Edmonton Marathon apologizes for course-measuring error

August 19, 2026

Organizers of the Servus Edmonton Marathon have admitted that Sunday’s marathon and half-marathon courses were longer than their certified distances, reversing the position they took the day after the race.

In an updated statement released Tuesday, race director Tom Keogh says that a review found that a construction detour near the Wellington Bridge had not been fully offset elsewhere on the course. The result was an additional 674.7 metres on both the marathon and half-marathon routes. “The event owns this error, and we take full responsibility,” Keogh said.

On Monday, organizers stated that the courses had been set to their certified distances despite both elite and amateur runners expressing concerns; runners reported GPS readings of roughly 700 to 900 metres beyond the expected distance. The half-marathon doubled as the Canadian Half Marathon Championships, won by Rory Linkletter and Jadyn Keeler. Linkletter was among the athletes publicly raising concerns about the distance; he said the issue mattered most for runners pursuing qualifying times and personal bests. CANADIAN Running