21K de Montréal: the official season kickoff for the city’s running enthusiasts

Ready, set, lace up, Montreal!

The running season officially kicks off on April 26 at Parc Jean-Drapeau with the 21st edition of the 21K de Montréal.

Alex Ratthé, executive producer of the 21K de Montréal, shares his excitement for the upcoming event: “We’re gonna have 7,500 runners. Gonna start here at the beautiful Parc Jean-Drapeau for five different distances, which are the half marathon, 21K, the 10K, 5K, the kids’ run, and the miles as well, 1.6 km.”

Now organized by Courons MTL, the team behind the Marathon Beneva de Montréal, the 21K de Montréal is the highly anticipated annual event that marks the start of the season.

Building community through running

Courons MTL was created with a clear vision: to make every race a must-attend event for runners worldwide and to unite the community through large-scale gatherings. Founded by a group of entrepreneurs and running enthusiasts, the organization aims to be the leading force in Québec’s running scene.

With a significant increase in participants—growing from 5,000 last year to 7,500 this year—this event is clearly gaining in popularity.

Ratthé highlights the importance of community in making these events successful: “It shows the popularity of running and gathers all the community here. It’s gonna be an amazing event.”

He adds, “I think it’s the foundation of the success of our events. It’s the community, the presence of them. They showed up since day one, and we try to involve, we try to be involved with the community, to participate in shakeout runs, in community runs. It’s super important to work closer with them.”

For Ratthé, running means more than just an activity—it’s a source of personal strength. “It’s so nice to see more and more young people start running,” he says. “And now the sun is coming out, and spring’s here. Seeing everybody running outside makes me proud. It’s not a matter of me, but that all people are starting to run. It means that we have a healthy community.”

Ratthé also shares that running has been a key part of his life for the past seven years. It’s his “why”—his reason and motivation. “When I feel exhausted or struggle with tough times, I go for a run,” he says. “It helps me stay mentally focused and navigate through difficult situations. Running has become my way of dealing with challenges and keeping my mind clear.”

The joy of running: From beginner to pacer

With less than a month to go, all distances—except for The Mile—are sold out, including the half-marathon, 10 km, 5 km, and 1 km. This strong demand demonstrates the excitement of Montrealers for the city’s first major race of the year, welcoming runners of all skill levels.

“It’s not a matter of time, it’s a matter of running. So whatever the distance you want to run, whatever your goal, whatever you want to achieve, the only thing is you lace up your shoes and you run,” said Ratthé.

Montrealer Xich-Vê Hô is getting ready to hit the ground running at this year’s marathon. She reflects on her personal journey with running: “I never liked running when I was a kid, and then even growing up. But then eventually I started running on the treadmill, and I was like, ‘Oh, what about if I run, like, 10, 15 minutes?’ And then eventually I was like, ‘If I try outside, there’s no way I could go back to the treadmill.’”

For Hô, running became more than just a way to stay active. “I think it’s now more—it’s a real pleasure,” she says. “Sometimes it’s a necessity. This is how I breathe oxygen, and that makes me feel better.”

Hô emphasizes the mental health benefits of running and the connections she’s made along the way: “Sometimes you don’t realize how important your community is until you actually go through tough times. And a lot of people are sharing the exact same story. When we’re together, you meet once a week, but then you get to know them and their stories, and you connect.”

“Seeing people on the sidelines cheering for you and wishing you well,” she continues. “It’s just one—you’re a group of people sharing the same joy, a passion. Everybody has a different goal, but you all share in that instant; everybody wants to run. It doesn’t matter what you think. Doesn’t matter your opinion. But we’re just running together. And for a minute, we forget about all the bad things that happen around. That’s what I like about running. I don’t need to think. I just enjoy the present moment. And at the end, I get a medal. Everybody gets a medal.”

While she initially started running to lose weight, she came to realize its biggest benefit was for her mental health—it clears her mind, helps her connect with others, and has even led to meaningful friendships she wouldn’t have made otherwise. “Running definitely helped me connect with people—people that I wouldn’t have connected with if I wasn’t running. Yes, so making friends too.”

She says she decided to participate because it was fun—most of her choices around sports come from that feeling. She also wanted to be a pacer again, which she describes as a way to help others reach their time goals while enjoying the run herself. For her, pacing is about giving back and spreading joy, especially in a familiar, supportive environment with friends and a great atmosphere.

Hô adds she’s mainly running for the pleasure of it and isn’t strictly following a training plan—even though she’s going to be pacing. While she hasn’t been preparing in a super structured way, she cross-trains and does enough regular running to stay in good shape. Since she’s experienced, with over ten years of running, she knows how to manage her training for the half marathon, and for her, it’s all about enjoying the experience.

“On Saturday, April 26th, I’ll be pacing the two-hour 21K. So anybody who wants to run two hours, they can follow me. I’ll have another friend who’s also going to be pacing. But otherwise, you’ll find me on the starting line with a little baton—two hours. I’ll probably have a speaker, some nutrition with me, and some fun, laughs, and run.”

She also reflected on her running journey, noting that 10 years ago she ran a 5K on April 26^, 2015 and now she’s running a half marathon on the same date and location.

She offers advice to new runners: “When people start running, they’re like, ‘Oh, maybe I should run a full marathon.’ I’m like, ‘No, you can start small, then you can build it up. I ran 5K, then 10, 21, full. And at the end of the day, you find the distance that you like. Then, when you have your medals, you can think about it like it’s a souvenir.’ People make fun of me because I bring the medals everywhere and take selfies, but at the end, I can show it to you and you’ll say, ‘Oh, yes, I have a 10-year-old medal.’”

Exciting developments for Courons MTL

Courons MTL has big plans for the future! Their goal is to grow the event to 10,000 participants by 2026, expand it to two days, and enhance the festive atmosphere. To kick things off this year, the organization is introducing the first-ever Ciele After-Run—a BBQ that brings the running community together to celebrate the official start of the season.

Along with organizing events such as the 21K de Montréal and the Marathon Beneva de Montréal, Courons MTL plays an active role in the community through a podcast and blog filled with valuable tips and information.

“Courons MTL is proud to organize two of the largest race events in Québec and to have gotten 40,000 runners of all levels to participate in 2025, along with showcasing Montréal’s unique appeal as a running destination,” said Ratthé. “We want to put our expertise to work for the community by creating unique and memorable experiences. And judging by the speed of the registration process this year, I think it is safe to say that Montréalers are eager to emerge from winter hibernation and get outside to run together this year!” 

“It’s the big party at the beginning of the season. We basically start the season with the 21K and end the season with the Marathon Beneva de Montréal. So, it’s a good way to have a perfect season—start with us and finish with us.”

Charity challenge and community impact

It’s worth noting that 50 charitable organizations have joined the Charity Challenge as part of the 21K de Montréal, aiming to maximize their fundraising efforts. Their goal for this edition is to raise $800,000.

Ratthé emphasizes the community impact: “We’re doing it for them. When we took back the Montreal Marathon four years ago, we started building this with the community, and now we’re doing the same thing with the 21K. They are a very big part of the success of our events.”