Approximately 9,000 runners took part in the first edition of August 25, 1979. After disappearing from 1997 to 2002, the Montreal Marathon in 2004 returned in a broader framework involving other activities such as walking, running, wheelchair or bicycle. In 2008, runners came from 25 countries and had more than 17,600 participants from all disciplines. In 2010, the 20th edition of the
marathon was held on Sunday September 5 with a record participation of 21,000 runners from 30 countries. The event has continued to grow and the 2013 edition (held on September 22) broke a new record with 32,000 runners. From 2012 to 2020, the race was controlled by Chinese conglomerate
Wanda Group through its
Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series of marathons and half-marathons held in North America and Europe. The 2017 edition of the race was reduced due to heat and humidity, as the marathon distance
only was cancelled. The half marathon and 10km races started an hour earlier. On September 22, 2019, a runner (Patrick Neely) unfortunately died after collapsing near the end of the half-marathon finish line. The 2020 edition of the race was cancelled due to the
coronavirus pandemic. New owner
Advance Publications announced they would also be unable to hold the event in 2021, leading to the city of Montreal transferring organisational duties of the marathon to a local group, the Grand Prix Cyclistes de Québec et de Montréal. This non-profit organization manages the
Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec and
Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal bicycle road races. == Course ==