27,000 Race In Oasis Rock ‘n’ Roll Montreal

The 22nd annual edition of the event sold out. 

MONTREAL – The 22^nd edition of the Marathon Oasis & 1/2 Marathon de Montréal featured a musical twist. The sold-out event, which is now part of the Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon Series, welcomed more than 27,000 professional and amateur runners from 40 countries for the marathon, half marathon, 10K and Sports-Experts 5K on Sunday.

In the men’s marathon, Joseph Chirlee emerged victorious, breaking away from Kenyan Lamech Mokono over the final meters to finish with a time of 2 hours, 18 minutes, 42 seconds. Mokono finished eight seconds back in a time of 2 hours, 18 minutes and 50 seconds.

Chirlee, originally from Kenya, became a U.S. citizen in 2010 and is currently a specialist in the U.S. Army based in Colorado Springs. He is infamously known on the Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon Series for his unfortunate fall mere steps before the finish line in 2007 at San Diego. The incident cost Chirlee third place, but he picked himself up and staggered home to finish fourth overall.

Doreen Kitaka, 28, of Kenya won the women’s race, covering the new 26.2-mile course in 2:47:41. Each marathon champion earned $10,000 for their victory.

Former NCAA Division III cross country All-American Marco Dozzi, a Montreal resident from Pittsburgh, Pa., won the men’s half marathon in 1:09:59, while Natalie Sokolova of Russia was first in the women’s event in 1:17:46. Dave Liu of Montreal won the 10K in 33:54, while Lyse-Andree Mondou of Sainte-Julie, Quebec, won the women’s division in 39:42.

Brand new race routes highlighted the beauty of Montreal and the city’s rich heritage. The marathon and half marathon started simultaneously on the Jacques Cartier Bridge, and featured 22 entertainment stages along the route, with live bands performing to spur on the runners and entertain the thousands of spectators all the way to the finish line in La Fontaine Park.

The races also included a 1K P’tit Marathon, which welcomed some 3,500 children ages 3 to 11 taking part in an event emphasizing the importance of integrating physical activity in their daily lives. The event concluded with a finish line festival and headline concert featuring the Porn Flakes, Lulu Hughes, Martin Deschamps, Brigitte Boisjoli and James Di Salvio.

For complete results, photos and more, visit: http://ca.competitor.com.