Online registrations for the second annual RunWild Leading Edge Marathon closed Thursday with 1,539 entries processed for the May 6 competition in St. Albert.
The breakdown includes 102 marathon runners, 477 in the half-marathon, 391 in the 10-kilometre walk/run, 262 in the five-km walk/run and 307 in the WildOnes Marafun.
Last year’s total of 1,650 registrants featured 153 marathoners.
The RunWild starting line is in front of St. Albert Place. The 42-km marathon begins at 7 a.m., followed by the 21.1-km half marathon at 7:30 a.m., the 10 km at 7:45 a.m. and the five km at 8 a.m.
The WildOnes Marafun starts at 11:30 a.m. from the airplane display on Taché Street.
The streets of St. Albert and the Red Willow trail system make up the various race routes. Visit www.RunWild.ca for the course maps.
The finish area is located on Taché Street and the post-race Celebration Village is at Lions Park.
Marc Meunier, the Paul Kane High School athletic director and defending marathon champion, is the pre-race favourite after winning last year’s event in two hours, 58 minutes and 21 seconds.
The RunWild is hosted by Leading Edge Physiotherapy. All proceeds will benefit the St. Albert Senior Citizens’ Club and the Zebra Child Protection Centre.
Members of the St. Albert Masters Swim Club made a big slash at provincials recently at the Kinsmen Aquatic Centre in Edmonton.
Mercedes Garcia, Cathy Schneider, Deb Bancarz, Catherine Roberts, May Ann Cuvilier, Annalee Woollam, Rob Clarke, Steve Hill, Neil Martindale, Bruce Hoddinott, Hugh Woollam and Richard Roberts combined for 19 first-place finishes.
Of the 48 records broken at the meet by swimmers from Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan, Richard Roberts established seven new standards and Bancarz and Catherine Roberts each set two new times.
A number of St. Albert swimmers will compete at nationals next month in Kelowna.
Worlds are in Riccione, Italy in June.
