HALIFAX, May 20, 2018 /CNW/ - Nearly 11,000 participants lined up at the start line of the 15^th annual Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon this weekend.

Taking place over three days, participants had the opportunity to choose between seven unique races: Doctors Nova Scotia Youth Run, Lifemark 5KM, GoodLife FITNESS 10KM, BOYNECLARKE LLP 15KM, Blue Nose Half Marathon, Killam Marathon Team Relay and Scotiabank Full Marathon. With the help of more than 1,500 volunteers, the event was an incredible success.

To date, 1,300 of those participants have collectively raised more than $500,000 for 65 local charities through the Scotiabank Charity Challenge. This number is expected to continue to grow as fundraising is open 30 days after the event.

"Thanks to the commitment of Scotiabank Charity Challenge participants and the generosity and support of the people of Halifax, year-after-year important dollars are raised in support of local charities as part of the Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon," said Jim Rogers, District Vice President, Halifax at Scotiabank. "Our goal has always been to help create a better life for people in the communities we serve. The Scotiabank Charity Challenge provides runners with a tool to fundraise for causes that are important to them, and make each race that much more meaningful."

The Scotiabank Charity Challenge is a turnkey fundraising program that provides a simple way for runners to support the charity of their choice and make a significant impact locally. Participating charities keep 100 per cent of the proceeds raised, as Scotiabank pays for all transaction and credit card fees. Donations to all participating charities will be accepted until June 18, 2018 at 5 p.m.

Known for its inclusivity, the Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon welcomes all ages, abilities and fitness levels to the start line each year. This year's Doctors Nova Scotia Youth Run welcomed more than 3,100 young people to the start line, with participants ranging from just a few weeks old up to 16 years of age.

"Thanks to the support of the community, the fifteenth 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."

Overall, the 15^th annual Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon welcomed 10,865 participants to the event.

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 2018 charities participating in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge, please visit the http://bluenosemarathon.com/charity-challenge/program/.

Scotiabank offers the Scotiabank Charity Challenge at six sponsored marathon events across Canada including Montreal, Halifax, Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver and Toronto.

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

Twitter and Instagram Hashtag: #bluenose2018 #runScotia #InfinitePotential

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 1,500 volunteers, the event hosts seven fitness events (Lifemark 5KM, GoodLife FITNESS 10KM, BOYNECLARKE LLP 15KM, 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 64 local charities raise more than half a million dollars annually. The event takes place annually during the Victoria Day weekend (May 18-20, 2018) in Halifax.

About Scotiabank
At Scotiabank, we aim to support organizations that are committed to helping young people reach their infinite potential. Young people are our future leaders and Scotiabank's goal is to help ensure that they have the necessary skills and resources they need to support their success. Together with our employees, the Bank supports causes at a grassroots level. Recognized as a leader for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, in 2017, Scotiabank contributed more than $80 million to help our communities around the world.

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 24 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 89,000 employees and assets of over $923 billion (as at January 31, 2018), 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 @Scotiabank.                           

SOURCE Scotiabank