CALGARY, Feb. 11 /CNW/ - Achieving a personal best, qualifying for the Boston Marathon or reaching a new level of health and fitness are all common motivators to sign up for one of the five events within the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon. In 2011, the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon will support 30 local charities through the Scotiabank Group Charity Challenge, giving participants or spectators 30 more meaningful reasons to walk, run or cheer, on Sunday, May 29. The participating charities are:

The participating charities include: 

"The Scotiabank Calgary Marathon is unique in that it goes beyond a sporting event and truly gives back to our city," said George Marlatte, Scotiabank Senior Vice-President, Prairie Region. "The Scotiabank Group Charity Challenge gives everyone the chance to participate in this great sporting event, and this year we expect to build on the close to $250,000 raised last year for 30 important local organizations that have a huge impact in our community, but aren't always in the spotlight."

Participants can make their marathon, half-marathon, 10K or 5K race more meaningful by running or walking on behalf of one of the 30 official charities.  Participants can visit  www.calgarymarathon.com and register to fundraise for a charity or pledge a charity team by visiting the Charity section of the website.

"The 47^th annual Scotiabank Calgary Marathon is poised to be an outstanding success. We expect significant growth this year with 10,000 participants and we were honoured to be voted the 2010 Best Road Race in Alberta," commented Dan Ouimet, Chair, Calgary Marathon Society. "We are particularly excited by Scotiabank's continued involvement as the event title sponsor and the inclusion of the innovative Scotiabank Group Charity Challenge program that will make this a key fundraising event in the community."

Prizes of $3,000 for 1^st place and $1,500 for 2^nd place will be awarded to the leading charities in each of three categories - the charity with the most runners; with the largest amount of pledges raised; and with the most pledges raised per runner.  This year, the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon is aiming to reach over $275,000 in charitable donations.

About the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon:
Canada's Oldest Marathon Turns 50 in 2014

Voted the 2010 & 2009 Best Road Race in Alberta, the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon is a challenging, competitive and fun event with a race designed for everyone of any level. This umbrella event includes the Scotiabank Marathon, Centaur Subaru Half Marathon, Jugo Juice 10K, AstraZeneca 5K Walk and Run or Scotiabank Kids Marathon. In 2011 nearly 10,000 runners and walkers will take to the streets and over $275,000 is expected to be raised for 30 official charities.

Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, both in Canada and abroad.  Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for its charitable donations and philanthropic activities, Scotiabank has provided on average approximately $44 million annually to community causes around the world over the last 5 years. Visit us at  www.scotiabank.com.

For more information about the Scotiabank Calgary Marathon, visit www.calgarymarathon.com.