Marathon Beneva de Montreal

Location: Montreal
Country: Canada
Website: https://couronsmtl.com/en/marathon-beneva/home/
2025 Marathon Date: 21/09/25
2026 Marathon Date: 11/10/26
Winning Time 2025: 02:18:12
% Sub-3s: 2–5%
# Sub-3s: 100–499
Total Runners: 3k–10k

The Marathon Beneva de Montréal is the premier road race in Quebec, staged in one of Canada’s most vibrant cities. It combines a large-scale city marathon atmosphere with a course that balances fast sections against stretches that require careful pacing and concentration.

The route is a certified road marathon, beginning and ending in central Montreal and making use of the city’s island setting. Runners experience a mix of wide boulevards, bridges and neighbourhood streets. The profile is generally flat with some inclines, particularly on the approaches to bridges, which can test pacing if attacked too hard. For sub-3 athletes, the strategy is to stay calm through the early city miles, conserve energy on the bridge climbs, and use the long flat stretches to maintain rhythm and economy.

Crowd support is strong in the downtown sections and along key bridges, creating an atmosphere that reflects Montreal’s multicultural character. Organisation is professional and designed to handle a field of several thousand, with aid stations placed consistently throughout the course.

For sub-3 runners, Montréal offers a fair and balanced opportunity. It is not the absolute fastest in North America, but its profile and scale mean a well-prepared athlete can deliver a confident performance. Combined with the appeal of the host city, it makes for a race that balances challenge, atmosphere and the potential for speed.