The Fredericton Marathon is an annual marathon (42.195 km/26.219 mi) race held in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. The Fredericton Marathon is the oldest annual marathon race in the province of New Brunswick, starting with only a few hundred runners in 1979, it has grown into one of the most well known marathons in the province, with the 2012 edition being the provincial half marathon championships and featuring over 1,300 runners. The race is held in mid-May, always one week before the Blue Nose Marathon in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Currently, the race is sponsored by Scotiabank and hosted by The Capital City Road Runners, a running club in the city. The course uses the City’s vast partly paved and hard packed trail system while also highlighting some of the picturesque residential architecture in Fredericton. The marathon course is Boston certified, and continues to draw athletes who want to achieve a qualifying time on this very flat and fast course. In 2015, 27% of the marathon runners qualified. “The route allows Fredericton to become one of the many cities who have embraced the marathon as a key event to showcase their city to a large number of people” noted Paul Lavoie, Race Director of the Scotiabank Fredericton Race Weekend. The route will see the first 4kms starting at Queen Square and showcasing the downtown core prior to utilizing the trail system and the Bill Thorpe Walking Bridge. “A Mother’s Day tradition in Fredericton, this marquee event has become a staple of our sport tourism focus” said City of Fredericton Mayor, Brad Woodside. "We know how beautiful and welcoming our city is, and now because of the growth of the marathon and strong partnership created between organizers and city staff, the word is out, the 38th edition of the Scotiabank Fredericton Marathon Race Weekend will solidify our place as a sport tourism destination."