Edmonton Marathon Sees Record Attendance

On Sunday morning, thousands of runners hit the streets of downtown Edmonton for the 2024 Servus Edmonton Marathon, making it the biggest turnout in the event’s 33-year history.

Kenyan-born runner David Mutai, who made the trip from Langley, B.C., managed to claim first place in the Edmonton Men’s Marathon despite dealing with an injury. He shared, “Challenges are always there, but not there to keep you [at the] back. It’s there to make you strong and come back strong.”

This year, over 6,500 participants joined in the fun, and with it being a Boston Marathon qualifier, many runners felt one step closer to realizing their dreams.

One of those dreamers, Nagesso Nyafaro from Ethiopia, who finished second in the men’s half marathon, expressed his ambitions. “I have a dream to go to the Olympics, that’s 2028 in L.A., U.S.A. That’s my dream so I have to work for it. I’m from Ethiopia. I came to Edmonton recently to this great community. They really give me morale. It’s really a good experience.”

In the men’s half marathon, Thomas Broatch, hailing from Vancouver, took home the win. He mentioned, “I do a lot of races in Vancouver, which is quite hilly so it’s nice to have a bit of flatter, faster course here.”

Zoe Hamel, who won the women’s half marathon, admitted, “I didn’t expect to come first. I expected actually slightly better time, but I did run pretty hard. It’s good lots of people cheering.”

Runners faced some humid conditions and dense fog in the early hours, but local athlete Matthew Hope still managed a top-three finish in the half marathon. He noted, “It was pretty humid out, not super hot but you feel it with the humidity, so it was a lot harder than I thought. Coming all the way back was really rough.”

According to the event organizers, the marathon contributes to the health and well-being of the Edmonton community, raising more than $30,000 for charities each year. “About 50 athletes make up our elite field. They’re competing for over $10,000 in prize money,” explained Brian Torance, a member of the organizing committee.

“We got over 6,500 people here. That’s about 30-40 percent higher than we’ve ever had before. Participants raised over $30,000 for those very worthy charities and that goes a long way in increasing the awareness of what those charities do for our community,” he added.

During the marathon, many roads were temporarily closed, including all of Jasper Avenue, with the start and finish lines located at the Edmonton Convention Centre.