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Vancouver International Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Vancouver International Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.1 
Organization 3.6 
Spectators 3.9
Number of comments: 227 [displaying comments 61 to 71]
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J. R. from Seattle, WA
(5/11/2007)
"Still a good race" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 Vancouver International Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Someone complains here about running through skid row. E. Hastings St. is skid row. Alexander street, where we ran, is nearby, but it was not so bad. It has some nice old buildings. Honestly I did not have any negative thoughts while running through it. They suggest running in nicer parts of the city. Sadly this is it. The nice parts of Vancouver are all around downtown, the West End, and Kits, where we ran. We also did Fairview and some of the downtown eastside early in the race, which are not so nice. Where else do they suggest we run? They could add Spanish Banks, past the turn around on W 4th. But that would either make that out and back longer, or add a big hill if we come back around UBC. Going anywhere South or North of the current course will add big hills. Going East is not very pretty. If you want to go West, then you better bring your swimsuit. I agree the Expo is poor, and it is so because of exclusive sponsorships by The Running Room and Aidas. If the organizers could free themselves from exclusive sponsorships, the Expo could be much better. People complain about Ultima on the course. It is true that it has no energy, but it still has electrolytes. So drink it. You can get energy from gels, which you have to bring yourself. One suggestion that I have is give out the plastic sheets to keep runners warm right after the finish line. They handed them on the entrance of the heated stadium, a long walk from the finish line, when one no longer would need them. This is one of my favourite runs, but mostly because I lived in Van for a long time. | |
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S. H. from Austin, Texas
(5/11/2007)
"Well Organized - Nice Scenic Course" (about: 2007)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Vancouver International Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The organization was very good. The Expo was fine and packet pick up was easy. The course was relatively easy and very scenic for an inner city race. We didn't have to spend many miles going through boring industrial areas like a lot of courses. I didn't think the hills were bad but some people disagreed with me. The fans were a great help and I was surprised to see so much support despite the rain. Pre and Post race location indoors was terrific. In that respect Vancouver is better than New York, Chicago and Boston. We would have frozen in the rain after the race without shelter. There were plenty of post race snacks. Vancouver is one of the races where they provided enough post race food for marathoners and half marathoners. 1st time I have ever had milk served after a race. My only complaint is with the so called energy drink. Ultima is nasty tasting, stomach churning and powerless. It does not provide enough energy for athletes running a marathon. Why can't race directors stick to Gatorade or Powerade? Those drinks provide the energy we need and don't upset our stomachs. | |
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Hieu Nguyen from Washington, USA
(5/11/2007)
"Good overall marathon" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This is my 1st Vancouver marathon and I enjoyed it. The expo is good, with a decent number of sponsors. The course is fairly good. I wouldn't complain about the course because balancing the need for spectators and running right in the city makes it so that you have to go through some rough parts. Too many people share the road, so you pretty much have to negotiate in passing. Not many fans except downtown and before the bridge. Post-race stuff is so-so, with GREEN bananas (who would eat that?), too many dairy products (pudding, blah), and not enough carbs or recovery drinks. #1 complaint: bright blue cotton "T" (even 5K races provide tech T's nowadays). | |
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k. j. from Edmonton, AB
(5/10/2007)
"Good first half but more organization please" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Vancouver International Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 I ran the half marathon this year; it was the first time I have done this distance. From registration, I didn't have a very good experience. I paid at the running store here in town, I had a phone call later in the week that I didn't pay enough so I went back to the running store and paid. Then I get to package pick-up; I have run in a few 10K races and they were better organized than this one. We had to go up stairs and then try and find where we had to go. The signage was non-existent. Then had to try and get the right sized t-shirt and then was told that I wasn't getting the tech shirt I paid for. So in the end they got my shirts. I got home and found out I didn't have tickets for the pasta party, so another trek downtown for the tickets. The gentleman I spoke with was awesome and really made everything all better. Race day, still no signage on where to start but after the start it didn't matter any more. The race was awesome and I finished it. | |
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T. K. from Washington state
(5/10/2007)
"Better than last year" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 Vancouver International Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I have a soft spot in my heart for Vancouver. In 2005 it was my first full marathon. I've returned for the last two years to run the half marathon. I love the city, the course, and the support. Unfortunately, it did rain on this one although it wasn't NEARLY as bad as last year which kept away a lot of the spectators. On a nice day the course is FULL of cheering (2005), but alas the weather did not cooperate. The bands were a nice touch. I'd love to see more, but at the same time the scenery is so gorgeous that it's a show in itself. Love running through Stanley Park. That alone makes it worth it. I can't believe there are complaints about the finish area! My major pet peeve is open finisher's areas, where everyone and their brother comes in and acts like it's free soup day at the shelter, feeding their kids, Uncle Joe, and the grandparents off the food that is SUPPOSED to be for the runners! In Seattle many many people come in to nothing left but scraps. Here there was plenty of food for everyone. I returned right near the end (to show my husband the Nemo-mobile) and there was SO much food left over they were giving away bags filled with cookies, crackers, oranges, and bagels...full packages of them! Other marathons could LEARN from this type of organization. The expo was a disappointment for a second year in a row. It was advertised to go until 7:00 but when we arrived at 6:10 lots of tables were empty or tearing down. Come on! We were stuck at the border for three hours, we paid our entry, and what did we get? A quick walk through and lots of coffee from the Seafair Marathon people. That's it, though. Good thing I love coffee! Thanks to the course support. They were wonderful. TNT, you outdid yourselves this year! Thank you for making sure everyone felt special! It really was a great race and bonus, every water station had water this year! Kill the Ultima, though. What in the world is the point of a sugar free energy drink? I know they sponsor it, but you need to think of the runners as well as the dollars. Please look into a drink that has actual ENERGY in it. | |
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R. G. from Vancouver, B.C.
(5/9/2007)
"Vancouver marathon is great!" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Vancouver International Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The directors and all the volunteers should be proud of the great marathon you put on May 6,2007. It was awesome having BC Place stadium for the pre-race routine (washrooms, gear check, stretching etc) and it was especially appreciated after finishing the 26.2!! We were able to recover in the warm, dry environment and collect our gear and enjoy the food and visiting with friends and family there. I even enjoyed a hot shower in the BC Lions locker room that was made available to us. (I ran Boston 3 weeks ago and we waited out in the cold and wind trying to get someone's attention in a school bus to fetch our gear. I then had to change in an alcove in the street to get out of my wet running strip and into dry clothes, so I could start to warm up.) As a local resident I'm proud to recommend the Vancouver Marathon to anyone as the support and facilities are second to none. If only the rain could have held off that would have been great - completely out of the race directors hands. Only the politicians are going to try to get into the weather changing business with our tax dollars to fight global warming!! Thanks for a great day and event on Sunday, May 6th, 2007!!! | |
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G. S. from Michigan
(5/9/2007)
"Enjoyed my first marathon" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Vancouver International Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I didn't quite know what to expect with this being my first marathon, but it was an enjoyable experience. I appreciated the indoor staging area before and after the race. I thought the course was fine but I would have liked to see more of the downtown area in the first half of the race rather than some of the industrial areas, but I also realize this is a major city that cannot close off all its roads for race day. I agree that the hills in the second half did not seem to match the course profile provided but oh well. That's what the hard work in training is for. The people that stood out in the rain all morning were very enthusiastic for all the runners and it was nice to hear people cheering your name. Nice touch to put first names on the bibs. I would recommend this race to anybody. The shuttle buses were much appreciated and the volunteers deserve all our thanks. | |
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aldo pasini from cuernavaca, mexico
(5/9/2007)
"Great organization; could improve on the course." (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Vancouver International Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Great marathon on a beautiful city, but why didn't the full marathon use all of Stanley Park as the half guys did? That way it would have been flatter. Instead, it had many "hidden" hills. Also, they made us pass under the Burrard Bridge almost at the end. Why? Are KM or miles signs too expensive? And the last complaint: why charge for a lousy massage, when all other marathons give it free? | |
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B. R. from Portland, Oregon
(5/8/2007)
"Great first-marathon experience" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Vancouver International Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I definitely enjoyed the entire race, and thought the organization was fine. I think the complaints about "skid row" are a little much, and I enjoyed the different parts of the city you saw. The hardest part was definitely going underneath the bridge on the way back, around mile 24. Fans were good, though many just sat there. Strangest part was definitely the garage doors at the end, where you get locked in to this small chamber and no one's telling you what's going on. Maybe putting 1 or 2 volunteers here would help? | |
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Jen Meier from Modesto, CA
(5/8/2007)
"Pros and Cons" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Vancouver International Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 This is the first time I ran the Vancouver Half but here are my thoughts: The pros of this race: *having it in the city of Vancouver *waiting indoors at BC Stadium before the start of the race helped us stay warm *efficient sweats check-in and pickup The cons of this race: *Lackluster expo-why even have it? *Depressing/downtempo music played along the course *Served Ultima at the aid stations, not Gatorade *No plates for the food *Part of the course went through a crappy area of town *Didn't think they accurately measured the elevation of the course (way more hills than we thought) Definitely room for improvement... |
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