Best foot forward with 49th CISM World Military Marathon

Alexandre Boulé finishes first in the men’s Canadian competitors with a time of 2:35:23. Photo by Corporal Lisa Fenton, Canadian Forces Support Unit (Ottawa) Imaging Services

CFMWS ~

The 49th CISM World Military Marathon Championship (WMMC) was hosted in Ottawa May 28. The event, which took place within the broader Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon, included 83 military athletes from all over the world competing from 22 CISM nations.

The hard fought battle ended with a clean sweep from Poland, with Arkadiusz Gardzielewski taking first place overall in the men’s side, and Iwona Bernardelli taking first for the women’s, with times of 2:13:42 and 2:34:46 respectively.

The Canadian contingent had another strong showing, with Alexandre Boule coming first among men’s Canadian competitors with a time of 2:35:23, and Kathleen Beaudry finishing strong with a time 3:11:37 for the women’s competitors.

Founded in 1948, the International Military Sports Council (CISM) is one of the largest multidisciplinary sports organizations in the world. Created with the mission of promoting peace and international dialogue through sport, CISM allows the militaries of the world to compete peacefully in the spirit of cooperation.

The WMMC is one of many world championships that occur in CISM, and this year’s competition saw some of the top runners in the world competing in Ottawa.