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Apr 27, 2024

Vancouver International Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.1

Organization 3.6

Spectators 3.8

Number of comments: 224 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

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S. E. from Seattle, WA (5/22/2013) "What kind of marathon runs out of water?" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 Vancouver International Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 The weather forecasters all predicted an unseasonably hot day for the 2013 event. Despite this, the half-marathon course didn't have water from 7 on. People were begging for water. A large part of the problem was because the course goes through Stanley Park, which is beautiful; however, the roads are all blocked off for the event, so the organizers apparently had no ability to drive in more water and replenish the water stations. Some stations were just abandoned, while at others volunteers said 'We don't have any water for you, but we have lots of love.' The love was great, but I needed water. At least the organizers made the transportation logistics better this year, by giving out free transit tickets. Maybe they can figure out how to provide water to participants next year. It's hard to believe they would endanger people's health with such a basic mistake. How hard is it to do the math required to provision ample water??
B. M. from Sherwood Park AB. (5/18/2013) "A FUN RACE FOR ALL RUNNING ABILITIES." (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Vancouver International Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 After running this race for the 8th time, I really enjoyed this years course. A few corrections were made, i.e. not having to run through the parking lot loop at Jericho Beach, being able to see the finish line, and not having to walk 2kms to get your gear after the race. Also from previous years, not having to wake up the urban campers down Hastings Street was a nice change, even though some would cheer from there cardboard shelters which made me smile. It must be quite difficult to find 42.2 km of runable terrain in a large city, and I have enjoyed parts of all the other courses from previous years. Although this not a true tour of the city, like in some other marathons, I definetly enjoyed the scenery, the reprieve from the heat of the sun when entering the sea wall as well as the cool ocean breeze was a welcome treat. A little warm for me but it brought out the crowds, especially in the Kitsilano and English Bay areas. I'd say that was the most people I've seen cheering at the event. I didn't listen to the warning we were given at the start of the race, to watch your speed on the down hill, coming out of UBC going into Jericho Beach and thus I struggled a bit more than usual towards the end of the race. The volunteers were great offering high fives and the dreaded ' your almost there ' cheer. Race organizers, you did a great job, thanks for a 'fun' experience. If I had to pick something negative to say, I guess it would be that the t-shirts were a bit under-wellming. But I still wore my home with pride. I will be running this race again.
M. W. from Portland, Oregon (5/6/2013) "Spectacular, but not easy, course" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Vancouver International Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Vancouver is one of my most favorite cities in the world, and they have a marathon to match. I have a hard time imagining a more beautiful place to run a marathon, and in 2013, the clear blue sky made it even better. However, I'd suggest that although most of the course is flat, the climbs between 7-11 km are pretty challenging, and make this overall a tougher course than you might think for a race occurring mostly at sea level. Having run the seawall in Stanley Park before, I wasn't sure how they'd squeeze thousands of marathoners through some of the narrower parts, but I think by capping the race at 5,000 runners, they solved that problem. Also, by the end of the race, everyone was quite spread out, and it wasn't a problem at all. I don't know what the official weather stats for the day of the 2013 race were, but I'd guess it was maybe 59F at the start and possibly 70F by the time I finished. A bit warm. PROs: - The free ticket for the ride on the Skytrain given to runners at packet pick-up was great (note that the trains also started running earlier and more frequently on Sunday morning for the race). The trains were well-used but not over-crowded. - The starting line area seemed to have plenty of porta-pottiees. - LOTS of water-stops seemed liked there was one every 3 KM or so. However, many of them seemed a bit sparsely staffed. I hope the later runners were able to get water without waiting for someone to fill a cup for them. CONS: - The course crossed a couple of busy roads, and as a result, occasionally runners had to be stopped to allow traffic through. HOWEVER, the race compensated for this with timing mats just before the breaks so times could be adjusted when needed. - In general, good crowd support in some key areas, but in others, it was quite sparse. of course, those were shady, tree-lined areas, so it was almost a good change of pace to have some quieter parts. - OTHER - The race shirts were long-sleeve for the full marathon, and half-sleeve frot he half marathon. Runners get the race shirt at packet pick-up, so technically they aren't 'finishers' shirts. Personally, I had a much worse performance here than I expected, and I'm not sure yet what to blame it on, but it was so spectacular and well run race that I had a pretty grand time, anyway. Just means I have some unfinished business to come back and address in a future year. Great race, highly recommended. Train for the hills!
R. S. from Vancouver BC (5/6/2013) "Room for improvement" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Vancouver International Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 Yes, the course is five-star. However, line ups and wait times at the expo were longer than any of the previous 5-6 Vancouver events I've attended. Thankfully, there were public toilets along the route (beach etc.), because there were not enough porta-potties for 10,000 half marathoners. And I've never run in an event that actually ran out of water and Gatorade at two of the final three water stops. Not worth the entry fee.
s. T. from vancouver canada (5/5/2013) "good" (about: 2013) 4-5 previous marathons \| 2 Vancouver International Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 This marathon was good. But I would say hard for beginners.
k. q. from Vancouver (9/14/2012) "A Fun Tourist Race" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 Vancouver International Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I have run Vancouver a few time and it confuses how it just can't be better. Maybe the organizers have not been in races themselves ie: too many turns on the course, long walk for gear pick up, tight finish line area, very crowded areas on the seawall, and perhaps a city that doesn't support these healthy events. On the pro's it is a nice tourist destination, parts where you are not in a forest are spectacular like along the beach and parks. The course was also not marked well and the certification was not available until just before the race. Great city for a race but they got some work to do to be world class.
P. R. from Calgary, Alberta (5/17/2012) "Nice course, disappointing organization" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Vancouver International Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 After running this race seven times over the previous decade I was looking forward to the 'new and improved' Vancouver Marathon. Unfortunately, at least for me, the hype didn't live up to the reality. PROS (with some caveats): a) the new course was, well, new, but no better or worse than the old one. Long lonely stretches with zero spectators or much to look at, a lot of nice scenery, but little 'big city' ambience. When going to a big city 'international' marathon I would prefer to see more of the actual city; I can go for a run in the countryside anytime. Hilly first half so train for them and don't go out too fast. The out-and-back detour at the half-way point seemed contrived and out of character with the rest of the course; surely a more interesting detour somewhere other than a parking lot could be found to get the proper distance. Unlike others I wasn't overly impressed with the Seawall run. Pretty yes, but with the pathways being open to other walkers, cyclists, joggers, dog walkers and the baby-stroller crowd, along with zero spectators along the way, it didn't really feel like we were taking part in a race. I'm probably in the minority, but I found the old route with sections through Chinatown, the Eastside, Downtown, Kitsilano, etc, more interesting and enjoyable. b) good corral system. A few slower runners and walkers still snuck into higher corrals, but better than it used to be. A few volunteers checking bib numbers at the start would be appreciated to keep the dawdlers from getting in at the front then clogging things up over the first few kms. c) Cheerful volunteers at the water stations, although a bit overwelmed at times. I was in the middle of the pack (3:45) and found some stations hard pressed to keep up with the number of runners coming through. d) good gear drop off at the start (but totally negated by the fiasco at the end....more on that later). e) lots of porta-potties at the start (and urinals for the guys!) CONS: a) 'Dead' start area. Maybe it was due to the start area being in a park in the middle of a somewhat toney residential area with a requirement to keep the noise down, but this was probably the most boring, uninspiring start to any marathon I've ever done. No music, no announcements that could be heard due to a seriously underpowered PA system, no hype, no excitement. Physically a poor layout, with runners lined up in a long narrow corridor blocks long, lined with outhouses and urinals. Wave start is a good idea, but the five minute wait before releasing each corral was unnecessary and detracted from the excitement of the start for anyone other than those in the first corral. b) Finish area was poor. A short walk through the medal and food area, then runners were sent out into the concrete jungle of downtown Vancouver. Nowhere to sit other than a concrete curb, no gathering area to hang out and enjoy the day, no central area to meet friends and family, no entertainment. For a major marathon the finish area was disappointing and a big letdown. In the past we've been able to hang out with other runners, listen to some local bands, take in the awards and cheer for the winners. This year it was like 'the race is over, here's the exit, now go away'. I can only imagine how dreary this will be when Vancouver gets the inevitable cold, rainy day for the race. c) Gear pick was a bad joke played on tired runners. After running a full marathon we then had to trudge blocks from the finish area to the Convention Center, go all the way to the farthest reaches of this huge building, get through the Expo, all for the privilege of then standing in line for ages with hundreds of other runners, all trying to get their gear at one of two tables, then walk all the way back out again on now-cramping legs. It seemed like a cynical attempt to squeeze a few more dollars from partipants by forcing them to attend the Expo one more time. Gear pick-up needs to be seriously revamped; if Boston can get gear back to 25,000+ runners within minutes of the finish line with no extra walking involved, Vancouver can do MUCH better. d) Entertainment along the course is not a big deal to me, but it was virtually non-existant. However, as mentioned above, something more needs to be done at the start but especially the finish in terms of something to establish some fun and excitement about the event; even some canned music over the PA would be better than nothing. e) Curious decision to divide the full and half marathons between the street (half) and running paths (full) along English Bay meant that crowd support on the only section of the race that has ever drawn much support was marginal for marathon runners. The new route through Kitsilano also seemed to reduce the number of people out watching the race. Other than these two areas spectator support was virtually non-existant. While the new course may be scenically prettier than the old route which went through more urban areas, it seems to have come at the cost of much of the spectator support. f) Awards ceremony seemed an afterthought. Done indoors in a dark corner of the Expo a long way from the finish area; a sad and lonely little scene. We should be celebrating the achievement of the winners in a place that everyone can give them a cheer, not in a spot so far removed from the vast majority of runners and spectators. Disappointing. Overall, I'd say that the new route is neither better or worse, but the poor layouts and mediocre experience of both the start and finish areas made this year's marathon a notch poorer than previous years. Not sure why the move was made, but as a runner I found the old start/finish area at BC Place far superior to what was offered this year. Nothing that would be a deal breaker in terms of coming back or not, but for the price paid and potential of the city, Vancouver could do a lot better in terms of organization and race experience for runners, regardless of whether or not you liked the new race route.
M. L. from Calgary, Alberta (5/12/2012) "Excellent experience for all" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Vancouver International Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 42nd marathon; I last did this race in 2007 and I'm so impressed with how the race has progressed since then. I went with a group of newbies and veteran marathoners, and we all had a great experience from start to finish, so, I can confidently say that the experience was good across the board (in case you were thinking that I'm out of touch with the current 'expections' of a city marathon - which seem to have become quite demanding). I BQ'd so while I'm predicting some complaining on this comment board about hills, street crossing (times were adjusted), and winding curves along the seawall, YES, it is still a fast course. The crowd support isn't something I usually care about, but the cheer teams made me smile. The group handing out medals in the finish area was incredible; they were lined up on each side, forming a Tunnel of Cheer, what a thoughtful and gratifying way to finish. I am sure the RD is well aware of the delays in team registration and the shortage of water for the back of the pack on an unseasonably hot day. Having stations every mile took some of the pressure off, but the back of the pack went short. Also, being forced to walk through the Running Room area to get to pickup is simply disingenious and desperate, and at the very least, made things very crowded. PLEASE CHANGE THIS Despite those items, I'm saying it's a very strong RECOMMEND! Van has an unrivalled atmosphere and it's an awesome tourist destination. Everything you could possibly think of was planned for.
M. C. from USA (5/8/2012) "Fast, scenic course in a beautiful city." (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Vancouver International Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The new marathon course is a fast course. How fast? I finally qualified for Boston on this course. It helped that it was a gorgeous day with ideal running conditions. The point-to-point course is also scenic with miles of running along the seawall. Vancouver's race organization is very good. The only reason I give it 4 stars is that runners were responsible to transporting themselves to the start line.
G. M. from Vancouver, BC (5/8/2012) "Spectacular Course" (about: 2012) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Vancouver International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Just finished the half marathon on the RUN VAN new course. Am from Vancouver so review may be biased but here is an honest summary: Pros: 1. The new course really is spectacular. Showcases the best the city has to offer. The views are hard to beat anywhere and mix city, ocean and mountain views. A little more hilly than I thought so not really a flat course. However must be one of the most scenic courses in the world. 2. Race organization was very good overall. 3. Excellent use of social media and email to keep people informed, entertained and feeling part of a race community. 4. Corrals worked very well and were easy to access. Especially liked that the gear check and washrooms were a few steps from each corral. Unlike the RnR Vegas nightmare, people obeyed the corrals and there was no issue with walkers getting in the way of runners. 5. Very well marked course in both kms and miles. Also, a very accurate course with minimal turns as my Garmin differed from the actual mileage markers by only a tiny amount (a first for me). 6. Aid stations well-manned and easy to get water or gatorade. 7. Men's urinals at the start. No need to wait in any washroom lines. Awesome. 8. Very good post-race atmosphere with people hanging out by the Olympic torch. 9. They handed you a brown paper bag of food post-race. Good idea and well-stocked. 10. Great race shirt (but I like black / dark grey). Modern design. 11. The sun was out. Makes a HUGE difference in Vancouver. It is either one of the best places anywhere or grey and miserable. Would have really changed the day had it been cloudy with rain. 12. Two separate courses for the full and half. No merge issue. Cons: 1. Expo was ok but rather small for a race with 15,000 runners. I would have thought more exhibitors. 2. The gear check pick-up in the expo was a disaster. I went very early and waited 45 mins for someone just to find my bag (it took them that long to locate). Many many people waited a long time. On the way out the line-up stretched forever. They needed 1) more space 2) more volunteers and 3) a better sorting mechanism. A bit chaotic. 3. The finisher medal was very disappointing. The new 'RUN VAN' design concept was very good, however the medal was cheap. Very lightweight and the ribbon has got to be one of the worst I own. Honestly the cheapest medal I own for one of the best courses I have ran. Too bad. 4. The finish area could have had live music and maybe move the awards ceremony outdoors instead of in a convention hall room. 5. They needed loud speakers and music at the start to get everyone pumped up. Speakers needed to be near each corral as impossible to hear anything if not in the first corral. Did not hear any countdown or anthem either.

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