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Fredericton Marathon
(Fredericton, New Brunswick)
Author: dmchardie
Date: 2006-04-25
We are less than three weeks away from the Fredericton Marathon and I thought I'd offer up a review of the event for all the Maniacs that will be lacing up for the race and those pondering that possibility. I can only speak for the 10K element of the race, considering I have not run the half here and they have changed the marathon course since it destroyed me in 2001 (FYI, they have removed the hills that made me weep like a small child).
The website (www.frederictonmarathon.ca) calls the race from rails to trails. The entire 10K course is on an old rail bed that has been converted into a portion of the city's popular trail network. What this means in overly simple terms is the race is flat, the only inclines are a few little humps as you cross a street and ramp up to the old train bridge.
For this humble scribe, 2006 will be my third 10K. Each year it has grown in size and improved its race day efficiency. Last year, it was cold and miserable but there were enough volunteers to direct traffic and hand out Subway subs after the run, as well as students from the local massage therapy school to offer some post-race rubs. Last year, the times ranged from the 36 minutes to 91 minutes and there were almost 140 finishers.
The race starts at a local park and winds around an apartment complex so runners can get onto the trail. The 10k follows the trail over two city streets and onto the train bridge and then out about 5.4K. The turn-around point is just after the 5K marker. The pace is fast. The half and full marathons continue along the trail and are roughly as flat. Unfortunately for the full marathon it is a double out-and-back, which must be boring, although the course record is something like 2:41.
For those out-of-towners, Fredericton is a quiet city that is nice for a relaxing weekend. If you know where to stop, the food is good. And if the sun is shining, there are lots of sights to see.
I recommend this race to anyone looking for a smallish group but fast course. The event management is getting better every single year. I hope to see a lot of Maniacs on May 14, which happens to be my birthday!
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