Did you know you can run a marathon in a fortified city in Canada? In fact, it’s the only fortified city in North America and it’s in la belle province. Nestled in between the Laurentian Mountains to the north and the Adirondack Mountains to the south, Québec City sits in a valley that offers a glorious, new race course. However, to truly enjoy the Marathon SSQ de Québec, October 11-13, 2019, there are a few important things that you need to do:
- You need to love the dazzling colours of autumn—with 2019’s new date, it’s prime season to run amongst the changing of colours of autumn.
- You need to love the new pre-race SSQ Grand Fit+Yoga session, with DJ sounds, and also serving DavidsTea and ClifBar nutrition.
- You need to love history—Québec City is 400 years old, and that’s only the history of European settlers. The name Québec (kébec) derives from an Algonquin word for “where the river narrows.”
- You need to love architecture—from Georgian to Victorian to International Style, see if you notice the transition between the styles as you stroll through this walkable city.
- You need to appreciate UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which basically is the entire District of Vieux Québec.
- You need to love running past historic sites, such as the battlefield between the English and the French on the Plains of Abraham, the birthplace of the WWII secret military conference QUADRANT, and one of the oldest houses in Old Québec, Aux Anciens Canadiens that is also one of the long standing restaurants serving traditional French-Canadian fare.
- You need an appreciation for art…where the old is juxtaposed with the new in the Quartier Petit Champlain.
- You will appreciate the words of encouragement in French with splatterings of “Let’s Go!,” en anglais.
- Your friends/family members will need to have a penchant for tantalizing restaurants, chic boutiques and historical monuments as they wait for you to past. They can dance to DJ tunes in Limoilou, grab a healthy smoothie in Saint-Roch, or taste test some fine teas in Maguire. Supporters can also track runners using the new app RTRT.me.
- You must appreciate the glorious start and finish area, in the heart of the new city for easy access to your hotel, and cafes/restaurants. Patrizio & Co., offers a Table D’Hôte du Coureur for participants.
- You gotta love the new party site at Place George-V and Parc de la Francophone, with post-race beer, DJ music, and smiling volunteers.
Of course, you don’t HAVE to love all of these things, but all of them are yours to discover and enjoy at one of the premiere races in not just Canada, but in the whole world.
If you have check off any of the above, then the Marathon SSQ de Québec, Half Marathon, 10K/5K and kid’s race, is for you and your family. See you there.
