Montreal marathon leading to weekend street closures

Montrealers can expect a series of road closures this weekend due to the marathon, half marathon, and other races.

Sunday’s full and half marathon begin on Île Ste-Hélène and end at the Olympic Stadium.

Full marathon participants will run through the Village, up Saint-Laurent Boulevard to Gouin, back down to Saint-Joseph Boulevard and across to Maisonneuve Park.

That trajectory will lead to multiple closures throughout the day – ranging from 6:45 a.m. to 2:05 p.m.

“We want Montreal to vibrate on the sound of the pounding of runners during the weekend, not the sound of the horns from cars being stuck in the congestion,” said Philippe Sabourin, a spokesperson for the City of Montreal.

“So this is why it’s important for the city to be clear this weekend.”

Some streets – those early on the marathon route – will begin re-opening to car traffic as early as 10 a.m., as the last runners go through.

Portions of Saint-Laurent Boulevard, where the bulk of the marathon is taking place, will be closed from 7:15 a.m. to 1:40 p.m.

“Motorists should avoid crossing Saint-Laurent or St-Joseph,” said Sabourin. “There’s a few ways to (bypass) the marathon such as Viger, Sherbooke Street, or the viaduct Van Horne, there’s also Highway 40. But we know for sure there’s a lot of motorists who will try to avoid the course of the marathon on Sunday. So we’re inviting everyone to commute by public transit on the weekend, plan your travels.

“And if it’s necessary to use your car, well on Sunday, exit the island before 6:30 in the morning and don’t come back before the end of the afternoon.”

Map showing street closures on Sept. 24, 2023, for the Montreal marathon. (Courtesy: Marathon Beneva de Montreal)

Closures will also be in effect Saturday for smaller races – a five-kilometre and 10-kilometre race.

Those closures will be more limited, affecting residents of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve around Olympic Stadium. They will be in effect ranging from 7 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.

“There’s few road closures near the Parc Maisonnevuve,” said Sabourin. “So my best piece of advice for Saturday would be to avoid the area near the Parc Maisonneuve, starting from 6:30 in the morning, up to noon in the afternoon.”

This weekend marks the 30th running of the Montreal marathon.

“We’re expecting tens of thousands of spectators, nearly 20,000 runners will be involved in the race,” said Sabourin. “It’s the biggest race in the province of Quebec. Of course, many participants will also come from different countries around the world only to participate in this race.”