Marathon

Marathon is a town of 3,100 people (2021) on the north shore of Lake Superior in Northern Ontario. It is the largest town on the Trans-Canada Highway between Sault Ste Marie and Thunder Bay.

Understand

Marathon Pulp Mill, operated 1946-2009

Marathon's resource economy was built on wood pulp. In 2009, the Marathon Pulp Mill was shut down indefinitely shutdown, eliminating hundreds of jobs from the region. Starting in the mid-1980s Marathon's economy expanded to include gold mining.

History

As long ago as 500 BC the area was inhabited by Ojibway First Nations (Indigenous) people who lived along the Pic River. Their descendents still live in the area.

Marathon was born as a railway community named Peninsula, due to its location on a peninsula on Lake Superior.

The pulp mill was constructed between 1944 and 1946, the population rose to 2,500, and the town's name was changed, first to Everest - after D.C. Everest, president of Marathon Corporation of Wisconsin, owners of the pulp mill in the town - then, later that year, to Marathon, in honor of the paper company. The Everest name was discarded because it was too similar to Everett, Ontario.

In the early 1980s, gold was discovered at Hemlo, an uninhabited area adjacent to the Trans Canada highway some 40 km east of Marathon. By the late 1980s, three mines were running at Hemlo, with two of the three mines locating their employees in Marathon, which effectively doubled its population and made it the largest town along the North Shore between Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay.

Visitor Information

• Town of Marathon

Get in

Marathon Library

Marathon sits just off of Highway 17 (Trans-Canada Highway), 5 km down Peninsula Rd.

1 Marathon Aerodrome (YSP  ^IATA), just north of the Trans-Canada Highway, approximately 4 km (2.5 mi) northeast of the town, has no scheduled traffic.

By bus

• Kasper Bus, ☏ +1-807-699-7200, toll-free: +1-855-566-2378. Operates bus service in Northern Ontario and Manitoba. Operates bus service several days per week between Thunder Bay and White River including stops in Nipigon, Schreiber, Terrace Bay, and Marathon. (updated May 2022)
• Ontario Northland, toll-free: +1-800-461-8558. Operates primarily in Northern Ontario. (updated Apr 2022) Operates a bus route multiple days per week between Thunder Bay and Sault Sainte Marie including stops in Red Rock, Nipigon, Schreiber, Terrace Bay, Marathon, White River, and Wawa.

See

• Marathon & District Historical Society and Museum, 25 Stevens Ave, ☏ +1 807 229-8175. Tu-Sa 9AM-5PM. Information on the Gold Mines, Port Coldwell, Marathon's history, the pulp mill, logging camps, and the D.C. Everest. Free. (updated Jun 2019)
• 1 Marathon Community Cenotaph, Stevens Ave (at the corner of Gilbert St). (updated Mar 2018)

Do

Marathon has a challenging 9-hole golf course, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing trails, and a 4-sheet curling venue.

• Penn Lake Park, 61 Penn Lake Road East. Mid-May to end of Sep. Playground, beach volleyball courts, washrooms. Kayaking, mountain bike trails, a 2-km around the lake through the boreal forest. (updated Jun 2019)
• 1 Neys Provincial Park, 1004 Hwy 17, Terrace Bay. A fine sand beach on Lake Superior’s north shore. View a model of a former prisoner-of-war (POW) camp at the Visitor Centre and the remains of POW Camp 100. See Pic Island as it was immortalized on canvas by Lawren Harris of the famous Canadian painting team, the Group of Seven. Sub-Arctic plants and a chance to see an elusive Woodland Caribou. Canoe along the pristine Lake Superior shoreline. Hiking trails take you through the many ecosystems, flora, fauna and geological formations. Neys has almost 150 campsites for car camping, almost half of which are electrical, and one cabin that sleeps four. Spring and summer: +1 807 229-1624; fall and winter +1 807 825-3403. (updated Feb 2023)
• 2 Pic River First Nation Powwow (Biigtgong Nishnaabeg) (on Hwy 627 at mouth of Pic River along N shore of Lake Superior approx 13 km SE of Marathon), ☏ +1 807 228-1703. 2nd weekend in July. Ceremonial/sacred songs and dances. Rough camping available. No drugs or alcohol. Please respect powwow etiquette. (updated Jun 2019)

Cascade Falls, Pukaskwa National Park

• 3 Pukaskwa National Park (take Highway 17 east from Marathon to Highway 627, then Highway 627 south to the highway's end), ☏ +1 807-229-0801, ont-pukaskwa@pc.gc.ca. Open May 1 to October 9. Pukaskwa National Park is located south of town. Watch or download a 17-minute documentary about the park.  
• 4 Pebble Beach, 39 Howe St (at the foot of Howe St, near the Legion). The namesake beach of this park features multicoloured, fist-sized stone "pebbles" that are repeatedly tossed up onto the shore by the wave action of Lake Superior, polishing them to a smooth finish. If you listen carefully, you can hear the stones gently clattering back into place every time a wave washes out. Worth at least a quick visit if you are in town; photos do not do it justice.
  Wear sturdy shoes if you want to explore the beach itself; the stones make walking difficult. The park includes a picnic area and kids playground as well. free. (updated Aug 2024)

Buy

• Marathon Centre Mall, 2 Hemlo Dr. It is the largest indoor shopping mall between Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie. Loblaws, Scotiabank, A&W and Red Apple Stores. (updated Jun 2019)

Eat

• Wok with Chow Chinese, 83 Evergreen Dr, ☏ +1 807 229-1781. Tu-Sa 11:30AM-2:30PM, M-Sa 4:30-10:30PM, Su noon-10:30PM. Mostly Chinese, but with a few burgers and sandwiches. (updated Jun 2019)
• Oar House Family Restaurant, 88 Evergreen Drive, ☏ +1 807 229-8384. Burgers, sandwiches, pasta, fish & chips, pizza. (updated Jun 2019)
• Station 4 On The North Shore, 37 Peninsula Rd. M-Sa noon-9PM, Su noon-8PM. Pub with pub menu. (updated Jun 2019)
• Rumours Coffee House & Deli, 2 Ontario Street, ☏ +1 807 229-8350. Breakfast, lunches, and espresso drinks. (updated Jun 2019)

Sleep

• Lakeview Manor B&B, 24 Drake St, ☏ +1 807 790-2588. 5 rooms in the original guest house built by the local pulp mill company. Breakfast includes vegan and gluten-free choices. $125-180 plus taxes. (updated Jun 2019)
• Marathon Harbour Inn, 67 Peninsula Road, ☏ +1 807 229-2121. From. (updated Jun 2019)
• 1 Airport Motor Inn Marathon, Highway 17 & Peninsula Rd, ☏ +1 807 229-1213, info@ai-marathon.com. A poorly-maintained, run-down hotel with a bad breakfast that isn't cheap. But it's Marathon -- your choices are limited. (updated Mar 2018)
• Zero-100 Motor Inn, 37 Peninsula Road, ☏ +1 807 229-0100. Another poorly-maintained, run-down hotel. Pet-friendly (additional fee.) $150 taxes included. (updated Jun 2019)
• Penn Lake Park, 61 Penn Lake Road East, ☏ +1 809 229-1340 (extension 2221). Mid-May to end of Sep. 16 campsites with 30/15 amp service and 2 RV sites with 50/30/15 amp service. 9 unserviced sites are suitable for tent camping. All serviced sites have sewer and potable water. Internet access is available by wireless hook-up. Washrooms, showers and coin-operated laundry facilities. Playground, beach volleyball courts. Kayaking, mountain bike trails, a 2-km around the lake through the boreal forest. Electrical site $45, non-electrical site $26.75. (updated Jun 2019)
• Marathon Travelodge by Wyndham, 14 Peninsula Road, toll-free: +1-807-232-3333. (updated Feb 2023)

Go next

• Manitouwadge — a small, former mining town, north of Marathon on Highway 614.
• Nipigon — 190 km (120 mi) to the west, a popular launching point for fishing trips, and along the route to the Ouimet Canyon.
• Terrace Bay — the next town to the west, 82 km (51 mi) along the Trans-Canada Highway. Home of the 30-m Aguasabon Falls, and a short boat ride away from Slate Islands Provincial Park, a group of islands believed to have formed by a meteorite impact.
• White River — the next town to the east, 95 km (59 mi) along the Trans-Canada Highway, and birthplace of a bear named Winnie, who would travel to Europe in 1914 and inspire a collection of popular stories and illustrations.

Routes through Marathon

Thunder Bay ← Schreiber ←

W  E

→ White River → Sault Ste Marie