Marathon Gold Reports Additional Positive Step-Out Drill Results along the Sprite Corridor, Valentine Gold Project

TORONTO, Nov. 09, 2020 - Marathon Gold Corp. (“Marathon” or the “Company”; TSX: MOZ) is pleased to report additional drill results from recent exploration drilling at the Valentine Gold Project, central Newfoundland (the “Project”). These latest results represent fire assay data from fifteen step-out drill holes over an 850 metre strike length of the Sprite Corridor extending from the Berry Zone northeastward towards the Frozen Ear Pond Road. Highlights include:

• VL-20-876 intersected 4.91 g/t Au over 22 metres, including 20.10 g/t Au over 1 metre and 11.97 g/t Au over 1 metre and 53.44 g/t Au over 1 metre;
• VL-20-851 intersected 5.79 g/t Au over 5 metres including 20.41 g/t Au over 1 metre;
• VL-20-855 intersected 23.17 g/t Au over 2 metres;
• VL-20-879 intersected 15.52 g/t Au over 1 metre and 19.16 g/t Au over 1 metre;

All quoted intersections comprise uncut gold assays in core lengths. All significant assay intervals are reported in Table 1.

Matt Manson, President & CEO commented: “These latest drill results from the Valentine Gold Project confirm the extension of gold mineralization for a considerable distance northeastward from our new Berry Zone. The ongoing in-fill drilling at Berry is currently being conducted at a 25 metre spacing over a 700 metre strike extent between sections 13300E and 14000E. Today’s Sprite Corridor results, taken with earlier step-out drilling released on April 15^th, demonstrate additional gold mineralization as far eastward as at least section 14800E, representing an overall distance of 1.5 kilometres. While additional drilling is required to determine the extent and continuity of this mineralization, we are encouraged by the results achieved to date. The intercepts we are seeing suggest to us the potential for a much larger mineralizing system in this central portion of the 6 kilometre long Sprite Corridor than previously recognized. Three rigs are currently active at Valentine completing the in-fill program at Berry and adding additional step-out holes to the northeast. This work is expected to continue until the end of November. Drilling has been completed in the portion of the Sprite Corridor between the Frozen Ear Pond Road and the southwestern margin of the Marathon Deposit, as well as in the Narrows area northeast of the Marathon Deposit, and results for both of these areas remain outstanding at this time.”

Gold mineralization at the Valentine Gold Project is contained predominantly within shallowly southwest dipping, en-echelon stacked Quartz-Tourmaline-Pyrite-Gold (“QTP-Au”) veins. At the Leprechaun and Marathon Deposits, as well as at the new Berry Zone, these QTP-Au veins form densely stacked and northwest plunging “Main Zone” envelopes within intrusive host rocks on the hanging wall (northwest) side of the Valentine Lake Shear Zone. The extent of mineralization appears related to the size and frequency of sheared mafic dykes which extend northeast-southwest within the hanging wall, parallel to the shear zone. Exploration drilling is generally undertaken in two orientations: down steeply towards the northwest at a high angle to the individual veins and down-plunge of the Main Zone stacking, or obliquely towards the southeast sub-parallel to the individual veins and across the strike of Main Zone mineralization.

The results released today are derived from fifteen drillholes extending over an approximately 750 metre strike extent between sections 14070E and 14760E northeast of the Berry Zone. Eight holes were oriented steeply down to the northwest testing for “Main Zone” type stacked QTP-Au mineralization (VL-20-850,851,852,854,859,867,879 and 882) and seven holes were oriented to the southeast drilling from the hanging wall towards the footwall contact (VL-20-853,855,864,871,872,874 and 876; Figures 2 and 3).

Overall, fourteen of the fifteen drill holes returned “significant” drill intersections of greater than 0.7 g/t Au (Table 1). Each of these fourteen holes returned additional intersections with gold grades above the 0.3 g/t Au cut-off used in the January 2020 Mineral Resource Estimate for the Project. No economic mineralization was encountered in drill hole VL-20-872.

Table 1: Significant assay intervals, Sprite Corridor, Valentine Gold Project

Notes on the Calculation of Assay Intervals

1. “Significant” assay intervals are defined as 1m core length or more of mineralization with an average fire assay result of greater than 0.7 g/t Au, representing the bottom cut-off for high-grade mill feed in the Marathon April 2020 Pre-Feasibility Study mine plan (see technical report dated April 21, 2020). Assay intervals with an average fire assay result of between 0.3 g/t Au and 0.7 g/t Au are above the cut-off used in the January 2020 Mineral Resource Estimate for the Project but are not considered “significant” for the purposes of this news release.
2. Cut gold grades are calculated at 30 g/t Au.
3. No significant assays were returned in drill holes VL-20-872
   

Footwall and Condemnation Drill Results

As part of the Valentine Gold Project 2020 exploration program, 10,977 metres of reconnaissance drilling was completed in two areas located south of the Valentine Lake Shear Zone (“Footwall Areas 1 & 2”, Figures 1 and 4). This has been the first drilling program at the Project focused on systematically testing the potential for sedimentary-hosted mineralization in the footwall rocks of the Valentine Lake Shear Zone. These footwall areas also represent the proposed site of mine infrastructure elements such as the tailings management facility, plant site and Leprechaun waste rock facility. An additional 2,937 metres of dedicated condemnation drilling was completed to the north of the Marathon Deposit in an area designated for the Marathon waste rock facility. These drill programs identified several isolated areas of QTP-Au mineralization. Follow up work is planned for 2021, including trenching and prospecting. However, at this time, these results are not considered to be indicative of an economic deposit, allowing each area to be considered for infrastructure placement in the ongoing Feasibility Study. Significant assay intervals arising from this drilling are reported in Table 2.

Table 2: Significant assay intervals, Footwall Zone 1, Valentine Gold Project

Notes on the Calculation of Assay Intervals

1. “Significant” assay intervals are defined as 1m core length or more of mineralization with an average fire assay result of greater than 0.7 g/t Au, representing the bottom cut-off for high-grade mill feed in the Marathon April 2020 Pre-Feasibility Study mine plan (see technical report dated April 21, 2020). Assay intervals with an average fire assay result of between 0.3 g/t Au and 0.7 g/t Au are above the cut-off used in the January 2020 Mineral Resource Estimate for the Project but are not considered “significant” for the purposes of this news release.
2. Cut gold grades are calculated at 30 g/t Au.
3. No significant assays were returned in drill holes VS-20-001 to 15, 17, 19 to 49, and VL-20-01 to 06, 08, 10 to 11, 13 to 30, and MA-20-01 to 05, 07 to 08, 11 to 15, 17 to 21.
   

Figure 1: Location Map, Valentine Gold Project. (See News Release Dated February 3, 2020 for a Description of the 2020 Exploration Drill Program) is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/161f0125-0f0f-4041-b06e-9df9c81d577b

Figure 2: Location of Berry Zone Exploration Drill Hole Collars VL-20-850 to VL-20-882 is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4cc53e21-0222-402a-ab60-84689dcc862a

Figure 3: Cross section 14700E (View NE) Sprite Corridor, Valentine Gold Project is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bdd0f7dd-9fa5-471a-8c55-142f2cb851a6

Figure 4: Location of Footwall and Condemnation Drill Hole Collars VS-20-01 to 49, VL-20-01 to 30, and MA-20-01 to 21 is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f4c783ed-0053-4dc9-97ef-27d65c060907

Qualified Person

Disclosure of a scientific or technical nature in this news release was prepared under the supervision of Nicholas Capps, P.Geo. (NL), Project Manager for exploration at the Valentine Gold Project. Exploration data quality assurance and control for Marathon is under the supervision of Jessica Borysenko, P.Geo (NL), GIS Manager for Marathon Gold Corp.. Both Mr. Capps and Ms. Borysenko are qualified persons under National Instrument (“NI”) 43-101.

Quality Assurance-Quality Control (“QA/QC”)

QA/QC protocols followed at the Valentine Gold Project include the insertion of blanks and standards at regular intervals in each sample batch. Drill core is cut in half with one half retained at site, the other half tagged and sent to Eastern Analytical Limited in Springdale, NL. All reported core samples are analyzed for Au by fire assay (30g) with AA finish. All samples above 0.30 g/t Au in economically interesting intervals are further assayed using metallic screen to mitigate the presence of coarse gold. Significant mineralized intervals are reported in Table 1 as core lengths and estimated true thickness (70 - 95% of core length), and reported with and without a top-cut of 30 g/t Au applied.

Acknowledgments

Marathon acknowledges the financial support of the Junior Exploration Assistance Program, Department of Natural Resources, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

About Marathon

Marathon (TSX:MOZ) is a Toronto based gold company advancing its 100%-owned Valentine Gold Project located in the central region of Newfoundland and Labrador, one of the top mining jurisdictions in the world. The Project comprises a series of four mineralized deposits along a 20-kilometre system. An April 2020 Pre-Feasibility Study outlined an open pit mining and conventional milling operation over a twelve-year mine life with a 36% after-tax rate of return. The Project has estimated Proven Mineral Reserves of 1.3 Moz (26.3 Mt at 1.52 g/t) and Probable Mineral Reserves of 0.6 Moz (14.8 Mt at 1.23 g/t). Total Measured Mineral Resources (inclusive of the Mineral Reserves) comprise 1.9 Moz (31.7 Mt at 1.86 g/t) with Indicated Mineral Resources (inclusive of the Mineral Reserves) of 1.19 Moz (23.2 Mt at 1.60 g/t). Additional Inferred Mineral Resources are 0.96 Moz (16.77 Mt at 1.78 g/t Au). Please see the Technical Report dated April 21, 2020 for further details and assumptions relating to the Valentine Gold Project.

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To find out more information on Marathon Gold Corp. and the Valentine Gold Project, please visit www.marathon-gold.com.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain information contained in this news release, constitutes forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws (“forward-looking statements”). All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, which address events, results, outcomes or developments that Marathon expects to occur are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements that are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or include words such as “expects”, “anticipates”, “plans”, “believes”, “estimates”, “considers”, “intends”, “targets”, or negative versions thereof and other similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “may”, “will”, “should”, “would” and “could”. We provide forward-looking statements for the purpose of conveying information about our current expectations and plans relating to the future, and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. More particularly and without restriction, this news release contains forward-looking statements and information about Marathon’s intention to complete the Offering and the timing thereof, economic analyses for the Valentine Gold Project, capital and operating costs, processing and recovery estimates and strategies, future exploration and mine plans, objectives and expectations and corporate planning of Marathon, future feasibility studies and environmental impact statements and the timetable for completion and content thereof and statements as to management's expectations with respect to, among other things, the matters and activities contemplated in this news release.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions and accordingly, actual results and future events could differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. You are hence cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. A mineral resource that is classified as “inferred” or “indicated” has a great amount of uncertainty as to its existence and economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that any or part of an “indicated mineral resource” or “inferred mineral resource” will ever be upgraded to a higher category of mineral resource. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into proven and probable mineral reserves.

By its nature, this information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. Factors that could cause future results or events to differ materially from current expectations expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements include receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, completion of all conditions to closing of the Offering, availability of financing to fund Marathon’s exploration and development activities, the ability of the current exploration program to identify and expand mineral resources, operational risks in exploration and development for gold, Marathon’s ability to realize the pre-feasibility study, delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures, uncertainty as to calculation of mineral resources, changes in commodity and power prices, changes in interest and currency exchange rates, the ability to attract and retain qualified personnel, inaccurate geological and metallurgical assumptions (including with respect to the size, grade and recoverability of mineral resources), changes in development or mining plans due to changes in logistical, technical or other factors, title defects, government approvals and permits, cost escalation, changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets, environmental regulation, operating hazards and risks, delays, taxation rules, competition, public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and other uninsurable risks, liquidity risk, share price volatility, dilution and future sales of common shares, aboriginal claims and consultation, cybersecurity threats, climate change, delays and other risks described in Marathon’s documents filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities.

You can find further information with respect to these and other risks in Marathon’s Amended and Restated Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2019 and other filings made with Canadian securities regulatory authorities available at www.sedar.com. Other than as specifically required by law, Marathon undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, whether as a result of new information, future events or results otherwise.