The twenty-year-old runner collapsed on the purple arrivals carpet at Place Jean-Béliveau. Resuscitation maneuvers and the use of a defibrillator were necessary, the intervention team reacting very quickly.
Rushed to the event’s medical center, at the Pavillon Guy-Lafleur, the participant saw her condition stabilized before being sent to the hospital, a great relief for the executive producer at Gestev, Marianne Pelchat.
“All’s well that ends well,” smiled the big boss of the event in the middle of the afternoon. We send 13,500 runners on the track and what we always hope is that they return in good shape, and that it is done with pleasure and with a smile.
Another victory for Simon Leblanc
The winner of the 2024 Beneva Quebec Marathon, Simon Leblanc. (Beneva de Quebec Marathon, Mathieu Belanger)
Among the men, Beauceron, Simon Leblanc, once again won the 42.2 kilometer event with a time of 2 hours 29 minutes and 6 seconds.
When met at the finish line, the teacher burst into tears, due to a final year filled with adversity, including an injury that made him fear not being able to start on Sunday morning.
“I’m relieved,” he sighed, trying to regain control of his emotions. It’s been a tough year coming to terms with being injured and I’m a little speechless that I was able to run today. It was a hard week at school, I had a lot of anxiety because I knew I was expected and that I would be the target for everyone when I crossed the starting line.
“I was like, ‘If the tendon can just hold, then I can have fun!’ It was difficult, but there is nothing easy in life.”
— Simon Leblanc, winner of the 2024 Beneva Quebec Marathon
Marianne Pelchat was moved to see him sign a second victory in a row. “I find it beautiful to see him surpass himself despite a work-family balance that is not always easy, the pressure and the anxiety. It shows how running allows you to find a balance of physical and mental health.”
Joanie Vadnais without words
Among the women, who made up 54% of the participants, Joanie Vadnais from Sorel-Tracy was the fastest with a time of 2 hours 52 minutes and 12 seconds. To achieve her sporting achievements, the runner imposed several months of training, weeks of 100 kilometers of running spread over her lunch hours in her career as a psycho-rehabilitator in a CLSC.
Vadnais is in such good shape that she didn’t even look out of breath a few moments after crossing the finish line!
“I’m speechless, I’m really happy,” said the mother of two young children. It’s a beautiful course, there was definitely a lot of wind, but a race is a race and you never know how it’s going to go so I gave everything I had. When we want, we can!”
Mission accomplished for Denis Therrien
Suffering from Parkinson’s disease for several years, the founder of the marathon, Denis Therrien, succeeded in his mission on Saturday by completing the 10 kilometer event with several of 39 close collaborators from the time of the Deux Rives marathon.
“The end was not easy, but I finished it and I was very happy,” smiled this pioneer of running in the capital. There was no way it would be any other way.”
Their efforts raised more than $50,000 for Parkinson Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches. “It’s a big success and it’s thanks to my friends, who got on board with my crazy idea. There was Ali Baba and the forty thieves, but there it was Denis Therrien and the 40 solicitors!”
The route of the Beneva Quebec Marathon, Sunday. (Beneva Quebec Marathon, Mathieu Bélanger)
The organizers of the Quebec Marathon recorded a 34% increase in registrations for the 2024 edition.
The 13,500 runners came from more than 20 countries, eight Canadian provinces. Nearly 1.6 million in tourist spending is associated with the event.
