In just a matter of a few years, Regina’s Darbi Edwards has turned a U Sports track and field and cross-country running career into a top time at the Saskatchewan Marathon.

On Sunday morning, Edwards crossed the finish line as the top woman in the full marathon distance with a time of 3:07:00 to earn the gold medal out of 109 entries in her category.

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“It’s such a great feeling, honestly,” Edwards said. “Just finishing a marathon in itself is such an accomplishment, getting first is awesome.”

Edwards’ win was just one of many celebrations at Diefenbaker Park on Sunday with a record-breaking field of over 6,700 runners and walkers signing up for the five kilometre, 10 kilometre, half-marathon and full marathon distances.

Race director Kim Ali said months of work paid off with the thousands of competitors, supporters and volunteers who showed up on race day.

“The Saskatoon community is a very big supporter of the Saskatchewan Marathon,” Ali said.

“A lot of our runners come from different cultures, they’re here in Saskatoon. They want to get connected to the community, they come out and they help us make everything happen.”

Edwards finished six seconds faster than silver medallist Ashley Struck at the finish line, while Megan Schmidt rounded out the women’s podium with a time of 3:19:27.

A former U Sports athlete with the Regina Cougars, Edwards earned the win Sunday in just the fifth full marathon she’s entered in her career.

“It’s so rewarding,” Edwards said.

“I’ve trained for four months starting in the winter. This past season, the weather has been so cold and it’s been brutal. Just finishing and getting first, it’s why I keep doing it.”

Despite a difficult back half to her race, she was able to capitalize on a strong start over the first 21 kilometres to guide her to the finish line.

“I went out a little faster than I was anticipating,” Edwards said. “About halfway through I was like, ‘Let’s just hold on and see what I can do here.’ The last half of the marathon was definitely harder.”

She’s planning to enter another half-marathon before the end of the year, though her sights are now set on the 2027 Berlin Marathon with a first-place finish under her belt.

“It’s definitely a big boost in my confidence for sure,” Edwards said. “It’s another reason why I’ll continue to keep running full marathons.”

Men’s full marathon podium for the 2026 Saskatchewan Marathon, from left, silver medallist David Mutai, gold medallist Louis Marmar Maruk, and bronze medallist Kip Kangogo on May 31, 2026. (Scott Roblin/650 CKOM)

There was little doubt left when Louis Marmar Maruk crossed the finish line on Sunday, well ahead of many of the half-marathon and 10 kilometre racers.

The Vancouver athlete was lightning-quick off the starting gun with a 33:30 split to begin the race, before securing the gold medal with a blistering time of 2:26:49.

“Crossing the finish line I felt really good,” Marmar Maruk said. “I kept the pace. The wind was dragging me back a bit, but I had to be mindful of the course.”

Marmar Maruk left the field in his dust, winning the Saskatchewan Marathon in his first trip to the city by a margin of 5:16 over the second-place finisher David Mutai.

“My target was to run 5:20 per mile,” Marmar Maruk said. “Of course because of the wind, it exceeded around 5:40-something.”

Originally from Uganda, Marmar Maruk now races with the Vancouver Falcons Athletic Club and also won the Royal Victoria Marathon last fall.

With a gold medal around his neck, his next big race will be August’s Edmonton Marathon, where he’ll be ramping up training for shortly.

“I just have to build some confidence,” Marmar Maruk said. “I have to do a lot of training. I’m trying to see if I can increase my mileage per week to maybe 150, so hopefully that will help me.”

Perfect weather conditions

Coming on the heels of a heat wave which stretched across the province last week, the weather was expected to more of a factor Sunday than what racers ultimately had to face.

According to Ali, it was a best-case scenario for organizers to keep their athletes safe this year.

“Two weeks ago we had a blizzard, last week it was 35 degrees,” Ali said. “Now, we’ve got a perfect day for running and it’s been amazing.”

Temperatures only reached the low-20s by the time racers started crossing the finish line, which Edwards said made a huge difference in being able to focus on her pace.

“It was a relief,” Edwards said. “Honestly, I thought it was going to be a lot hotter than what it was. It was kind of nice that it cooled down a bit compared to what it has been.

Ali confirmed there was at least one injury on the course Sunday which required medical attention, while paramedics tended to a handful of racers at the finish line including two who were helped into ambulances on scene.

Saskatoon’s Anthony Antaya and Regina’s Mallory Murchison were the top finishers in the men’s and women’s half-marathon distances, while Daniel Block from Saskatoon and Kaylee Tymo from Regina won gold medals in the 10 kilometre races.

Regina’s Mason Kraus and Saskatoon’s Angelina Beveridge-Warick, meanwhile, stood atop the podium in the men’s and women’ five kilometre distances.

Read more:

• What does it take? Runners share stories, advice ahead of Sunday’s Saskatchewan Marathon
• Stinson’s four-RBI day leads undefeated Saskatoon Berries comeback in home opener
• Saskatchewan Roughriders finalize 2026 roster, add 13 to practice squad