Races in Canada

How can you sum up 10 million square kilometers in about ten lines? Not easy! Canada 🍁 is in fact the second-largest country in the world, after Russia. Its maple leaf is a symbol you can recognize anywhere. By the way, why the maple leaf? Quite simply because the tree—and its many species—are extremely widespread in Canada. You can also enjoy a wonderful maple sugar syrup as soon as you arrive in Toronto or Montréal. Do it like Jacques Cartier ⛵️ and head for the New World. In the 15th century, the French navigator 🇫🇷 was on the trail of this legendary land and first discovered Newfoundland, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Magdalen Islands and Prince Edward Island—so many places to discover if you cross the Atlantic. The Gulf of St. Lawrence has the largest estuary in the world; the Loire will seem very slim after seeing the St. Lawrence River, which flows toward the cities of Québec and Montréal, both still French-speaking. Careful if you go traveling—you might feel like settling down. With only 38 million inhabitants across such a vast territory, there’s room! Québec is one of Canada’s 10 provinces. Yours to discover: its immense forests 🌲 and the banks of the St. Lawrence... In Ontario, the cities of Niagara Falls, Toronto or Ottawa are worth a visit. The famous Niagara Falls are a must-stop on your road map, right?!... Careful ⚠️: Ottawa is indeed the capital of Canada, not Toronto. The latter is still an awesome megacity to visit—you’ll meet people from all over the world 🌍! In the land of marmots, another symbol of the country, there’s no time to fall asleep! Among the other standout provinces, let’s mention Newfoundland and Labrador, a windy, wild land edged with icebergs 🥶... The Province of Alberta, for its part, is the land of great glacial lakes and has seen many mountains bloom here and there with snow-capped peaks. The national parks of Banff and Jasper, linked by the legendary Icefields Parkway, make for great stops. The animals you’ll come across are legion—and legendary for some: Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, antelopes, cougars 🐅, rattlesnakes 🐍, hummingbirds... We did talk about a change of scenery, didn’t we?! Three oceans surround Canada; after the plains, the lakes, the forests 🌲 and the mountains ⛰, you’ll be able to rest by the sea, in the east or the west. Why not on the beaches of British Columbia facing the Pacific? Vancouver, a film city, is just waiting for your talent. The city is renowned for its quality of life. Lastly, let’s mention the Province of Yukon, where you can enjoy the midnight sun in summer ☀️ and the Northern Lights in winter 🌅 ... Nature is incredibly beautiful once again in this far-flung corner of the world located in the west of the country, bordering Alaska, a U.S. territory 🇺🇸.

Phew 😅. So there will be plenty of choice for running in Canada with all these beautiful, vast territories... To clear the ground, here’s the race calendar in Canada: Trail, walking, half marathon or marathon... Let’s start with a city race, and not the least fascinating: the Vancouver Marathon, which offers several race formats, including a marathon relay. In the east, the country’s flagship event, the Ottawa Marathon, is accessible to the whole family, with in particular a kids and juniors course and short distances, in addition to the classic half marathon and marathon. A perfect way to combine a family vacation and running! In Québec, the aptly named Chute Du Diable is a trail race with multiple landscapes: you’ll run in the forest, along the banks of the St. Lawrence, in the mountains—and all of it for an event that counts toward the UTMB® World Series! Distances to choose from: short trail, long trail and ultra trail... For such a wild country, we have to mention one of the toughest events in the world: the Yukon Arctic Ultra trail. Run in the cold 🥶, sometimes at -30 degrees, and over crazy distances, it’s a rendezvous for the tough ones! How many multi-day events do you know that offer routes of more than 600 kilometers self-supported? For the tough ones, we said... More accessible, the Toronto Marathon has even thought of walkers, with an city event that lets you enjoy the magnificent setting of the country’s largest city and its exceptional landmarks.

Hang on to your tuque means "be ready" in Québécois...