When New Brunswick’s Amanda Sirois tells her friends she is training for the Olympic marathon, she says their jaws drop. Although her times are more than an hour slower than the women’s Olympic standard, Sirois and two running friends are among the 20,000 runners who have earned a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to race in the inaugural Marathon Pour Tous (Marathon for Everyone) at the Paris Olympics.
The Marathon Pour Tous is a mass event, the first of its kind, to be run in conjunction with the men’s and women’s official marathon races at the Olympics. A total of 20,024 runners earned their spots in the marathon and the 10K by beating Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge’s time in a 5K or by completing various running challenges over the past two years through the Marathon Pour Tous Paris 2024 app. The race will follow the same route as the Olympic marathon, and will take place the night before the women’s marathon on Aug. 10. Unlike the Olympic marathon (where medals are only awarded to the top three), each finisher will receive a medal that signifies the Games and the first-of-its-kind race.
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Sirois, who participated in an exchange trip to France years ago, has longed to return to the city she fell in love with, and the Marathon Pour Tous provided that chance. She completed more than 60 running-based challenges on the Marathon Pour Tous app and persuaded her longtime running friends Colin McQuade and Alison Monaghan to join her.
“When people find out what I’m training for, they get really excited for me,” says Sirois. “I feel some pressure, but I want to take everything in and see all the light shows and monuments on the course.”
Unlike most marathons, the Marathon Pour Tous begins at night, to avoid the high summer temperatures. The men’s Olympic marathon will take place on the morning of Aug. 10, followed by the mass event in the evening, with the women’s Olympic race taking place the following morning.
McQuade, a seasoned marathoner and founder of the Greater Moncton Running Club, has been running two marathons a year for the past decade. “One thing I loved about this race is that registration was free; it’s very inclusive,” says McQuade. “I couldn’t believe it. What do you mean you don’t have to pay to get in?”
The 48-year-old from Riverview, N.B., has been to five of the six marathon majors, but tells Canadian Running that this race is the biggest. “I would love to aim for 2:55 here, but the main goal is to cross the finish line knowing I gave it my best and to be proud,” he adds.
Sirois, who now lives in Whitby, Ont., but hails from Riverview, shares McQuade’s excitement. “I feel like those little kids holding hands with the big soccer pros,” she says. “I’m not an Olympian, but I’m so happy to be there.”
Monaghan, who lives in Oro, Ont., has also run five of the six major marathons and sees this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “Amanda and I have been doing marathons together for over a decade,” she says. “It’s motivating to have something connected to the Olympics. I hope all Olympics offer this opportunity to recreational runners. ”
While the Canadian Olympic marathon team of Cam Levins, Rory Linkletter and Malindi Elmore prepare for their big day in Paris, Sirois, Monaghan, and McQuade are three of 100-plus Canadian runners heading to the French capital with their sights set on the same start line. For those fortunate enough to earn a bib, this race is more than just a marathon; it’s a celebration of Paris and the Olympic Games, offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for everyday runners to race on the same course as the world’s best.
