Months of training, an early Sunday alarm and 42.2 kilometres of running. The reward, for some, was a medal. For others, a sandwich or a well-earned poutine.
Around Parc Maisonneuve, where thousands crossed the Montreal marathon finish line Sunday, the celebrations took different forms. Runners stretched out on benches, reunited with friends or posed for photographs, while the cheers of spectators carried through the surrounding streets.
Some who had already finished returned to the course to encourage those still going, occasionally running alongside them for part of the final stretch.