Mississauga Marathon drops 42-kilometre race, moves to half-marathon format
Published January 4, 2023 at 4:13 pm
Under new ownership, the marathon, now rebranded the Mississauga Half, will be held on Sunday, April 30.
The main event will be the 21-kilometre half marathon, which replaces the 42-kilometre run that had headlined race weekend since the marathon’s inception in 2004.
With registration for the full marathon dropping dramatically in recent years–from pre-pandemic numbers of 1,000 entrants to fewer than 500 in the 2022 race, according to Canadian Running magazine–the decision was made to give the event a facelift and focus on the half marathon, which has always been the weekend’s most popular run.
The race will offer a new-look course, which will begin and end at Celebration Square in the downtown core, and a $5,000 prize purse.
After the Celebration Square start, half marathon participants will continue along a scenic route taking them over the Credit River, through the University of Toronto Mississauga campus and then back to the downtown core.
“The award-winning Marilyn Monroe buildings will be in your sights for the final kilometres,” organizers say on the Mississauga Half website.
One former Mississauga Marathon participant said on social media site Reddit that they welcome the move to only the half marathon.
“The Mississauga full marathon was a bad course, in my opinion, especially after turning around at Winston Churchill (Blvd.) and Lakeshore (Rd.). The half, with its net downhill, though, is awesome.”
The revamped race weekend will also offer 10-kilometre and five-kilometre runs. The half marathon takes place April 30 starting at 7:30 a.m. with the 10K event taking to the streets at the same time.
The 5K event is slated to begin at 7:20 a.m. the same day.
April 28 and 29 will serve as race kit pickup days in advance of the Sunday runs.
Mississauga Half organizers say they’re building on the success of the past two decades in looking forward to the next 20 years.
“The Mississauga Half event weekend has taken on a new and enhanced look and feel, and in 2023 the runner experience will be second to none,” organizers say on the event website. “With a half marathon, 10K and 5K, we offer a race for every age and ability.”
Some past Mississauga Marathon participants suggest the decline in full-marathon registration is due, in part, to the event being staged on the same day as or a week apart from the nearby Toronto Marathon.
Registration for the 2023 Mississauga Half Marathon is now open.