Runners of all ages and levels braved a chilly early Sunday morning to lace up and participate in the 2026 Cape Breton Fiddlers Marathon, which took them through the Sydney, Sydney River and Westmount.
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Four categories of runners — those taking part in a full marathon (42.7 kilometres), half marathon (21.3 km), 10K and 5K — each lined up at respective times between 8 and 9 a.m. and headed along their respective routes, cordoned off by closed sections of Sydney’s George Street, Desbarres Street and the Esplanade, and by pylons along portions of Kings Road, Keltic Drive and Westmount Road routes.
Lewis Drive and Harbourview Drive in Sydney River were also used as running routes.
With temperatures hovering between 0 C and 3 C, more than a hundred spectators brought families along to witness the event along one section of the Victoria Park Armories in north-end Sydney, with several carrying homemade signs of support.
Event organizers said that around 970 participants in total signed up for the event — 106 for the marathon (80 of whom completed), 245 for the half-marathon (completed by 205), 255 for the 10K (225 who posted results) and 355 for the 5K (315 of whom posted results).
When participants crossed the Ortona Drive finish line to complete their 5K, 10K, half marathon and full marathon, each received a medal presented by members of the Cape Breton Special Olympics.
The event, which serves as a Boston Marathon qualifying race, has been taking place annually since 2005, with the only disruptions occurring in 2019, due to post-tropical storm Dorian, and 2020-21, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following are more photos of Sunday’s races:
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Top finishers from the 2026 Cape Breton Fiddlers Marathon in Sydney on Sunday, as listed by category, finish, racer, bib number in parentheses, hometown, and race time (all chip time results, courtesy of Atlantic Chip Sport Timing):
Top men: 1. Braeden Redshaw (1009), Sydney, 2:44:44; 2. Jeff Ratushny (1057) Conquerall Mills, 2:47:21; 3. Frankie Horwath (1030), Middle Sackville, 2:50:55
Top women: 1. Krista Blight (1082), Smith Settlement, 3:21:11; 2. Anna Jackson (1048), Fredericton, N.B.; 3:25:23; 3. Lily Eskin (1081), Toronto, 3:29:44.
Top men: 1. Gregory McNeil (853), Glace Bay, 1:15:08; 2. Doug Hayami (846), Halifax, 1:16:38; 3. Lucas Socio, (861) Halifax, 1:16:38
Top women: 1. Tanya Brooks (891), Greenwood, 1:33:00; 2. Carina Vigna, Sydney, 1:35:53; 3. Beth Horne (864), Antigonish, 1:36:58.
Top men: 1. Devin Abbass (631), Sydney, 37:37; 2. Kyle MacLeod (512) Sydney, 39:27; 3. Kevin Terry (459), North River, 40:41
Top women: 1. Eleanor Melanson (596), Sydney 41:07, 2. Lisa MacLean (586), Beaver Bank, 43:23; 3. Luciann MacDonald (407), Catalone, 44:25.
Top men: 1. Stuart MacNeil (186), Howie Centre, 17:34; 2. Jeris Abbass (323), Sydney, 18:28; 3. Thomas Béland (324), Sydney, 18:44
Top women: 1. Rebecca MacNeil (239), Sydney, 21:09; 2. Kelsey MacNeil (135), Howie Centre, 22:03; 3. Jean Gillis (33), Grand Mira North, 22:33
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