Thousands of runners to converge on downtown Montreal this weekend

For the first time since the city began hosting a marathon 28 years ago, downtown will serve as the start and finish line for 25,000 runners who are expected at the Oasis International Marathon de Montréal this weekend.
The new venue for the two-day event, which features a half-marathon and 10-kilometre, five-kilometre and one-kilometre races along with the 42.2 kilometre distance, is part of what its new organizer calls a fresh direction aimed at bringing the races closer to spectators.