 runners took to the street.

Temperatures started out around 16 C for the Father’s Day event. 

Cameron Levins from Black Creek, B.C., took home first place in the men’s half-marathon, which is also the Canadian championships. 

Levins said he believed the placing helped him qualify for the World Half-Marathon Championships. 

“I came and ran this last year as well,” said Levins. “To come back here with better conditions and run a bit faster is nice.” 

Jessi Davis is no stranger to the Manitoba Marathon either and said this was her best half-marathon time since she was in her 20s. 

“The best time I got was back when I was about 22, so 20 years later I can still move and grove, I’m pretty happy with that,” she said. 

Davis also called Sunday a “perfect day” to run any of the events the Marathon offers and had no plans on slowing down. 

“I’ll be a forever runner until my hips blow out or something crazy like that,” said Davis. 

University Crescent between Chancellor Matheson Road and Pembina Highway was closed, along with Chancellor Matheson Road between Research Road and University Crescent, which was expected to remain closed until 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Water main work will also close westbound Midwinter Avenue between Levis Street and Henderson Highway as well as the northbound sidewalk from Sunday until Aug. 21 at 3 p.m. 

LISTEN | The Manitoba Marathon is marking 45 years:

After the marathon was shut down mid-race last year due to extreme heat, Rachel Munday, executive director of Manitoba Marathon, said in an interview last Friday the organization has amped up its communications this year.

“We felt that we hadn’t done a very good job of that last year in preparing them for what they might see and then communicating what would happen if there was any type of incident,” Munday said.

So this year, Munday said they started communicating with racers earlier and made sure to give them details about what to expect on the course.

The marathon was founded in 1979, but Munday said the event has “grown so much over the years.”

More and more people from out of town are participating in the race, Munday said. 

“There are definitely people who want to run in every province.”

The race started at 7 a.m. outside IG Field.

Visit the city’s website for more information on lane closures.