2023 P.E.I. Marathon will follow Charlottetown-only route introduced last year

This year'sP.E.I. Marathon will follow theCharlottetown-only route that debuted last year after post-tropical storm Fiona forced organizers to abandon the usual course.

Myrtle Jenkins-Smith,race director for the 19th annual marathon, saidthe decision needed to be made so runners couldhave enough time to register and prepare.

"When you're training for a marathon, you know, it's almost a year of intense training," she said. "People want to know that now, and that's fair."

After Fionahit the IslandinSeptember,damageto the start line at P.E.I. National Parkforced organizers to set up an alternative route just three weeks before marathon day.

Instead of the old route, which ran from the north shore and down to Charlottetown, the new coursestarts and ends in the capital city including two large loops around different neighbourhoods.

To be considered a qualifier for the prestigious Boston Marathon, the route must meet a number of criteria including being the officialmarathon length of 26.2 miles (just over 42 kilometres).

The work that organizersput in to get the race Boston-certified influenced them to keep the double-looped route this year.

'A destination run'

Jenkins-Smith said people come to the Island from different parts of the world to race, so the sooner they know the details, the better.

"We are considered a destination run.... That's why they want to know what kind of course that they actually [will] be running on," she said.

Organizers receive feedback from runners every year, and Jenkins-Smith said the opinions of competitors accustomed to the north shore route were considered.

"There's people that really do not like that trail, and there's people that have asked for change because they've done it for 18 years, 17 years," she said.

"So, you know, you look at that whole mix, and we want people to keep coming back."

Jenkins-Smith said P.E.I. hadbeen considered a "fast flat" with its lack of hills, but organizers have been able to find ways to add "sneaky inclines" into the new route.

She said officials are prepared to look at whichever course will be the right one for the marathon's 20th anniversary next year and notes that either the old or new route will be Boston-certified.

The P.E.I. Marathon weekend runs Oct. 13-15.