Vancouver Marathon

Course & Elevation

The BMO Vancouver Marathon is a point-to-point road marathon from Queen Elizabeth Park to downtown Vancouver that passes the University of British Columbia, Pacific Spirit Park and the Stanley Park Seawall. It is held annually on the first Sunday of May, with a half marathon and an 8KM race on the same day, and all races share a finish line on West Pender Street between Bute and Thurlow Streets. The marathon starts at 8:30am on Midlothian Avenue, goes around the UBC campus on SW Marine Drive, continues on Imperial Drive through Pacific Spirit Park and follows Point Grey Road to Kitsilano Point. It then crosses the Burrard Bridge, runs along Beach Avenue to the Seawall at the Inukshuk statue, follows the entire length of the Seawall around Stanley Park and leaves it at Denman Street for the finish downtown. The organisers describe a course showcasing snow-capped mountain ranges, cherry blossom trees and shoreline views. The event dates back to 1972, when a handful of runners ran five loops of Stanley Park in the first British Columbia Marathon, and the route has changed since. The time limit is 6 hours overall, and runners must cover the first 30 km within 4 hours, about 8 minutes per kilometre. Roads are not closed for the whole event, because the City of Vancouver requires a rolling closure and reopening protocol.