FAQ

Confirmation of your race entry will be e-mailed to you once payment has been processed. Printed confirmation or photo id is required at the race package pick-up. If you have not received the email after 20 minutes of registering, please check your junk mail folders as it may not have gone through depending on your spam folder settings.

Yes. The Scotiabank Calgary Marathon is a registered AIMS Marathon, certified by Athletics Canada - which makes it a Boston Qualifier.

For more details on qualifying visit www.bostonmarathon.com

Roughly 12,000.

Yes.

Scotiabank Calgary Full Marathon - participants must be 16 years of age or older on race day.

Centaur Subaru Half Marathon - participants must be 14 years of age or older on race day.

Scotiabank Kids Marathon - participants must be a minimum of 4 years old on race day and up to the age of 12 year of age.

42.195 kilometres or 26.2 miles.

21.0975 kilometres or 13.1 miles.

You can pick up your race package, which will have everything you need and more at the Health and Wellness Expo. Bring your friends and family members with you as there will be plenty to see, and its FREE!

Where: 

The Big Four, Stampede Park
1410 Olympic Way SE, Calgary, AB T2G 2W1

?When:

Thursday, May 24th: 4 - 8 p.m.

Friday, May 25th: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Saturday, May 26th: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

*Printed confirmation or picture ID is required for package pick-up.

Please refer to the Races section to find your race's map

All 50K, marathon, half marathon 10k and 5k participants will receive a technical shirt (short sleeve for all distances). Kid's marathon participants will receive a top quality cotton shirt.

If your shirt size that you requested when you registered does not fit there will be an opportunity to exchange your shirt inside the Grandstand on race morning from 6am-noon.

No. You may not sell, transfer or give your bib to another person. This policy applies to all race participants and is in effect whether you are injured, have an unexpected family/business emergency, have a medical emergency, etc. There are NO exceptions. If someone runs with your bib and becomes injured or needs medical attention, medical professionals will not have their correct medical history and emergency contacts on hand. CMS reserves the right to ban participants who sell a bib/run with a bib that is not their's from all future race participation. 

Yes, as long as your desired race distance is not sold out you can upgrade or downgrade your distance prior to the race.

Costs are as follows:

Upgrading: 

The different between your original category and the one you are upgrading to + a $10.00 processing fee.

Downgrading: 

$10 processing fee.

Absolutely. The Calgary Marathon Society is proud to feature the Scotiabank Group Charity Challenge. Please visit the Charity section for details on how to fundraise. The fundraising total for 2017 was $969,141

The Calgary Marathon Society is a not-for-profit organization. There is a cost to put on a world-class event and the majority of those costs are directly related to number of participants. The registration fees collected are used for operational costs like timing services, insurance, road use fees, tent rentals, portable toilets, medals, t-shirts and much more. If for some reason you can’t participate, your registration fees will be put to good use so we don’t offer refunds or registration rollovers to a future year. There are no exceptions. 

DOWNLOAD THE T-SHIRT SIZING CHART HERE

Please note: The Scotiabank Calgary Marathon is not a bike course and safety of all participants is paramount. With rolling road closures and tight corners, handcyclists will only be permitted to participate recreationally in the 5K and 10K distances

Athletes using a push rim wheelchair will be allowed to race competitively in all distances. Racing wheelchair results have their own category. Absolutely no handcycles will be allowed in the race (competitive) category for any distance.

Participation is at sole discretion of the Calgary Marathon and omission of any steps will result in disqualification and removal of bib.

If you are participating in any event using a mobility device of any kind:

• Register as a participant who will be using a wheelchair (it’s a mandatory question when you register) by May 1st at calgarymarathon.com
• You will be contacted by CMS staff to confirm your mobility device and to review rules for participation no later then May 5th
• When you pick up your package, your bib will have a special sticker on it
• Be at the start line 30 mins before your race distance starts to check all equipment and listen to any last minute instructions. Please note: anyone missing briefing will not be allowed to start the race.
• Participants in all Wheelchairs will have a 1 min silent start before the runners.

Some things to remember:

• Anyone trying to enter chutes using a handcycle without the appropriate approvals will be removed from the course.
• Participants are not allowed to pass any emergency vehicle doing so will result in an immediate disqualification and no longer allowed to participate in future events
• Participants will stay as safely to the far right of the road as possible to allow others to pass
• Participants will obey and listen to all directions given on course by lead bikes
• Roads are closed on a rolling time schedule as such all intersections must be approached with caution and you may be required to stop

Definitions:

Wheelchair – Traditional push rim wheelchair with 2 wheels identical in size (rear) and two smaller wheels (front casters)

Racing Wheelchair – Has two large wheels (rear) and one small wheel (front).

Handcycles – A three-wheeled cycle propelled by the arms rather than the legs

No, all participants will be provided with a Chronotrack B-Tag when you pick up your race kit at the Expo. It is a single-use, disposable chip that is applied to the back of your race number.

*Do not remove this tag or your time will not be recorded. 

Visit our closures section for a complete list of road closures.

We encourage you to take the LRT to the Victoria Park or Erlton LRT Station. Limited parking is available for a fee at Stampede Park.

All race-day activities will start and finish in Stampede Park. 

The average race-day temperature is a high of 21C (70F) and a low of 7C (45F). Calgary's elevation is 1,040 metres (3,500 feet). 

Local Weather Forecast

Walkers are invited to participate in all events with precautions for the marathon distance. Marathon walkers are asked to start at 7:00 a.m. with marathon runners. Please seed yourself accordingly. The course will be open for 6 1/2 hours where all walkers must be finished thereafter. After 12:30pm, some roads will have to be re-opened and walkers will be moved up to the sidewalks.

The Pace Bunnies provided by the Running Room, will be available for the 50K Ultra, Scotiabank Marathon and Centaur Subaru Half Marathon. Each pacer's goal time will be clearly indicated. At the race start, line up near your pacer, but please do not crowd them - allow room for other runners to pass.

Pace times will be:

50KM Ultra 5:00, 5:30, 6:00

Scotiabank 42.2KM  3:15, 3:30, 3:45, 4:00, 4:15, 4:30, 5:30

Centaur Subaru 21.1KM  1:40, 1:50, 2:00, 2:15, 2:30

Yes, there will be markers each kilometer along the route.

Yes, please reference each course map to see the location of aid stations.

All water stations will provide water, sponges, Ultima, and toilets approximately every 3 km on the marathon course. Honey Stinger Gels will be located at the 12km, 22km and 30km aid-stations on the marathon course and at the 12km aid station on the half marathon.

First Aid on course will be provided by our local Volunteer Ski Patrol. For more information on what they do check out their web site at www.csps.ca.

Please be sure to write your full name, emergency contact information and any allergies or health conditions you have on the back of your race bib.

The race directors strongly ask you not to use these devices for the safety of the runner and the safety of those around them. There is no risk of disqualification for simple use, however, if a runner puts themselves or others at risk through an unsafe act that the Board of Directors determine was caused directly or indirectly through the use of the items in question, the race directors reserve the right to disqualify the runner.

Yes, we will have entertainment stationed throughout the course and at the Start/Finish area. If you are interested in being an entertainer for the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon, please email info@calgarymarathon.com for more information.

• Stampede Park (start/finish)
• East Village
• Bow River Pathway
• Victoria Park (1st ST SW and 11th Ave SW)
• Centre Street Bridge (Memorial Drive)
• Princess Island Pedestrian Overpass (Memorial Drive)
• 14 Street Bridge (Memorial Drive)
• 21 Street NW Pedestrian Overpass (Memorial Drive)

Each race map indicates the best spectator locations. See race maps in the Race Info section.

50K Ultra Marathon - 7:00 am, Sunday May 27th, 2018

Scotiabank Marathon - 7:00 am, Sunday May 27th, 2018

Centaur Subaru Half Marathon - 7:00 am, Sunday May 27th, 2017

Jugo Juice 10K - 7:30 am, Sunday May 27th, 2018

GoodLife Fitness 5K Family Walk & Run - 12:00 pm, Sunday May 27th, 2018

Official photographs will be taken along the course and at the finish line by strategically placed MarathonFoto photographers. To get the best pictures possible, keep your race number uncovered and in clear view at all times. MarathonFoto will then email proofs of your photographs with ordering information within one week after the race. The Scotiabank Calgary Marathon is proud to have MarathonFoto as the official photographer.

All finishers, in every race category will receive a medal.

*Full Marathon and 50K Ultra finishers are the only ones to receive the belt buckle medal.

Post race massages will be available on the second level inside the Grandstand on a first come, first serve basis. Massages begin at 7:30am and can be purchased with your online registration for $15 or purchase on-site for $20.

Chips are now disposable. No need to return them. Please recycle them accordingly.

There is a recommended meeting area inside the Grandstand. We recommend that you choose areas with less traffic to meet your friends/family as the finish line can be very crowded.

Join us in the beer gardens, on-site entertainment, the awards ceremony and a range of interesting vendors. Bring your friends and family members down to celebrate your achievement!

Following the event, race results will be posted on our web site. Chip timing will track your start and finish providing quick and accurate results and all runners must use this system. You will pick up your chip at package pick up. Please note, the chips are disposable and are not required to be returned.

Registration for 2017 is now open! 

Register HERE today!

Register online*

• Fill in your distance and your details, you will be asked if you want to participate in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge - Choose YES
• Choose a charity from the dropdown and set up a user name and password when prompted. Fill in the remainder of the information required and click Continue to Payment at the bottom of the page.

Click the yellow button that has the charity name in it to be redirected to your fundraising page.  Once in your fundraising page you can send out emails to your friends and family to support you!

• To personalize your page, send invitations to donors and more – Click on Check Fundraising Results
• Change Personal Information – Click on Profile tab
• Create or join a team of fundraisers – Click on Team tab

You definitely can. Please follow these three steps to set up your fundraising page.

1. Select the charity you wish to support from the list on the Charity page.
2. Click on "Fundraise" then the "Sign Up" button and enter your information.
3. Here you can choose to fundraise on your own or join a team and fill in your details.

1. Log into your Fundraising Page
2. Click on the Team tab at the top of your page
3. Click on Create a Team, name your team, set up your goals and personalize your page
4. Let all of your team mates know what the name of the team is and they will follow these steps

Please note the team you create is supporting the Charity that you choose when you signed up. 

1. Log into your Fundraising Page
2. Click on the Team tab at the top of your page
3. Click on Join a Team and enter the name of the team

1. Log into your Fundraising Page
2. Click on Check Fundraising Results (top of page)
3. Click on Downloadable Forms (left of page)
4. Click on Email Pledge Form and one will be sent to your email address to print and use for offline donations.

Please ensure all cheques are made out directly to your charity of choice and ensure you have the donors correct email address. Make sure you add the donations to your page so they show up on your page!

1. Log into your Fundraising Page
2. Click on Check Fundraising Results (top of page)
3. Click on Manage Cash or Cheque (left of Page)
4. Enter all of your cash or cheque donations
5. After you have received all donations print out your Results Form (left of page on Downloadable Forms)
6. Send or deliver the form and cheques to the charity directly

If you get injured or for some reason you can not participate in the run, not to worry all of your donations still go to the charity!

1. Select a charity from the list on the left that you wish to support
2. Click on the "Fundraise" button
3. Click on the search icon which will take you to "Find a charity, individual or Team Search"
4. Enter the name of the individual or team here and make your donation!

If you are interested in making a direct donation to the charity itself please click on the "Donate" button located on each charity page.

1. Log into your Fundraising Page
2. Click on Profile tab (Top of Page)

50K runners will start with the marathoners and half marathoners at 7:00 a.m. 

50K Elevation

We are a road race and all 50 km will be on the road.

The 50K will be timed and runners will wear chips. Your 42.2K time will also be recorded

Yes. B.A.A. will accept your marathon time as a official Boston qualifying result

Yes. The 50K Ultra serves as the National 50K Championships. If you met the following elite standards email cheryl@calgarymarathon.com for an invite. 

Sub 3:40 for men

Sub 4:05 for women 

Please note there is no prize money however top male and top female will be crowned national champion and be given a special medal.

There will be signs on course and volunteers telling 50K runners where to loop however 50K runners must pay attention as organizers are not responsible for any 50K runners who don't make the proper loop.

In 2015 50K runners received a 50K Ultra event t-shirt at package pick-up in addition to a belt buckle finishers medal along with bragging rights of completing 50K of course!  

The 50K Ultra is reserved for runners who have completed at least one marathon (or ultra) in the last 18 months in less than 4.5 hours (or pro-rated for ultra distances).

The criteria is 100% strictly logistical as our municipal road permit relies on us being off the city roads in 6.5 hours and the course is pro-rated. This means we can't have any more roads for any extra length of time. In order to put on our road race and in this case a special event that is longer than our usual distance we must work with our city partners. Until we have a race that draws participation like New York or Boston and have the support of non-runners in the city who come out and cheer runners on and don't mind the roads being closed, we will be limited in what roads we can have and for how long. So please encourage your friends and family to be cheerleaders on May 29st, 2016!

• You must have completed one marathon in the last 18 months in under 4.5 hours.
• You must be confident you can complete the 50k ultra marathon in less than 6.5 hours.

 
Note: Runners who aren’t at the 50K turnaround point at 10A st and Memorial Drive (36.6km into the race) by 11:30 will not be permitted to turn around and will be sent on to finish the marathon distance as there is a 6.5 hour cut off for this race.