BMO Nesbitt Burns PEI Marathon October 16-17, 2004
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Prince Edward Island Marathon - A Boston Marathon Qualifying Event

Course Info
 

The Guardian Marathon
click map to view
Marathon Map		 Register for
The Guardian Marathon

The Marathon starts at beautiful Brackley Beach in the famous Prince Edward Island National Park on the north shore of Prince Edward Island. The start line is on the west side of the Brackley Beach change facilities, and marathoners proceed to the east along the Gulf Shore Parkway towards Dalvay. The first 4 kilometers are flat (at 2 metres above sea level) and follow the north shore coastline. Marathoners will enjoy views of the famous Prince Edward Island National Park sand dunes and beaches and hear the crash of waves along the north shore. To the south, there will be views of Brackley and Covehead Bays. A breathtaking view of the Stanhope lighthouse and miles of sand dunes and white sandy beaches greet you as you reach the top of the bridge. Deep sea fishing boats are often seen passing under the bridge, accessing the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Continuing on, you will likely see glimpses of the many foxes that populate the National Park, as the course rises gradually to an elevation of 6 metres above sea level (masl) at the 8 km mark. Just after the 10 km, runners turn south, around Dalvay Lake, with a breathtaking view of Dalvay-by-the-Sea Hotel, originally a home built in 1895 by Alexander McDonald, a wealthy businessman and one time president of Standard Oil Company with John D. Rockefeller.

Marathoners say goodbye to the Prince Edward Island National Park at 12 kilometers and head inland on Highway 6, traveling south into the community of Grand Tracadie. The course climbs to an elevation of approximately 20 masl by the 13.5 km, and then declines to 2 masl, at the 16 km mark. Runners cross the bridge over the Winter River in the community of Corran Ban. Look to the left as you cross the bridge and notice the lines of buoys marking the mussel farming in the Bay. You are also likely to see a number of Great Blue Herons fishing in the Bay. The next 5 km travel inland along Highway 6 toward Mill Cove. This portion of the course runs through rolling agricultural land and into the community of Bedford Station, the halfway point of the  Marathon. Elevations climb as high as 34 masl, dropping back to 28 masl at the half-way mark.

At this point runners turn right onto the Confederation Trail (former railway bed converted to Island-wide trail system). The Confederation Trail is a well maintained fine gravel trail - basically flat with some long gradual grades. Over the next 12.5 km, runners will enjoy the quiet scenery and fall colours as they wind their way through mixed forest and agricultural fields.

The first section of trail is 3.8 km in length and takes runners to Suffolk Station. As the runners progress across Highway 222, they pass just south of one of the three well fields (in the Winter River Watershed) that provide the City of Charlottetown with its water. This section of Trail has a gradual grade from 28 masl to 50 masl (at 24.6 km).

Another 3.75 km of trail, takes the runner to Highway 25 in York, a community well known by gardeners worldwide as the home of Veseys Seeds. Look to the left at approximately 26 kilometers to see a farm field full of hundreds of bright orange pumpkins ready to be picked for Halloween. This section is level to slightly downhill, dropping from 50 masl to 40 masl as we cross Highway 25 in York (at approximately 28.5 km).

Continuing on the Confederation Trail another 2.8 km takes us to Union Road, just south of the second well field (Union) that supplies water to the City of Charlottetown, and just north of the Charlottetown Airport. Over this section, elevations drop from 40 masl to 30 masl and then climb again to 37 masl.

The final section of trail is 2.2 km long, taking us to approximately the 34 km mark, where we leave the Confederation Trail and turn left in front of the corporate headquarters of the world's finest cookware, Paderno, heading south onto the paved highway (Higway 15 - Brackley Point Road - Elevation = 50 masl). Runners head south 1.45 km and then turn right on to Sherwood Road (1.6 km) with a quick down hill (56 masl to 28 masl) followed by a climb back up to 38 masl as we head towards the intersection with Highway 2.

A left onto Hwy 2 and the runners are looking straight in to the finish of the marathon (however, its still another 5.5 km!). The portion of the course on Hwy 2 is downhill, across the By-Pass Highway (to 6 masl) and up hill to the point where Hwy 2 joins University Avenue by the Charlottetown Mall (24 masl). Another downhill (to 10 masl) and uphill (to 26 masl) takes us past the University of Prince Edward Island.

We cross Belvedere Avenue and pass the Experimental Farm property on your left. As runners pass the CBC building there is only one mile left. Its down to 1 km when we pass Pond Street.

After crossing Euston Street, runners get a spectacular view of the War Memorial, Province House and the Confederation Centre of the Arts -- and of course the finish line! The streets will be crowded with cheering spectators, but even better, we see the last 350 metres of the marathon, with the grand finish line at the south end of University Avenue.

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 Half Marathon
(Run & Walk)
click map to view
Marathon Map

Register for the
Stewart McKelvey
Half-Marathon
or the
Stepping Out
Half-Marathon Walk
or the
Nordic Walk Half Marathon

The Half-Marathon is a looped course, starting and finishing at the Confederation Centre of the Arts on Grafton Street.  (Please note that the first portion of the Half-Marathon Course is the same as the 10K course).  After starting the Half Marathon, participants head west along Grafton Street (~0.54 km) and then turn right onto West Street (~0.11 km).  After a quick left onto Kent Street (~0.14 km), the runners enter Victoria Park.  Runners follow the Park Road (~1.24 km) along Charlottetown Harbour with views across the Harbour to Stratford and Rocky Point and across the North River to York Point.  After exiting the Park, runners proceed onto Queen Elizabeth Drive (~0.95 km) and follow the shore of the North River through the distinguished Charlottetown neighbourhood of Brighton.  Next is a right turn onto Charlotte Drive (~0.33 km) and a left onto Edinburg Drive (~0.49 km).  Another left brings the runners onto Brittany Drive (~0.50 km), where they continue to hug the shore of the North River.  Next is a right onto Maplewood Crescent (~0.05 km), and a quick left onto Moreau Drive (~0.19 km).  This is followed by a quick left onto Spruce Street (~0.09 km). The runners then turn right on to Queen Elizabeth Drive Extension (~0.21 km), where they proceed inland and uphill, crossing North River Road onto Belvedere Avenue (~0.84 km).  After crossing University Avenue (still on Belvedere Avenue ~0.23 km), the runners enter the University of Prince Edward Island campus and pick up the Confederation Trail.

Runners follow the Confederation Trail past the Charlottetown Mall, and will exit the trail (after ~2.4 km) onto Mount Edward Road just above the Charlottetown Bypass Road.  Runners follow Mount Edward Road (~ 0.10 km) in order to cross the Bypass Road (Please be careful at this intersection).  After crossing the Bypass Road, runners rejoin the trail and run ~0.45 km before crossing MacAleer Drive.  It is another ~0.65 km on the trail before crossing Sherwood Road.  The last section of trail is ~1.75 km, at which point the runners turn right onto Royalty Junction Road.  There is a dirt road section of Royalty Junction Road (~0.3 km) before the runners transition back onto asphalt. Runners follow the paved portion of Royalty Junction Road (~0.85 km) to its end at Brackley Point Road.  At this point, the runners turn right and join the Full-Marathon course.  Heading  south back towards the City, the runners proceed ~1.45 km along Brackley Point Road before turning  right on to Sherwood Road (~1.6 km) with a quick down hill  and then a climb back up towards the intersection of the Sherwood Road and Hwy 2. 

A left onto Hwy 2 and the runners are looking straight into the finish line (however, its still another 5.5 km!).  The portion of the course on Hwy 2 is downhill, across the By-Pass Highway (~ 0.9 km) and up hill to the point where Hwy 2 joins University Avenue by the Charlottetown Mall (~0.7 km).  The course takes the runners past the University of Prince Edward Island again (~1.8 km), where the runners then cross Belvedere Avenue and pass the Experimental Farm property on their left.  As the runners go by the CBC building (~0.6 km on the left), they have only one mile left, and it is down to the last 1 km when they pass Pond Street.

After crossing Euston Street, runners have a wonderful view of the War Memorial, Province House, the Confederation Centre of the Arts.  But better yet, they have a view of the last ~0.35 km of the race, with the finish line at the bottom of University Avenue.

Half-Marathon Course Elevations -The elevation at the start of the Half-Marathon course is 10 masl (metres above sea level), and the elevation of the first 4.7K of the course is all below 10 masl.  As the runners turn onto Queen Elizabeth Drive Extension, they climb to 24 masl, approximately halfway along Belvedere Avenue.  The course dips back down to 18 masl at the entrance to the Confederation Trail.  The portion on the course on the Confederation Trail is a gradual incline (being the former rail bed).  Runners climb from 18 masl to 50 masl at the end of the trail portion of the course.  The gradual climb continues as the runners turn onto Royalty Junction Road and Brackley Point Road, where they hit the highest elevation on the course (56 masl) close to the entrance to the Charlottetown Airport.  On Sherwood Road, there is a downhill section (56 masl to 28 masl) and a climb back to 38 masl. On Hwy 2, runners drop down from 38 masl to 8 masl, before climbing back to 22 masl at the entrance to the Charlottetown Mall.  One more hill to go!  A downhill section (to 10 masl) occurs just before UPEI, and then back up to 27 masl beside the University Campus.  From here, it is all downhill, dropping from 27 masl to 10 masl at the finish line at the bottom of University Avenue.


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10K Race (Run & Walk)
click map to view
Marathon Map

 Register for the
Confederation Bridge 10K Run
or the
Stepping Out 10K Walk
or the
Nordic Walk 10K

The 10K is a looped course, starting and finishing at the Confederation Centre on Grafton Street.  The 10K race starts in front of the Confederation Centre on Grafton Street, and runners head west along Grafton Street (~0.54 km), turning right onto West Street (~0.11 km).  After a quick left onto Kent Street (~0.14 km), the runners enter Victoria Park.  Runners follow the Park Road (~1.24 km) along Charlottetown Harbour with views across the Harbour to Stratford and Rocky Point and across the North River to York Point.  After exiting the Park, runners proceed onto Queen Elizabeth Drive (~0.95 km) and follow the shore of the North River through the distinguished Charlottetown neighbourhood of Brighton.  Next is a right turn onto Charlotte Drive (~0.33 km) and a left onto Edinburg Drive (~0.49 km).  Another left brings the runners onto Brittany Drive (~0.50 km), where they continue to hug the shore of the North River.  Next is a right onto Maplewood Crescent (~0.05 km), and a quick left onto Moreau Drive (~0.19 km).  This is followed by a quick left onto Spruce Street (~0.09 km). The runners then turn right on to Queen Elizabeth Drive Extension (~0.21 km), where they proceed inland and uphill, crossing North River Road onto Belvedere Ave (~0.84 km).  After crossing University Avenue (still on Belvedere Avenue ~0.23 km), the runners turn left at the entrance to the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI).  The 10K runners follow the loop road (~1.34 km) that circles the UPEI campus, after which they exit onto University Ave (left turn).  From here, it is straight down University Avenue (~2.75 km) to the finish just before the Confederation Centre on Grafton Street.

10K Course Elevations - The elevation at the start of the 10K course is 10 masl (metres above sea level), and the elevation of the first 4.7K of the course is all below 10 masl.  As the runners turn onto Queen Elizabeth Drive Extension, they climb to 24 masl, approximately halfway along Belvedere Avenue.  The course dips back down to 18 masl at the entrance to UPEI and then climbs to 27 masl through the UPEI campus.  Over the last 2.7K of the race (on University Avenue), the elevation drops from 27 masl to 10 masl at the finish line.

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   Aid Stations

Course amenities such as water, Gatorade, nutrition, sponges, medical aid and toilets will be available at various aid stations managed by our many volunteers throughout the course.

Marathon

  • Water: 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12, 15, 17.5, 21.2, 25, 28.5, 31.5, 34, 35.5, 37.5, 40K
  • Gatorade: on all stops from 7.5K (inclusive) to the end
  • Bananas/oranges: 17.5, 35.5K
  • Sponges: 21.2, 35.5K
  • Power Gels: 21.2, 35.5K
  • Toilets: Start, 5, 10, 15, 21.2, 25, 31.5, 34, 35.5, 37.5, 40K and finish

Half Marathon (Run & Walk)

  • Water: 3, 6, 9, 13, 14.5, 16.5, 19K
  • Gatorade: All stops
  • Bananas/oranges: 14.5K
  • Sponges: 14.5K
  • Power Gels: 14.5K
  • Toilets: Start, 6, 9, 13, 14.5, 16.5, 19K and finish

10K (Run and Walk)

  • Water: 3, 6, 9K
  • Toilets: Start, 6, 9K and finish

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Not Just An Event. An Experience.