The 2023 Servus Calgary Marathon is revamping its course routes and finish line area!
After months of careful planning, rerouting and mapping, a new plan has been put in place. Due to construction in and around Stampede Park, the Servus Calgary Marathon team had to revisit their venue layout for 2023. This also gave them the opportunity to create a more enhanced post-race festival atmosphere that provides participants and spectators with a fun and relaxing environment after the races.
All races will start near GMC Stadium in Stampede Park as they have in recent years; however, new this year, participants will now finish in Enmax Park.
Enmax Park is a grassy greenway along the Elbow River, with paved paths that are popular for walking, cycling & running. You may recognize Enmax Park as the home of the historic Elbow River Camp where 26 tipis are set up during the Calgary Stampede.
All race routes will leave GMC Stadium and head east through Enmax Park and through Ramsay. This will change the first 2.5 kilometres of all race routes. Similarly, all of the routes will return along 9 Avenue S.E. and enter Enmax Park from the north, heading south across the finish line. The rest of the 10-kilometre, 21.1-kilometre, 42.2-kilometre and 50-kilometre course routes will largely remain the same as in 2022; however, the 5-kilometre route will be entirely new this year.
“The Run Calgary team is really excited to showcase what we feel is one of Calgary’s hidden gems. Enmax Park is stunning! We hope that this change will allow participants to celebrate their achievement with their friends and family, creating great memories that will inspire spectators to join us in future years.”
Jon Bird, Run Calgary Interim Executive Director.
All maps for these new course routes can be found on the Servus Calgary Marathon website and are available for download in multiple formats.
The reimagined Post-Race Festival will include a number of amenities such as food trucks, a beer garden, and entertainment from the legendary DJ Joanna Magik. There will also be multiple areas for participants to relax, including a Massage Heights Massage Area, GoodLife Stretch Area, and Recovery Lounges by both XACT Nutrition and Air Relax. Participants and spectators can snap some pics at one of the photo wall areas, cheer on award winners, or take advantage of the expansive grass-covered areas for some post-race lounging.
Recently, Servus Calgary Marathon announced the addition of three new family inclusivity amenities: On-Site Kids Camp in partnership with SOGO Adventure Running, deferrals for pregnant or postpartum individuals, and infant feeding stations. It has been confirmed that there will be one infant feeding station at the start line area, two stations on-course, and one station within the new Post-Race Festival area. The Run Calgary team feels that if running can provide a space for women and families that’s inclusive, supportive and safe, perhaps it can influence society at large as well.
With so many positive changes happening at the Servus Calgary Marathon this year, it’s definitely a race worth checking out!
Head to www.calgarymarathon.com to learn more about how you can participate in one of six race distances or volunteer on race weekend.
