Construction along the Saint John waterfront has forced organizers of a popular marathon to cancel the 2023 event.
Organizers of the Marathon by the Sea made the announcement in a Facebook post on March 16.
The Long Wharf section of Harbour Passage, the Market Square Boardwalk and Water Street are all unavailable for this year’s event, said the post.
“One of the hardest things to do is to recreate a great event year after year. Saint John and it’s surrounding communities have been with us for 29 years and we greatly appreciated your support,” said the post.
“With that being said we have decided to cancel our 2023 event with a full refund going out to those who have registered.”
Registration for the event was ongoing, with participants from as far away as Edmonton, Alta., signing up to participate in the run, which was planned for Sept. 15 to 17.
Despite attempts to work out a solution, organized said the final decision was that Uptown Saint John was too busy with development projects this year to run the event safely.
“The City of Saint John is supportive of Marathon by the Sea and has worked collaboratively with the organizing committee to enable the event for over 25 years. This year’s request to host runners near the active waterfront construction site was simply not feasible,” Lisa Caissie, director of external relations for the city, said in an emailed statement to Huddle.
“Construction in the area is well underway, with fencing and signage in place to protect public safety. The public can expect to see accelerated activity in the areas as we enter prime construction seasons. This is a monumental waterfront renewal project for Saint John, with the goal to open the new public spaces later this year.”
Caissie said the city offered to work with event organizers to host the marathon in a different part of the city.
Organizers, however, expressed on Facebook posts how alternative venues which had been used in previous years would be logistically unsuitable for an event that had grown to the size that it is today.
For its part, the city is remaining supportive of the event in future years, said Caissie.
“We remain hopeful that we will see a return of Marathon by the Sea in 2024 and staff will be available to work with the organizers to make it a success.”
Alex Graham is a reporter with Huddle, an Acadia Broadcasting content partner.
