HALIFAX, May 21, 2017 /CNW/ - Participants had their "best time ever" at the 14^th annual Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon this past weekend. Nearly 11,000 participants, 1,400 volunteers and a whole lot of high fives made the event an unforgettable experience for all.

Taking place over three days, the event welcomed nearly 11,000 participants, to one [or two, in some cases] of six fitness events: The Doctors Nova Scotia Youth 2KM and 4KM Run, the Lifemark 5KM including a Competitive Wheelchair Division (Saturday), the GoodLife FITNESS 10KM, the Blue Nose Half Marathon, the Killam Marathon Team Relay or the Scotiabank Full Marathon (Sunday).

At press time, the Scotiabank Charity Challenge had raised more than $500,000 for 73 charities in the Halifax area and the number is expected to continue to grow as fundraising is still open 30 days after the event.

"It's amazing to be part of an event such as the Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon," said Gordon Brost, South West Nova Scotia District Vice President, "it's a great event for our city. Whether you are a participant or cheering on your friends and family from the stands, it's a weekend that brings Halifax together. It also brings a unique fundraising opportunity to both local and national charities and provides participants with a way to make their run even more meaningful by supporting worthy causes in their community."

The Scotiabank Charity Challenge is a turnkey fundraising program that provides a simple way for runners in these races to support local causes that make a significant impact on Canadian communities. Participating charities keep 100% of the proceeds raised, as Scotiabank pays for all transaction and credit card fees.

Scotiabank believes in helping young people reach their full potential, and many organizations who take part in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge have a direct impact on our local youth. Young people are our future leaders and it's crucial to provide them with the skills and resources they need to succeed.

The Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon is known for its inclusivity, welcoming all ages, abilities and fitness levels to the start line each year. This year's Doctors Nova Scotia Youth Run alone welcomed more than 3,000 youth to the start line, with participants ranging from just a few weeks old up to 16 years of age.

"Thanks to the incredible support of the community, the fourteenth annual Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon was an incredible success," said Rod McCulloch, Chair of the Board of Directors, Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon. "The city of Halifax truly does rally behind this event and every participant, fundraiser, sponsor, volunteer and spectator should be proud of what they accomplished this weekend. It was our "Best Time Ever" and we already can't wait to do it all again next year."

Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon Results:

The Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon is a world-class sporting event that brings together participants and volunteers from across Canada and beyond for a race in Halifax.

For a complete list of 2017 charities participating in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge, please visit the http://bluenosemarathon.com/charity-challenge/program/.

For more highlights and complete race results, please visit: www.sportstats.ca

Twitter and Instagram Hashtag: #bluenose2017 #runScotia

About Scotiabank
Scotiabank is Canada's international bank and a leading financial services provider in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Central America, and Asia-Pacific. We are dedicated to helping our 23 million customers become better off through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of more than 88,000 employees and assets of $887 billion (as at January 31, 2017), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto (TSX: BNS) and New York Exchanges (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

About Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon
Known as 'the people's marathon', the Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon welcomes all ages, abilities and fitness levels to the start line. With the help of more than 1,400 volunteers, the event hosts six fitness events (Lifemark 5KM, GoodLife FITNESS 10KM, Blue Nose Half Marathon, Scotiabank Full Marathon, Killam Marathon Team Relay and the Doctors Nova Scotia Youth Run-2KM and 4KM), and the largest Active Living Expo in Atlantic Canada. Through the Scotiabank Charity Challenge, over 73 local charities raise more than half a million dollars annually. The event takes place annually during the Victoria Day weekend (May 19-21, 2017) in Halifax and expects to welcome 12,000 participants in 2017.

SOURCE Scotiabank