I loved this marathon. It was nice and flat. Going through Stanley Park was priceless.

Sorry, but this is the poorest marathon that I've seen: no fans, the expo... what expo? That´s not an expo. In many ways, I saw a lot of people cutting corners and no one caught that. Try to copy Chicago or New York, or else....

I read other people's comments about this run, and have to say it wasn't THAT bad. There were quite a few positives:

Firstly, this is one event that actually allowed you to stay INSIDE a covered stadium before and after the race. I have been to so many runs where I have been standing outside freezing. This race had a very nice stadium for both pre- and post-race activities.

Secondly, it was raining and when you checked your gear, they had garbage bags available for you! I have never been to a race where they were considerate enough to offer these to anyone who wanted one. The post-race food had excellent variety and there was plenty of it. Everything went very smoothly in regards to checking in gear, knowing where to start, etc.

I was fortunate that at every water station, there was water and sports drink and volunteers offered it to me. They didn't offer gel on the course, but I was happy that they advised you of this ahead of time so you could plan.

All in all, I thought it was a good event and even though it rained, it is still a marathon worth running. We took the Sky Train from our hotel, which made getting there and back very easy and convenient.

This was my second marathon and I was excited to run a big-time marathon in a big city after competing in a smaller one (Whidbey Island, WA). The course was good, and running through Stanley Park was definitely my favorite part. Having the park located between miles 13 and 18 was perfect, as that can be a time in the race that can be mentally draining. It was definitely more hilly than advertised. I would recommend being prepared for that. The weather was a negative, as it seemed to keep away many spectators. The course also went through some of the more sketchy areas of town, and at mile 5 or so I even witnessed an attempted car theft, which to say the least, was a little bit distracting to have officers tackling a guy while he is spinning a car in circles 10 feet from the course. The race also had a ton of out-and-back portions. I think Vancouver is a big enough city to where those are not needed. I am undecided as to whether or not I will be running again next year. This race shows a lot of potential, so I feel like it will be much improved.

Considering how scared the organizers are of another marathon coming to Vancouver, you'd think this event would have been improved upon.

Room to improve? Yes:
-Course (need more scenery, less East Van)
-Expo (where to begin)
-Promotion (barely any crowd support)
-T-shirts (cotton long? yuck. Furthermore, why can't the shirts be picked up at the expo?)
-Finisher's area (like a gated prison with lines everywhere, and we had to wait in an air lock for 5 very long minutes, starving and nauseous, just to get into BC Place)
-Finisher's food (less bananas, more hot food)
-Finisher medals are small and ugly.

I've run the marathon and half 4 times, but this was my last.

I understand that Devine Racing would like to organize an event here, so I say bring on the competition!

First of all, huge thanks to all the volunteers and spectators who did come out - it wasn't a really bad day to run (cool and eventually stopped raining) but it was terrible for handing out water and cheering.

Second, can the course get changed? There are some beautiful areas of the city that could be part of this run instead of the out-and-backs (boo!), and the scary parts of downtown.

Otherwise, it was fine. I carried my own water and didn't care about mile markers, as I am not a fast runner looking for a qualifier. Just there to have fun!

I ran Vancouver for the first time last year (2005). I went back home and told people in my running club that it was one of the best organized I had ever run. I am glad none of them came this year! This seemed more like a first time marathon rather than one that has been going for decades. Did they change the organizers as well as the leading sponsor?

The Expo was a disappointment. I don't mind paying the price for souvenirs (T-shirts, mugs...) but $2.50 for a cheesy window sticker?? The number of and selection of vendors was sparse and strange. I am not sure what a couple of them were doing at a marathon expo. I think I got 4 free samples of product in the entire thing.
The start was confused - maybe due to the weather. The eventual winner showed up 1 minute before the start and got to start dry as well as in the front. Maybe they should figure how to accommodate the rest of the field a little better in rain. It does happen now and again in May in Vancouver.

There were not nearly as many natives to cheer us on this year. I can't blame them. I would probably have stayed home in the weather if I hadn't been running. The volunteers were great. Some of them were a little confused about the order at the water stations but I think we got through that.

As far as the problems this year - maybe the organizers should encourage the competition of the RNR group doing a Fall marathon. If they do it better, it will be good for the city and challenge the BMO organizers to get back on track. If they don't present a world class event, the BMO organizers can justify this year's fiasco.

Don't understand all of the negative comments. This was only my third marathon, but I thought it was a blast. The expo was 'alright'. I thought the stuff was overpriced and I stumbled around the entire expo before I realized that I had to stumble back out and get my bib number and then wind my way back thru the expo to pick up my packet. It wasn't really clear...The race tour was nice with a knowledgable guide. The course was slightly hillier than I anticipated, but now I know how I'd run the course differently. I still had a PR. The mile/km markers need to be easier to see. I carry my own Fig Newtons so I never eat anything given out on the race course. It wasn't clear to me what flavor of Ultima would be served - one place I read 'Passion' - one place I read 'Strawberry/Kiwi' and I think they actually served 'Banana Something'. I trained with several different kinds of Ultima and that stuff - (not just Ultima) - any sports drinks -- all taste like sludge anyway. The weather was to be expected in Vancouver. I thought the fan support was great. So, my experiences were different than some others. I'd definately run the race again, if I have the opportunity.

I live in Vancouver, so wish I could be proud of our marathon. I can't. I've run marathons all over the world. This was easily the worst I've run. Bank of Montreal (the lead sponsor): What were you thinking?

Website: -10 - about the worst I've ever seen.
Route: 0 - Seriously folks, Vancouver is a beautiful city. Sorry the marathon route doesn't showcase it. Big cities all over the world close their streets for marathons. Why do runners need to dodge cars being waved across the route in the last few miles?
Expo: -5 - Tupperware is always handy, but at a runners' expo I'd rather see running related products! Pretty pathetic.
Crowd Support: What crowds? Other than friends and family did anyone in Vancouver know a marathon was taking place?
Entertainment: +2 - a few entertainers on the route, but pretty sparse.
Water stations: -2 - hopelessly disorganized.
Food: +7 - Actually pretty good selection, though it was a hassle getting into the stadium.
T-Shirts: -5 - Second-rate cotton shirts. Good news for the Salvation Army I guess.
Medals: +2 - Not the worst I've seen.

I was looking forward to using the half marathon in Vancouver as a training run. The Vancouver Marathon was my first marathon (run in 2005) and I had fond memories of a great expo, fantastic course support, big crowds, and a lot of "marathon love."

Wow, this year could not have been more different. The rain kept the crowds away (not their fault). The expo felt like it was half the size of the previous year. I walked out of the building and headed to the "second room" only to find there was no second room this year. Last year there were lots of vendor samples and some entertainment. This year registration was confusing and very few samples. I hadn't had lunch but figured since last year they had about stuffed us, it was all good. I left cranky and hungry. (Not that it's their job to feed me, but that was a change from last year.)

The beginning of the half wasn't as organized as I remember the full being. People were seeding themselves all over the place. I'm a runner and started behind groups of people walking 5-7 abreast. WALKERS MOVE TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE COURSE! PLEASE!

Two water stations had no water. So not cool. Fortunately at the last minute I had grabbed my own hydration belt. A number of runners did not have water, though. That's just plain dangerous. High and mighty types might like to criticize others for complaining about this, but when it is advertised that there are hydration stations throughout the course, people depend on that. That is just an inexcusible oversight in my book. They said that there was a communication mix up and water wasn't delivered. So get in the car, drive down to the local grocery store, and buy some doggone water!

End of the event was SO confusing. I saw my husband on one side of a fence, then didn't see him again for another hour. The "Mylar blankets" were more like plastic trash bags and were being given out well away from the finish line. I had to look for it. We were all soaked and plastic doesn't hold in the heat. Couple that with the separation from family and I was miserable.

However, I do love that the food for the runners is a "no family" zone. I've been to too many races where people believe that it's a buffet open to Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Lou, and all seven kids.

Course was gorgeous. Weather was rainy, but nice. I'll definitely do Vancouver again, but doggone it I want water, and MYLAR at the end of the race. Not plastic!