A smaller Firemen’s Festival gets a ‘thumbs-up’ from kids and parents
A record number of participants turned out for 14th annual Laval Firefighters’ Race on Saturday May 30, when more than 12,100 young people and adults took part in this popular and consistently very anticipated event.
Since 2012, the race has brought together young and old in a festive and inclusive atmosphere.
Organized by firefighters from the Laval Fire Department, the City of Laval, and the Quebec Firefighters Foundation, the Firefighters’ Race aims to promote physical activity and healthy lifestyles within the community.
This year’s event also raised over $82,000 in donations for the Foundation to Support Burn Victims.
Incredible performances
In the marathon, Edouard Foster took first place among the men with an impressive time of 2 hours 34 minutes and 51 seconds. Corinne Lienhard was the first woman to cross the finish line, completing the distance in just 3 hours 3 minutes and 22 seconds.
In the half-marathon, Benjamin Raymond, with a time of 1 hour 14 minutes and 15 seconds, and Roxanne Leblanc, with a time of 1 hour 23 minutes and 16 seconds, each finished in first place in their respective categories.
It should be noted that the winners of both the marathon and the half-marathon each received a gold helmet bearing the Firefighters’ Race logo, symbolizing the determination, discipline, perseverance and effort required to achieve such a feat.
The event also included 10 km, 5 km, 2.5 km and 1 km races. All races culminated at the finish line located on the outdoor grounds of Collège Montmorency, where enthusiastic crowds cheered runners crossing the finish line.
Eight Marathons in Eight Days
In a sidenote, from May 24 to 31, ultramarathon runner Manuel Cabral, an ambassador for the Laval Firefighters’ Race, took on the challenge of running a marathon every day, inviting other runners to join him each time, while also donating to the Quebec Firefighters Foundation.
He completed this feat by finishing his eighth marathon on May 31 as part of the Laval Firefighters’ Race, where he also recorded the fifth-best time in the 42.2 km race. Last year, he ran a half marathon every day during the virtual portion of the event, from May 17 to June 1.
All proceeds are donated to the Quebec Firefighters Foundation, the only organization dedicated to raising funds for burn victims in Quebec. The funds will directly contribute to financing: specialized medical equipment; clinical research; a direct aid fund for victims and their families; and a summer camp adapted for children with severe burns.
A smaller Firemen’s Festival
While the Firefighters’ Race was taking place, a modified and diminished version of the Laval Firemen’s Festival was also underway on the grounds of Collège Montmorency. Originally held for many years at the Centropolis mall, in more recent times the staging area for the still highly-popular Firemen’s Festival was transferred to the grounds outside the college.
However, as the City of Laval announced last fall in its budget for 2026, the Firemen’s Festival was reduced beginning this year to a single day (rather than two) and with far fewer activities for kids and families. As a result, the ever-popular parade of fire trucks, with sirens and warning signals screaming, was greatly reduced, with just a few fire vehicles on site Saturday.
But there were at least a few activities, including educational kiosks on fire prevention and safety, a simulated evacuation of a smoke-filled house and firefighter museum artefacts.
