Last year I ran the half-marathon in Vancouver, so I knew fully well what to expect of the marathon.

The course is flat-ish for the first half, and then you have the famous hill in Stanley Park, which is a little bit of a killer. Then on the way out towards kits, there are some long undulations, but it's easier on the way back than on the way out to the turn around point. As for the weather, as usual the gods weren't very kind to us, as it was raining at the start. During the second half of the marathon, though, the sun did pop its head out of the clouds.

I think that the actual location of the marathon start and finish needs to be reconsidered, as it's hard to get in and out of the hall at the Plaza of Nations.

I finished in 3:22:13, which wasn't that bad, considering that it was my second marathon in 21 days :D.

Now that I have had a few months to reflect on my first marathon in Vancouver, I have to say that I loved it. The weather sucked, and I was cold and wet the whole time, but the crowds were great, and the hills only made it better (though not at the time). A must-run for anyone, and I can't wait to do it again. My favorite part: the FINISHER shirt.

I trained for this through a very cold winter in NYC, so the weather did not bother me to much, but it did rain a lot. The course was not as flat as the blurb on the website would lead you to believe, but the miles through the park easily compensate. I ran London last year and the crowd support was incredible, so I found I was a bit disappointed at this race, as there were long stretchs of no support at all. (Maybe the weather had something to do with that?). However, I only had one aim, and that was to break 4 hours. I got 3:58, and I still think Vancouver is one of the best cities to visit. If you like lots of running space and are good without crowds, then this is a great race.

This is my third marathon, and it was a good experience in that I'd never run in a cold rain before. The expo was not as good as at the other two marathons I've run, and the collection area after the race was chaos. Other than that, I appreciated the great police support, the good volunteers, and the fantastic spectators. Course was nice, but I wish the weather was as nice as the following day. Not enough port-a-potties at the start, but there were plenty on the course. Overall, I enjoyed it.

While there is one notable hill between mile 13 and 14, it was followed by a long gradual downhill which gave you time to fully recover and make back lost time. Other than that, there were some bridges and rolling hills, but less than the average marathon. The loopy course brought the spectators together making it seem like there were huge crowds. Some U.S. bashing going on, though that was the exception. Most spectators were enthusiastic and the volunteers were as good as at any race I have run. The expo sucked and there were not enough toilets at the start, but I bet they fix that and who cares anyway. Overall, I would put it on the 'should run' list, especially if you are looking for a spring race.

The course was beautiful and relatively fast, but at the end of the race, all runners that wanted to pick up their race shirts had to enter Enterprise Hall. Along with this, runners wanting to pick up stored gear also had to enter (5,000 runners plus family and friends in a small area created utter chaos!!!). In addition, if you entered Enterprise Hall to get out of the rain and cold and did not get a drink or something to eat, TOO BAD!!! No re-entry!!!
To alleviate some of the problems, shirts could have been given out with packet pick-up. Also, a tent area could have been set up outside to greet family and friends.

Just wanted to say "thank you" to all the spectators and the organizers of the race. I had a great time for a first-time runner and would come back again to do the race. Thank you!
Michelle

The Vancouver marathon is the most beautiful, scenic race I have done. I have run Victoria several times, which is considered to be one of the most scenic, but I thought Vancouver far outdid it. This is my home town and the first time I have done the race. It is a very challenging course, but the best race I have run at marathon distance. I loved it...but it definitely isn't flat for all of you that read the brochure!

A challenging but rewarding marathon. Don't expect a PR here but the city (stay around for a few days) and course make it worth it. Prepare for all types of weather (particularly bad!!). Organization was superb, drinks every two miles is plenty in the weather. Volunteers were excellent, thanks.

This marathon through one of North America's finest cities is a must for those who are truly into balancing running with travel (and not hung up on having to run a PR on some flat and easy course).

Vancouver is a physically beautiful and ethnically diverse city that is a treat to visit, and the marathon itself ain't half bad either.

From looking at posts from previous years, it seems that this marathon has improved it's water distribution, as this year I found the water stops to be way more than adequately placed and staffed (aside from a bit of a long gap at one point during the first half).

One unfortunate point, however, is that the marathon may be tweaking the course next year to make it flatter and faster by eliminating some of the bridge crossings as well as the climb up to Prospect Point in Stanley Park. In my opinion this would be too bad, as we need more marathons to maintain geographic integrity and not sell out to the mass appeal of a PR via a flat course. A marathon in Vancouver without bridge crossings or the outer loop through Stanley Park (including the climb) just wouldn't seem right...