This race has been a long time coming because I originally signed up to run it in 2020 (which of course was cancelled due to the pandemic), so instead runners … MORE
This race has been a long time coming because I originally signed up to run it in 2020 (which of course was cancelled due to the pandemic), so instead runners were offered a 75% credit towards a future race up through 2025. Decided to use the credit this year because who knows when the country will be in lockdown mode again.
Expo: Held at the convention center in downtown Vancouver next to the harbor Friday and Saturday before the race. I went Friday afternoon and parked at a nearby lot for $9 CAD (hourly rate); it would probably have been easier to use public transit instead as the expo was only a few blocks from a skytrain station. Gear check was only available at the expo meaning runners couldn’t check in their gear at race start which was a bit cumbersome. Luckily the temperature didn’t fluctuate much between race start and finish but if it did it’d have been a hassle to shed clothing (saw some runners carrying the gear check bags while racing).
Weather: Low 50s (Fahrenheit); sprinkled a little bit before the start of the race but quickly subsided. Perfect running weather (cloudy with little to no wind and not too hot).
Race Start: Signed up for the race shuttle at Patterson Station for about $7 CAD a few weeks before the race so I didn’t need to try to figure out the bus system early in the morning to get to Queen Elizabeth Park where the race began. Bus left at 7:15am sharp and got to the park around 7:30am (race started at 8:30am). Runners were given a Compass card for unlimited ride within 90 minutes to get to the race start, however since I signed up for the shuttle I used the Compass card after race finish instead to get back to my Airbnb.
Course: Not sure where I got the impression that this was supposed to be relatively flat, but boy was I wrong. My Garmin showed a total elevation gain of 2,258 ft which was even more than Big Sur and that was completely insane. However the course was scenic and provided a great snapshot of the city from a tourist perspective, passing by UBC, Stanley Park along the notorious Seawall, and finishing in downtown Vancouver.
Aid Stations: Water at every station although for the first 10 miles or so I didn’t see much electrolytes offered (Nuun; or maybe they ran out? No clue). Gummy gels were offered at Miles 8 (13km), 13 (21km), and 19 (31km).
Crowd Support: Spectators were consistent throughout the race (crowd cheering on your name printed on the bib). Great vibe.
Post-Race Refreshment: Bottled water, energy bars, a banana, two small bags of chips, and a turkey sandwich.
Swag: Short sleeve tech shirt, a pair of gloves featuring the race sponsor (BMO), and a reusable gear check tote bag. The medal design was pretty random with a tiger looking animal on the back. Not sure if it represented Vancouver’s mascot of some sort?
Final Thoughts: Ran nonstop up ’til around Mile 23 when the pain around my lower back and thighs became excruciating. Pacing groups included a run/walk option which was rare. Overall this was a good race (advertised to be the biggest marathon in Canada) but it was much hillier than expected at a total elevation gain of 2k+ ft.
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Rolling hills galore
This race has been a long time coming because I originally signed up to run it in 2020 (which of course was cancelled due to the pandemic), so instead runners … MORE
This race has been a long time coming because I originally signed up to run it in 2020 (which of course was cancelled due to the pandemic), so instead runners were offered a 75% credit towards a future race up through 2025. Decided to use the credit this year because who knows when the country will be in lockdown mode again.
Expo: Held at the convention center in downtown Vancouver next to the harbor Friday and Saturday before the race. I went Friday afternoon and parked at a nearby lot for $9 CAD (hourly rate); it would probably have been easier to use public transit instead as the expo was only a few blocks from a skytrain station. Gear check was only available at the expo meaning runners couldn’t check in their gear at race start which was a bit cumbersome. Luckily the temperature didn’t fluctuate much between race start and finish but if it did it’d have been a hassle to shed clothing (saw some runners carrying the gear check bags while racing).
Weather: Low 50s (Fahrenheit); sprinkled a little bit before the start of the race but quickly subsided. Perfect running weather (cloudy with little to no wind and not too hot).
Race Start: Signed up for the race shuttle at Patterson Station for about $7 CAD a few weeks before the race so I didn’t need to try to figure out the bus system early in the morning to get to Queen Elizabeth Park where the race began. Bus left at 7:15am sharp and got to the park around 7:30am (race started at 8:30am). Runners were given a Compass card for unlimited ride within 90 minutes to get to the race start, however since I signed up for the shuttle I used the Compass card after race finish instead to get back to my Airbnb.
Course: Not sure where I got the impression that this was supposed to be relatively flat, but boy was I wrong. My Garmin showed a total elevation gain of 2,258 ft which was even more than Big Sur and that was completely insane. However the course was scenic and provided a great snapshot of the city from a tourist perspective, passing by UBC, Stanley Park along the notorious Seawall, and finishing in downtown Vancouver.
Aid Stations: Water at every station although for the first 10 miles or so I didn’t see much electrolytes offered (Nuun; or maybe they ran out? No clue). Gummy gels were offered at Miles 8 (13km), 13 (21km), and 19 (31km).
Crowd Support: Spectators were consistent throughout the race (crowd cheering on your name printed on the bib). Great vibe.
Post-Race Refreshment: Bottled water, energy bars, a banana, two small bags of chips, and a turkey sandwich.
Swag: Short sleeve tech shirt, a pair of gloves featuring the race sponsor (BMO), and a reusable gear check tote bag. The medal design was pretty random with a tiger looking animal on the back. Not sure if it represented Vancouver’s mascot of some sort?
Final Thoughts: Ran nonstop up ’til around Mile 23 when the pain around my lower back and thighs became excruciating. Pacing groups included a run/walk option which was rare. Overall this was a good race (advertised to be the biggest marathon in Canada) but it was much hillier than expected at a total elevation gain of 2k+ ft.
Still got it
The race was delayed for over an hour due to a bomb scare. Waiting that long on concrete was a challenge. Once the race got going it was great to … MORE
The race was delayed for over an hour due to a bomb scare. Waiting that long on concrete was a challenge. Once the race got going it was great to see all the people out there cheering. The volunteers were also great. Most runners would say that the course distance was at least 400M long. Otherwise the weather was perfect I still managed to run a sub 2 despite the delay.
Good excuse to visit an awesome city
A nice tour of a great city featuring many of the must go to destinations. Hilly in and around UBC. Marathon wise save legs for last 10K to enjoy tour … MORE
A nice tour of a great city featuring many of the must go to destinations. Hilly in and around UBC. Marathon wise save legs for last 10K to enjoy tour around Stanley Park–not like I did. (Don’t forget to visit the Museum of Anthropology (MOA)) at UBC when in Vancouver to see its amazing collection of Pacific NW First Nation art).
Fantastic course; terrible personal race
Vancouver is beautiful, well-organized, and the weather was fantastic. Great energy, swag, aid stations. It should have been perfect. Instead, I chased the pacer (a 10:1 pacer from the Running … MORE
Vancouver is beautiful, well-organized, and the weather was fantastic. Great energy, swag, aid stations. It should have been perfect. Instead, I chased the pacer (a 10:1 pacer from the Running Room) for 16km and blew up spectacularly.
Vancouver at its best!
Vancouver Marathon is really a very beautiful race. Even on a rainy day I really enjoyed the race. The first 5k downhill into downtown followed by a few smooth uphill … MORE
Vancouver Marathon is really a very beautiful race. Even on a rainy day I really enjoyed the race. The first 5k downhill into downtown followed by a few smooth uphill parts. The race is of course perfectly organized!
First Time Trials
This was my first full marathon, 8 months postpartum no less, which means it was difficult for me. It's hilly, but not terrible. The fans and volunteers are amazing, and … MORE
This was my first full marathon, 8 months postpartum no less, which means it was difficult for me. It’s hilly, but not terrible. The fans and volunteers are amazing, and everything is well organized. It makes a good destination race, Vancouver is a beautiful city.