ArriveCAN Receipts, Vaccination Mandatory for Runners in Windsor-Detroit Marathon

A person holds a smartphone showing the ArriveCAN app, which requires people to upload their COVID-19 vaccination status to be able to enter Canada. Giordano Ciampini/The Canadian Press

Competitors taking part in a Canada-U.S. marathon next month will need vaccination documents and ArriveCan receipts, as the requirement to use the ArriveCAN app remains in place for travellers entering Canada.

Organizers of the Detroit Free Press Marathon announced earlier this week that those set to participate in the Oct. 16 race must complete the ArriveCAN process in advance and carry with them either a digital or paper copy of the receipt during the marathon. Runners must also carry a paper copy of their proof of vaccination.

“If you’re participating in any of the following events, ArriveCAN is required: Marathon, International Half-Marathon, Supreme or Wonder challenge series, or Legs 1 and 2 of the Marathon Relay,” the organizers said.

Aaron Velthoven, vice president and executive producer of the marathon, told the Windsor Star that they had hoped for an exemption from using the mobile app since the race is held in a controlled area within a limited time.

“But we were unfortunately unable to do that. We’ve always been more than willing to make sure we’re following all the requirements of the Canadian government, so we made the decision to announce that requirement today,” he said.

The annual Detroit Free Press Marathon, first organized by its namesake newspaper in the 1970s, will resume after being suspended for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The three-day event, held from Oct. 14 to Oct. 16, includes a full Marathon, International Half-Marathon, U.S. Half-Marathon, five-person Marathon Relay, and several other races.

The full Marathon, the International Half-Marathon, and the Marathon Relay—which require the ArriveCAN receipt—are scheduled for Oct. 16.

For the Windsor part of the full Marathon, runners will pass through the Ambassador Bridge, head north along Huron Church Road, then east on Riverside Drive to Goyeau Street and south toward the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.

“Runners are typically only in Canada for roughly 20 minutes on average,” Velthoven told the Windsor Star. “We’re over the bridge and back through the tunnel by 10 a.m. Our race starts at 7 a.m., so it’s a pretty short trip.”

In addition to the ArriveCAN receipt and proof of vaccination, runners crossing the Canada-U.S. border must also carry a Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) document. Both Canadian and U.S. citizens can present a valid passport, a passport card, an enhanced driver’s license, or a Trusted Traveler Program card (NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST) as WHTI-compliant documents. U.S. citizens can also use Form I-872 American Indian Card or an Enhanced Tribal Card.

For the non-Canadian participants who don’t want to use the ArriveCAN app, the marathon organizer recommended deferring their registration to 2023 or changing to join the U.S.-Only Half Marathon. The deferral or changes can be made for a $25 fee through an EnMotive account until Sept. 30, at 11:59 p.m. EST. Changes after this date will have to be completed physically at the Health & Fitness Expo, with an increased fee.

The ArriveCAN app was introduced by the Canadian federal government in April 2020, and was initially a short-term policy to ensure travellers entering Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic would comply with the government’s 14-day quarantine rules. In November that year, it was made mandatory for all travellers, which Ottawa said would help contain the spread of COVID-19 and reduce imported cases. The government implied that the mobile app may be kept beyond the pandemic.