Hi Denis,

I had relatives in Ville St. Michel (sp?) and other places; my mother spent her first years in Granby. My cousin (well, in Quebec, any kind of relative is a cousin) retired a few years ago as a v-p at a Montreal bank, and is now on the SE coast of Florida (across the state from me).

Montreal has always been one of my favorite cities.

In the states, as you run, you hear "way to go, buddy" and in Montreal you hear sweet voices saying "bon chance, Monsieur." And tissues to blow your nose so you won't dirty the street. <s> And Evian water in bottles with straws. And massage therapists at the 17th mile. At least that's the way it was when I ran, way back then.

Hank

>>Thanks, Denis. If you're in SW Fla, look me up and we'll hoist a couple of Labatt's. (I still remember the end of the 10th Montreal Marathon, where we were greeted at the end with Labatt's trucks: one for each of their brands. It was worth it all. <s> At the time they had a Laurentian Ale that was superb, at least after 4+ hours of running.)
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>Would'nt it have made a more interesting marathon if they gave you the beer at the beginning? ;-D
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>Did you came to Montreal only for the marathon? Was it your first and only time here?