The Stewart McKelvey Fredericton Marathon Race Weekend will take over the trails and roads of central Fredericton on May 9 and 10, 2026.
The event is kicking off its 48th year by changing up some event starting places and modifying the 10K route.
Race co-director Bruce Macfarlane said the changes help to spread out the number of participants.
“What we’ve been seeing over the years is, more and more people have been signing up for our race. We can only put so many people on our trail system to make it comfortable, so Christine and I decided, ‘let’s change this route so we can have all the participants spread out so they have a very positive experience,'” said Macfarlane.
Fellow race co-director Christine Little said registration numbers are trending upwards in comparison to last year.
“We are up 20 percent from this time last year and we currently have 3100 registered participants,” said Little.
Macfarlane explained that in their 2025 marathon, they had just over 3200 runners, but with more than a week until this year’s race, he expects that number to climb.
“A lot of people look at the weather for the small events, so there’s traditionally a lot of last-minute registrations, and we’re seeing that at other races as well,” said Marfarlane.
70 percent of participants come from outside the Fredericton region, according to Macfarlane.
The course’s popularity is partially in thanks to being a Boston Marathon-qualifying race, having been named the Best Boston Qualifier by Canadian Running Magazine.
“We certainly let folks know that Fredericton is a Boston qualifier, and with it being a flat and fast course, it’s one to have a great time to be able to qualify for [Boston],” said Little.
She added that those who run in the race tell their fellow runners of their success at Fredericton, which could be why more are signing up annually.
Macfarlane believes that the weekend will see its highest number of participants in the Marathon division alone, besides the many other events taking place.
The two-day event features a youth fun run as well as both an elite and open 5K race on Saturday, May 9, 2026, all of which will start downtown at Officer’s Square. The sold-out elite event begins at 8 a.m., the open event begins at 8:30 a.m., and the youth event begins at 10 a.m.
On Sunday, May 10, 2026, at Queen’s Square, the 42.2K (Full Marathon) kicks off early at 7 a.m., followed soon after by the 21.1K (Half Marathon) at 7:20 a.m., and lastly the 10K at 8:15 a.m.
“We’re starting to see high numbers [in these races]. I think we’re working with a good recipe and we are constantly trying to bake the best product,” said Macfarlane. “It’s great to have an amazing partner like the City of Fredericton.”
The co-directors have exciting ideas for the 50th anniversary of the marathon, but will keep the details a secret until then.
The race is fully volunteer-ran — no pun intended — and they are still looking for volunteers in the form of trail crossing guards.
Information about the race, pricing, registration availability, where to pick up race kits, or where to volunteer is all available via the Fredericton Marathon website.
