Currently this is my only true "international" marathon, although a lot of west coast marathons happen to have the word "international" in their title. I've never been too excited about traveling abroad to run a marathon, so this will have to do. (Although yes, Japan has been on my radar lately). What's funny about this marathon is that it's the one marathon that nobody else I know has ran it before or since, so it never comes up in conversation or in my head. I take that back. Earlier this year Jordan mentioned that she and Evan were considering it...until they talked to me...
As far as destinations go, Vancouver Canada is a great place to visit. There's great food, lots of things to see and do, and logistically pretty easy to travel to. It was a perfect choice for me and Toby. We hit all the highlights: Stanley Park, Grouse mountain and the wildlife refuge, the Capilano suspension bridge park, and the waterfront area of south Granville. I highly recommend traveling to Vancouver, but the marathon, not so much.
Before I get into my own personal experience, I must tell you that the number one reason I give a resounding HELL NO to this marathon is this: 2 years ago they modified the route to cross over two busy streets. Their solution to crossing these busy streets is this: They STOP THE RUNNERS to allow cars to pass in timed intervals. Not to worry, they have chip mats on both sides of the streets so they can subtract the time you were stopped from your total marathon time at the end. Apparently some runners find this acceptable, as it continues to operate this way, but I just want to put it out there! (And it may change, so if interested check their web site for updates). The course terrain and scenery is still pretty nice, and with the marathon being held in May, the potential for good weather is high.
The course I ran in 2005 varied greatly from the current course, so keep that in mind when reading. We started and finished at the BC Place Stadium, did a short loop through the gaslamp district, then along the Vancouver Harbor into Stanley Park, which was absolutely stunning, then out along the English Bay, which again was beautiful. The majority of the hills were in the last 10K, which consisted of a lack luster residential out and back. I saw a lot of runners cheating; cutting across the road to avoid running to the actual turn around. I've never seen anything like this in a marathon before or since! There was no chip mat at the turn around, so one has to assume it wasn't considered important enough to prevent. We crossed the Burard bridge in the worst possible place, mile 24, which I recall having to walk a little bit, but from there it was flat to the finish. I loved the course for the most part, but there were issues with the aid stations. First of all they continue to use Ultima instead of Gatorade or Powerade, which is just flat out nasty. Ultima continues to have their hold on a lot of west coast races, which I find baffling. Who drinks this stuff? Secondly, there were several miles in between some aid stations, which set me at a deficit early in the race, as it was a really warm and humid morning. Luckily, I was just starting to take electrolyte pills in training and had them with me to test out, so this is what saved me! Late in the race they did have sponges at some of the stations, so that really helped too. I don't remember a whole lot about what was going on in my head. I know I was angry about a lot of things: the Ultima, the heat, the cheating, the lack of water stops, but then I was blown away by the varied scenery along the way. I know I had fuzzy math problems while walking the Burard bridge, thinking in all certainty that I was going to come in over 4 hours, and it was only as I approached the finish line that I realized I was going to finish under 4...with a 3:51 finishing time. How messed up is that? Toby had ran the half marathon, and was there waiting for me at the finish. The finish area was inside the Stadium, and it was a pretty decent set up, but I don't recall spending much time there.
Later, when we headed back out into town I decided to wear the race T shirt, which was a distinctive long sleeved light brown shirt, thinking I'd see other marathoners, but I never did. It was like it never happened. We spent the remaining days touring all the sights in Vancouver and not once did I spot the shirt.
In summary, we had a great trip to Vancouver, which included some water fall hikes while on a drive up to Whistler as well. I just can't say I'd recommend the marathon. Toby did enjoy the half marathon though, posting a 1:27 finishing time. So there you have it--just run the half! Thought you'd never hear me say that, huh?
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| I wore headsets before headsets were cool...but these are clearly an uncool version |
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| At Whistler, yes a bit cold and wet! |
