calendar icon Nov 14, 2024

Vancouver International Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Vancouver International Marathon Information & Reviews

Course Rating Course 4.1 
 
Oranization Rating Organization 3.6 
 
Spectator Rating Spectators 3.9 
 
 
Number of comments: 227 [displaying comments 201 to 211]
More Comments: [ < 1 .. 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 > ]

 

A Runner from Chicago, IL USA (5/12/2002)
"Beautiful place to run!!" (about: 2002)


COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 5


There were not enough restrooms at the start and finish and throughout the course. We could have used portable potties at the start!! More water. I have never felt the need to carry water in an organized race!

 

A Runner from New York City (5/11/2002)
"superb marathon" (about: 2002)


COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


The whole experience was super. It is extremely well organized. The hills are manageable. The water stations are excellent. The weather was ideal-cool throughout. I thought the spectators were quite supportive. The scenery, people, and great neighborhoods make this a great place for a long weekend. I would recommend that they attach balloons to the mile markers for visibility. I plan on returning with a few of my friends for the next one.

 

Cameron Blandy from An Aussie living in The Netherlands (5/10/2002)
"Beautiful hard run for my first marathon" (about: 2002)


COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 4


Overall it was a very rewarding experience for my first marathon. Beautiful course!! Very tough course and you definitely knew you had run a marathon. Crowd support was great (especially in Kitsilano) and I had a fantastic day.

General comments...
Start time too early. It is very hard to prepare for a marathon that starts at 7.15am.

Coming from a metric country (most of the world is) having mile splits is useless. If you have every mile marked you should have every kilometre marked as well, not every 5.

Drink station at start/finish line (9 km) was empty.

T-shirt pick up should be part of refreshment area. After finishing I went straight to get t-shirt and was not allowed back into refreshment area and thus did not get a drink or anything to eat. I had to see friends and family (Australia) through the 'prison' fence.

 

A Runner from Tampa, FL (5/9/2002)
"Great course...Good weather...Poor support" (about: 2002)


COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 3  FANS: 1


The course was brilliant...Smartly planned...Well laid-out...Very diverse terrain...I would, however, strongly recommend advising non-local runners of the many hills - particularly the biggie on Stanley Park...The drink volunteers - particularly in the middle miles - were woefully inefficient, more often than not handing out near-empty cups. Several times I had to stop and go directly to the table myself to get fluids. The expo also was very disappointing. All in all an extremely average experience. I would not do this marathon again

 

A Runner from Portland, Oregon (5/8/2002)
"Good race and course, BEAUTIFUL city" (about: 2002)


COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 4


I thoroughly enjoyed Vancouver and had a good time running my second marathon there. My main criticism is that the worst part of the course, the out-and-back through Kitsilano, comes at the end. It would be much better to get this over with earlier in the run. Stanley Park is gorgeous, the spectators were great and the race was relatively well organized (although not at the start when the half marathoners had to make their way through the port-a-potty lines of marathoners to get to the start line). I like running hills so didn't mind the 3x over the Burrard Bridge, and found the most significant hill at mile 13 or so in Stanley Park very doable. All in all, this was a great experience, Vancouver is a wonderful destination city and I would recommend this run.

 

A Runner from Seattle, WA (5/7/2002)
"Coming Back Next Year" (about: 2002)


COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


I really enjoyed the marathon. I only did the 1/2 marathon and will come back next year. It was well organized. Someone had commented on not liking the t-shirts; I thought they were pretty nice, but you can't please everyone. I thought the food in the end was out of this world...gosh...I was amazed. I used to live in the West End of Vancouver years ago and the marathon took me right down where I used to play tennis, ride my bike, roller-skate, jog and just have fun. I really enjoyed the marathon and I will be back next year better prepared for the hill in Stanley Park.

 

A Runner from Vancouver (5/7/2002)
"Thanks for a great race !!!!" (General Comments)


COURSE: 4  ORGANIZATION: 5  FANS: 5


This was my first Marathon. It was fun, challenging and rewarding all at the same time. I especially liked the hail. Can we order fire and brimstone for next year and make it real fun race?

 

A Runner from Seattle (5/6/2002)
"Not enough water stations, lots of long hills" (about: 2002)


COURSE: 2  ORGANIZATION: 2  FANS: 3


Not enough or well staffed H2O stations, course has lots of long raising hills.

 

A Runner from Vancouver, B.C. (5/5/2002)
"Beautiful City, Enthusiastic Participants" (about: 2002)


COURSE: 5  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 4


Beautiful scenery and many spontaneous, cheering spectators. The marathoners this year were quite fun --- a large contingent from Dallas, Texas running for leukemia research. The shirts this year are much improved from those previous. As mentioned in previous runner submissions, Power Gels are only distributed at mile 18, when they really are more required further back in Stanley Park. Overall, I was pleased with the experience and would run it again!

 

A Runner from Vancouver, British Columbia (4/15/2002)
"Great scenic course" (General Comments)


COURSE: 3  ORGANIZATION: 4  FANS: 3


I live in Vancouver and have run the Vancouver Marathon 2 times. There's nothing like running a course that's home to you. I have 2 complaints. Firstly, the course takes the runners over the Burrard Street Bridge 3 times and secondly, the Power Gels should be available way before mile 18. Mile 18 is much too late to be thinking about gels. If you haven't started taking them by then, you're hooped. Aside from these two points, the scenery is amazing and the crowd support outside of Stanley Park is great.

 

More Comments: [ < 1 .. 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 > ]


Become an Advertiser

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Become an Advertiser