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Nov 14, 2024

Vancouver International Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.1

Organization 3.6

Spectators 3.9

Number of comments: 227 [displaying comments 21 to 31]

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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.
P. C. from Billings, Montana (5/8/2012) "Great new course!" (about: 2012) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Vancouver International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 What a spectacular place to have a marathon! The weather was absolutely perfect, 45 at the start, no wind, and the kind of stunningly sapphire sky that shows up occasionally in the Pacific northwest, the one that tries really hard to erase the memory of months of dreariness. (One wag held up a sign, 'Holy s**t! It's not raining!') Most of the run was along the sound and around Stanley Park, with views that make you want to pause, but yet you keep running. Highly recommended! The organization was very good, but next year they probably need to make it clear that water is not available along the sea wall portion of the run. Very glad I had a water bottle along for the run. Other than that, great group of volunteers working really hard. Definitely should be on the 'must-do' list!
M. W. from Seattle WA (5/7/2012) "Wow wow wow - Great marathon" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Vancouver International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The marathon gods certainly smiled on Vancouver with stunningly perfect weather for the run. That made the revised course even more awesome as views of sea and snow-capped mountains were just so inspiring to run with. Fantastic organization all around and kudos to the Run Van staff and volunteers. So many positives and very few negatives, but here's my nits: 1) Really truly awful, terrible dispacable organization at gear pickup - forcing marathoners to walk back all the way to the Expo and then wait in over an hour line while volunteers literally dig through mountains of gear bags is just plain ridiculous - they're numbered so put them in order for goodness sake! I saw several people just plain give up from retreiving their belongings. Fix this! 2) There should be gatorade at every aid stop - electrolyte replacement is critical so please don't skimp. 3) The little out and back in the parking lot at 13 miles seems unnecessary in such a beautiful city with course possibilities - the new course is great - except for that. Thanks for a great marathon - I'll do it again! (Fix gear pick up though!)
K. V. from Winnipeg (12/28/2011) "Good race in a great city, and improving" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 3 Vancouver International Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The previous comment was spot on. Fan support is not overwheliming, and the course was not in Vancouver's best areas. However the 2012 route will be totally different: Little Mtn to UBC forest to Stanley Pk - BEAUTIFUL. Check out the website - the new course will catapault this to one of the great urban courses.
C. W. from Belllingham, Washington, USA (7/24/2011) "Good race in a great city." (about: 2011) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Vancouver International Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Vancouver is an ideal location for a marathon. I love this city and know it quite well, and perhaps that's why I was a bit disappointed by the course itself. I'm hoping the course changes in 2012 will eliminate the out-and-back portion; the first section in particular is less-than-ideal, and while I enjoy the Kitsilano neighborhood, covering that stretch twice felt endless. The real curiousity, though, is how little time we spent in Stanley Park. This is without a doubt the heart of Vancouver and every runner's dream. And yet very, very little of the course took advantage of this gem. One can only hope the new 2012 course will be an improvement. Having said that, the race was well worth it and I'd certainly recommend it to others. Vancouver offers easy accessibility in terms of getting to and from the starting line, and the organization was good, if not outstanding. Here again, I was somewhat surprised that a race with quite a bit of history fell short in a few key areas. The start/finish line left something be desired, for example. The atmosphere at the end wasn't particularly celebratory or inviting. Most runners left fairly quickly and the awards ceremony was viewed by a mere handful of people. On the course, portable toilets were in short supply, to say the least, and as other reviewers have noted, there apparently was a shortage of cups at some aid stations. There were plenty of enthusiastic volunteers, but this is not your race if fan support along the course is important to you. Personally, I'm perfectly happy without people cheering me along, maybe because I'm from this corner of the world. But anyone who wants to run a super high-energy marathon ~ e.g. fans lining the course, a whole city invested in the race, party atmosphere at the finish ~ should look elsewhere. Those who are comfortable with the laid-back Pacific Northwest style will enjoy Vancouver, but again, the course can take better advantage of the city. Finally, I thought the 2011 medal and shirt were terrific. Didn't hurt, either, that we were blessed with gorgeous weather. Just about the only decent day the entire spring, so we were really fortunate.
James Skinner from Gloucestershire, England (6/16/2011) "Fantastic marathon in the most beautiful city" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Vancouver International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 For those of you who haven't been to Vancouver before, let me assure you that it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. Whilst running the marathon, you really get to take all of this scenery in. The highlight being the middle part of the course that goes through Stanley Park. A medium-sized event that retains a smallish friendly feel. The organisation is good with a well-run registration expo in the two days preceding the race. Saucony provide the merchandise and there is a decent selection to choose from. One nice feature is having the finisher's medals from previous years on display together with plenty of information on the event's history. Running is really popular in British Columbia and this is evidenced by the number of Canadian marathons that have stands at the registration expo. The Victoria Marathon in particular. The locals get behind the event too with decent sized crowds in the later stages of the course in downtown Vancouver. This marathon continues to grow and it is easy to see why. This was my 12th marathon and one of my favourites, not just because I ran a personal best (PB) time either.
Bradford Hammer from Old Tappan, NJ (5/13/2011) "Young city hosts good race with amazing potential" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Vancouver International Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Overall, a nice destination marathon. Lovely and nearly brand-new city, varied surroundings, a flat course, and good organization. Yes, there's room for improvement, but when race day arrives with blue skies in a city known for precipitation, it's hard to complain. For first-timers, Vancouver itself (notably the downtown section) is a stunner. It's like the city has sprouted up in the last five years - most of the buildings are glass and steel and look like they were just built. These gleaming towers reflect lush greenery, sailboats in the surrounding harbors, and the mountain range next door to create a real feast for the eyes. It's like a mini Hong Kong, complete with traffic and international visitors. It's also just as expensive. The race does a good job of showcasing different areas of the city. There's a portion around the start area that includes Chinatown and an out-and-back, a run up eastern downtown to Stanley Park, a few miles in the park itself (which is a real treat), a run down the western shore, and then a very long out-and-back in Kitsilano before returning to the start. The changes help maintain interest, and also allow one to mentally break down the course. There are rumors that the course is being modified going forward, so hopefully the organizers will increase the Stanley Park mileage and kill the first out-and-back (which wasn't very interesting) or shorten the Kitsilano out-and-back (which feels crazy long). Currently, one runs only one-third of Stanley Park before cutting across the green space. In 2011, the day was warm, above 60 degrees, so the shade of Stanley Park was especially welcome. The higher temps also meant that water stops were important and, while they were well spaced, a number of the stations ran out of cups. It didn't affect me as I carry a bottle on a fuel belt and simply re-filled, but I did see water being poured from pitchers direct into runner's mouths, and people using cupped hands to hold fluid. So that was an issue. Also, the marathon didn't use Gatorade. Not sure what the electrolyte beverage was (maybe GU Brew?), but it felt less effective. Perhaps I'm just accustomed to Gatorade. Two great positives about water stops: the volunteers were wonderful and made runners feel as if they were inspiring the entire province. Truly extraordinary. Also, those areas represented the only places were there was crowd support (again, 90% from the volunteers). Although the course easily allows for spectators to see runners at various places (I recall passing a fetching woman in a straw fedora three or four times), the city doesn't really come out to watch. A lot of folks in Vancouver didn't even know there was a marathon. So, this is not a great crowd-support run, and I found the cheer zones near the finish completely deserted. As for the too-long out-and-back in Kitsilano, the oddest part was having the turnaround just over a crest immediately after a water stop. It's essentially hidden from runners until physically making the turn. Once I completed it, I was telling people coming up the hill where the turnaround was to help lighten the load. One other factor for Americans: outside of the halfway point and 20-mile mark, every distance marker was posted in kilometers (with no conversion). Since the BC Place was still under construction, the expo was crammed into a tent and space was a bit tight. Also, no beer tent at the end - c'mon Canada. Aren't frosty brews the national beverage? And how about a band or something at the finish area to keep folks hanging around? Finally, while race photographers were darling nice, I don't have a single picture of finishing (which is the most important shot). I've even tried to find finish-line photos of surrounding runners; still nothing. This is the first of nearly ten marathons I've completed without multiple (and multi-angle) money shots. There was even a pedestrian bridge (or two) right before the line, so there could/should have been plenty of end pix. And, given the incredible surrounds, one would think that race photographers would strategically place themselves to provide potential buyers with great backdrops. The Chinatown gate, the city buildings, the mountains, the harbors - all these were pretty much absent from all but one race photo. Vancouver is a young and different place but the official pictures feel like a missed opportunity. This is a good race. It has the potential to be amazing.
C. R. from Saskatchewan (5/3/2011) "Beautiful scenery, very hilly, poor organization" (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Vancouver International Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 I know Vancouver quite well and know that it is a hilly city. The race itself is more or less advertised as a relatively flat course with one or two more challenging hills thrown in. My experience of the race this year is that there really isn't a moment when you aren't going up or down, and there are a number of quite long slow ascents. This is not terrible or anything, just hard to take when you live in a flat city like I do and were expecting a somewhat flatter course. Still, the scenery way made up for the challenges of the course, and the spectators and cheer teams were really lovely. I enjoyed running the race a great deal, even if the hills eventually caught up to me. As a comparison, the Carlsbad marathon, which has a more obviously hilly course is in my view an easier run than the Vancouver marathon. The downside for me with this race is the organization. There were about 100 portapotties at the start/finish line, which is totally inadequate for the 14,000 or so runners in all the races they were running that day. Out on the course, there were very few portapotties as well, and they were very spread out with lineups. I ended up going under a bridge and behind a bush, which I was rather unhappy about. In Stanley Park, runners are advised to use the public toilets along the course, but as these are a bit off-course that is not a great solution. I found the toilet situation to be unacceptable (take a cue from Fresno!! They know how to deal with these things). Also a big negative was that there were no gels left at the first gel station (about two-hours into the race) and two water stations in a row at the middle-ish point of the race were out of cups, and the one after that the volunteers were complaining that they were getting low. Are you kidding me? This is totally unacceptable, frankly, to run out of cups. The poor volunteers were about as upset as the runners! Finally, at the finish line there was immense congestion to get into the food area, and the gear check line was astoundingly long. It took my wife an hour to collect the bag I had checked for us (she ran the half and finished earlier than me). Again, take a cue from Fresno where they have a wonderful system for gear check and retrieval. Would I run this marathon again? Likely not. The course I can live with, but running out of water on the course I cannot. Lucky it wasn't really warm or there could have been trouble.
Mark Fisher from Boulder, Colorado (5/2/2011) "Overall Very Good! A few minor concerns" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Vancouver International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I made the trip from Colorado to the BMO Vancouver Marathon and I thought the overall experience was VERY GOOD! Definitely worth the trip from the USA. Pros: - I love the loop course (starts & finishes in the same spot) - alleviates the need for transportation. - The expo tent was available BEFORE the race which provided a warm (and dry) area to wait - perfect! - Volunteers/Police - lots of friendly and enthusiastic volunteers at the aid stations and excellent police protection of the participants on the streets - well done! - Urinal station for guys at starter line - never seen that before at a marathon but it was great - no waits there. - Public transportation - Could not find a reasonably priced hotel downtown (at short notice) - so I elected to stay near the Metrotown Mall in Burnaby (Hilton or Holiday Inn would be fine - I was at the Hilton) - great decision - a few blocks to the train - 20 minutes on the train - a few blocks to start after departing the train - worked very well! I probably walked less after the marathon than many people who stayed 'downtown' - EASY!! - Fan support was very good for a medium sized marathon - the Canadians were VERY enthusiastic especially towards the end - THANKS! FYI - If you're from the USA - be aware that the signs are only in metric (kilometers) - I would not say this is a 'fast' or flat course - there are hills mostly gradual - average marathon as far as hills go - I also understand the course might be changing in 2012 so I'm not sure what the changes might bring. The large bridge near the end was a bit tough; however, once you got to the top - it was pretty much all downhill from there (last 2 kms). - There were no clocks on the course or anyone even reading times when you crossed 'milestones' - this maybe unnecessary with all of the runner gadgets (e.g. GPS) - but it was a bit surprising. Changes that could be considered/Issues: - A couple of aid stations around kilometers (15-20ish) ran out of cups and gels - not great - but there were cups and gels after that. - 1/2 Marathon before Marathon - not sure why that is? The only problem is caused because the course is shared - the half marathoners got to some aid stations before the marathoners and used up all of the cups and gels. Also you'll encounter some of the 1/2 marathon walkers towards their finish - not a huge problem but they were there nonetheless. The good part was the 1/2 marathons cleared out of the starting area first which reduced some of the congestion around the toilets etc. - The 'live runner' tracking on the website was updated really late (caused my friends and family to worry because there were no updates after 5km until way after the race). Then the final results on the 'live tracker' were 30 minutes slower than my actual finish time - it was correct on the overall results page.
R. K. from Utah (5/29/2010) "The Best Race in the World" (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 3 Vancouver International Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I've ran this race for 3 straight years, and let me say: This race is easily the best race I have ever competed in. No false advertisement here, folks; the course is fast, and the fans are amazing. You get the feel of a "big race" atmosphere; the expo is amazing (and I usually don't care about that type of stuff); and the music on the course is uplifting. It's so cool to run through such different areas of Vancouver. There's a part where you go through the Harbor (breathtaking,) and around the 10-mile mark you run .7 miles totally uphill (be ready). I've run this race 3 straight years, and I have no intention of ever stopping (unless I get to my goal of 1:15 in the half marathon - I'm at 1:22 right now).

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