A man died after collapsing during the Cabot Trail Relay Race on Sunday morning.

Event organizer Dave Parkinson told CBC News he did not learn about the death until after the post-race banquet.

"When the RCMP talked to me, they had indicated that they were attempting to notify the next of kin, and that's all I know," he said Sunday afternoon. "It's certainly a significant tragedy for the family of the runner, and our condolences go out to the family."

It was the 25th time the race has been held, and Parkinson said it was the first death he knew of in relation to the event.

RCMP said the man, an experienced runner in his late 50s from the Halifax area, collapsed during the last leg of the race.

"The terrain is no different than the balance of the rest of the trail. It's probably one of the medium-hard legs in the course," Parkinson said.

Almost 1,200 runners with 70 teams from across Canada and the United States participated in Sunday's run.