There are those who enjoy the Quebec Marathon and those who eat it. This is clearly the case of Alain Boulianne, who has not missed an edition of the event, which is on his 25e birthday.
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Every year, the 62-year-old Canadian Armed Forces veteran experiences the same pilgrimage. He leaves his home in Saint-Eustache and takes Highway 40 towards Quebec to run the 42.2 km event.
“It started with a friend who stays in Cap-Rouge. I always combined the marathon with the visit to my chum Carl. Quebec, at the time, I found it a special challenge to leave on one bank and land on the other.
“Now that the course takes place right in Quebec, I also love it because I visit the city in a different way. Places like Limoilou and the Saint-Charles River, I didn’t know that. With the difference in altitude, it’s an additional challenge,” mentions the tireless runner.
A world tour in espadrilles
Mr. Boulianne does not describe himself as an athlete. Running is a passion for him, a way of life, but not to the point of becoming unhealthy.
“The idea is just to make the potato pump. I’m not a big whipper. I’m 5’7”, I have my little belly and I’m bringing it with me!” he said without complexes.
It must be said that he certainly has nothing to be ashamed of since he fell into the running trap in 1982, at the Montreal Marathon.
“I didn’t know what I was getting myself into. I thought I was going to die,” chuckles the one who put an end to the torture after 3 hours 48 minutes.
Since then, the passion for running has taken hold, so much so that Mr. Boulianne has covered more than 46,000 km, a little more than the equivalent of going around the Earth.
“Not an option” to miss Quebec
Photo BEN PELOSSE
Moreover, it was as part of the 2020 virtual edition of the Quebec City Marathon that he officially completed his world tour, at his 40,000e kilometer.
For him, each year in Quebec brings its share of adventures, whether wild or painful.
“It’s always been a happening of friends. One year, I had a bachelor party on the weekend in Quebec and one of my friends ran the entire marathon with a wedding dress, a bouquet, a jock strap and garters. We were pissing in our pants!” he laughs.
“I already did the marathon with a leg injury. My muscle shouldn’t move. I made myself a bandage and then I put some tape rolled up like a hockey paddle. It was not ideal, but missing Quebec is not an option,” he explains.
Sunday, Alain Boulianne will live his 56the marathon for life. Twenty-five of all these events took place in his second home, in Quebec.
“It’s a pride for me to have participated in all the editions because it’s assiduity. It’s harder to train than to do the marathon,” he notes.
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