Thousands Join 2024 Edmonton Marathon

On a bright Sunday morning, thousands of runners filled the streets of downtown Edmonton for the 2024 Servus Edmonton Marathon, marking the biggest turnout in the event’s 33-year history.

Kenyan-born David Mutai, despite dealing with an injury, took home first place in the Edmonton Men’s Marathon. 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’s marathon saw over 6,500 participants, making it a major Boston Marathon qualifier race. For many runners, it was a step closer to achieving their dreams. Nagesso Nyafaro, an athlete from Ethiopia, expressed his aspirations: “I have a dream to go to the Olympics, that’s 2028 in L.A., U.S.A. I came to Edmonton recently to this great community. They really give me morale. It’s really a good experience.” He secured the second position in the men’s half marathon.

Winning the men’s half marathon was Thomas Broatch from Vancouver, who remarked, “I do a lot of races in Vancouver, which is quite hilly so it’s nice to have a bit of a flatter, faster course here.”

The women’s half marathon was won by Zoe Hamel, who 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.”

Although racers faced some dense fog in the early hours, local runner Matthew Hope managed to clinch 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 marathon organizers, the event plays an essential role in promoting health and well-being in Edmonton, and it raises over $30,000 annually for charities.

Brian Torance, a member of the organizing committee, stated, “About 50 athletes make up our elite field. They’re competing for over $10,000 in prize money. We got over 6,500 people here. That’s about 30-40 percent higher than we’ve ever been before.”

The marathon caused several road closures, including all of Jasper Avenue, with all routes starting and ending at the Edmonton Convention Centre.