Vancouver Marathon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vancouver Marathon |
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BMO Bank of Montreal Vancouver Marathon Logo
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| Date | First Sunday in May |
| Location | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Event type | Road Race |
| Distance | Marathon |
| Established | 1972 |
| Official site | BMO Vancouver Marathon |
The BMO Vancouver Marathon is a big running event held every year in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It takes place on the first Sunday of May. This marathon is one of the largest international running races in Canada. The full marathon distance is about 42 kilometers (26 miles). In 2014, over 14,000 people took part in the event, with more than 3,700 finishing the full marathon.
The race began in 1972 with only 46 runners. They ran five loops around Stanley Park to complete the first race. Over the years, more and more people joined. By 1977, about 300 runners were participating. Sadly, in 1976, a runner named Dr. Leslie Truelove passed away during the race due to a serious health issue. A special award, the Dr. Leslie Truelove Memorial Trophy, was created to honor the first male runner over 50 years old to finish the race. His wife, Rosamund Dashwood, later became a national champion runner in her age group.
In 1983, the race was nicknamed the "Long Marathon" because runners accidentally went the wrong way. This made the race a little bit longer than it should have been!
Today, runners can choose from different race distances:
- Full Marathon (42 km) – This race can even help you qualify for the famous Boston Marathon!
- Half Marathon (21 km)
- 8K (8 km)
The main sponsor of the event is the BMO Bank of Montreal, which is why it's called the BMO Vancouver Marathon. Before that, from 2001 to 2005, Adidas was the sponsor, and the race was known as the Adidas Vancouver International Marathon.
Contents
How the Marathon is Organized
The Vancouver International Marathon Society (VIMS) runs this event. It's a non-profit group led by a team of volunteers. They also have staff who help manage everything.
Every year, VIMS needs many volunteers to help make the marathon a success. About 4,000 volunteers lend a hand with things like setting up water stations, helping at medical tents, and giving out shirts and medals to the runners. Their hard work makes sure the race runs smoothly for everyone.
What Happens During Race Week
There are a few fun things that happen around the marathon race day.
The Expo
The marathon weekend usually starts with an "Expo." This is where runners go to pick up their race information and get cool free stuff from different sponsors and sports groups. It's a great way to get excited for the race!
Race Day Excitement
On race day, runners start at different times. This helps keep the race organized and makes sure everyone's time is recorded correctly. Along the race course, there are safety officials, including paramedics and radio operators, ready to help if needed.
After the race, there's an award ceremony. The fastest male and female runners in the full and half marathons win cash prizes. The quickest relay teams also get awards.
Past Winners of the Full Marathon
Many amazing athletes have won the Vancouver Marathon over the years. Here are some of the past champions:
| Year | Male winner | Female winner | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Tom Howard |  Canada |
2:24:08 | Patricia Loveland |  United States |
3:39:23 |
| 1973 | Tom Howard | Canada |
2:21:46 | Deborah Collins | Canada |
3:24:39 |
| 1974 | Tom Howard | Canada |
2:14:34 | Maria Brzezinska | Canada |
3:03:15 |
| 1975 | Joe Skaja | Canada |
2:22:30 | Linda Winslow | United States |
3:06:49 |
| 1976 | Ross Jackson |  New Zealand |
2:22:30 | Doris Brown Heritage | United States |
2:47:34 |
| 1977 | Chris Bolter | Canada |
2:22:36 | Meg Gordon | Canada |
3:14:32 |
| 1978 | John Hill | Canada |
2:20:49 | Gail McKean | Canada |
2:55:33 |
| 1979 | Bill Scott |  Australia |
2:15:56 | Gail McKean | Canada |
2:44:53 |
| 1980 | Garry Henry | Australia |
2:13:14 | Marilyn Belwood | United States |
2:45:27 |
| 1981 | Brian Morgan | Australia |
2:19:42 | Nancy McLaren | Canada |
2:48:23 |
| 1982 | Steve Pomeroy | Canada |
2:16:56 | Sue Krenn | United States |
2:45:25 |
| 1983 | Paul Bannon | Canada |
2:19:42 | Beverly Bush | Canada |
2:45:23 |
| 1984 | Ric Sayre | United States |
2:16:34 | Carol Raven | New Zealand |
2:52:03 |
| 1985 | Adrian Wellington | Australia |
2:24:24 | Kikue Tejima |  Japan |
2:55:32 |
| 1986 | Hiromi Nishi | Japan |
2:21:14 | Joi Belyk | Canada |
2:45:37 |
| 1987 | Tetsuji Iwase | Japan |
2:21:12 | Cathy Kroll | United States |
2:46:50 |
| 1988 | Mitsumasa Matsuyama | Japan |
2:19:20 | Isabelle Dittberner | Canada |
2:50:33 |
| 1989 | Shem-Tov Sabag |  Israel |
2:19:41 | Anne Mangal | Canada |
2:50:05 |
| 1990 | Yoshikazu Tanese | Japan |
2:23:47 | Reiko Hirosawa | Japan |
2:55:41 |
| 1991 | Shigemi Tamori | Japan |
2:25:01 | Misao Miyata | Japan |
2:52:14 |
| 1992 | Masato Kojima | Japan |
2:23:24 | Yuka Terumuma | Japan |
2:43:16 |
| 1993 | Hayashi Morozumi | Japan |
2:18:37 | Eniko Feher |  Hungary |
2:47:27 |
| 1994 | Makoto Sasaki | Japan |
2:17:24 | Eniko Feher | Hungary |
2:46:24 |
| 1995 | Graciano Gonzalez |  Mexico |
2:23:11 | Yoko Okuda | Japan |
2:48:50 |
| 1996 | Juan Gonzalez | Mexico |
2:17:47 | Eniko Feher | Hungary |
2:52:38 |
| 1997 | Juan Gonzalez | Mexico |
2:22:53 | Eniko Feher | Hungary |
2:49:56 |
| 1998 | Juan Gonzalez | Mexico |
2:22:48 | Krystina Pieczulis |  Poland |
2:43:20 |
| 1999 | Atsunari Saito | Japan |
2:21:33 | Krystina Pieczulis | Poland |
2:43:46 |
| 2000 | Ulrich Steidl |  Germany |
2:18:53 | Krystina Pieczulis | Poland |
2:45:32 |
| 2001 | Ulrich Steidl | Germany |
2:18:56 | Leteyesus Berehe |  Ethiopia |
2:45:51 |
| 2002 | Ulrich Steidl | Germany |
2:17:01 | Angela Strange | Canada |
2:45:46 |
| 2003 | Ulrich Steidl | Germany |
2:20:22 | Angela Strange | Canada |
2:46:22 |
| 2004 | Ulrich Steidl | Germany |
2:18:26 | Mary Akor | United States |
2:44:43 |
| 2005 | Kassahun Kabiso | Ethiopia |
2:15:40 | Rimma Dubovik |  Ukraine |
2:44:05 |
| 2006 | Kassahun Kabiso | Ethiopia |
2:18:28 | Malgorzata Sobanska | Poland |
2:37:06 |
| 2007 | Thomas Omwenga |  Kenya |
2:25:27 | Claudia Camargo |  Argentina |
2:35:50 |
| 2008 | Thomas Omwenga | Kenya |
2:15:59 | Mary Akor | United States |
2:37:54 |
| 2009 | Benard Arasa Onsare | Kenya |
2:28:26 | Mary Akor | United States |
2:46:24 |
| 2010 | Thomas Omwenga | Kenya |
2:16:55 | Emma Muthoni Kiruki | Kenya |
2:37:17 |
| 2011 | Benard Arasa Onsare | Kenya |
2:19:54 | Keddi-Anne Sherbino | Canada |
2:43:40 |
| 2012 | Gezahgn Eshetu | Ethiopia |
2:21:51 | Ellie Greenwood |  United Kingdom |
2:42:16 |
| 2013 | Thomas Omwenga | Kenya |
2:24:09 | Lucy Njeri | Kenya |
2:40:34 |
| 2014 | Berhanu Mekonnen | Ethiopia |
2:21:08 | Kimberley Doerksen | Canada |
2:37:00 |
| 2015 | Luka Chelimo | Kenya |
2:18:37 | Lioudmila Kortchaguina | Canada |
2:37:37 |
| 2016 | Daniel Kipkoech | Canada |
2:21:04 | Hirut Guangul | United States |
2:39:52 |
| 2017 | Daniel Kipkoech | Canada |
2:19:09 | Gladys Tarus | Kenya |
2:39:38 |
| 2018 | Rob Watson | Canada |
2:27:38 | Zhiling Zheng |  China |
2:43:50 |
| 2019 | Yuki Kawauchi | Japan |
2:15:01 | Yuko Mizuguchi | Japan |
2:41:28 |
| 2020 | cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic | |||||
| 2021 | ||||||
| 2022 | Chris Balestrini | Canada |
2:23:56 | Dayna Pidhoresky | Canada |
2:34:30 |
| 2023 | Yuki Kawauchi | Japan |
2:17:04 | Dayna Pidhoresky | Canada |
2:34:25 |
- Note: Bold face text shows the current record holder for the course.
World Records Set at the Marathon
Some amazing world records have been set at the Vancouver Marathon by older runners!
Marathon Records
- On May 1, 2005, BJ (Betty Jean) McHugh from North Vancouver, Canada, set a world record for women aged 77 in the marathon. Her time was 4:11:28.
- On May 3, 2009, Gwen McFarlan from Richmond, Canada, set a world record for women aged 75 in the marathon. Her time was 3:57:30.
Half Marathon Records
- On May 4, 1997, BJ (Betty Jean) McHugh set a world record for women aged 69 in the half marathon with a time of 1:41:39.
- On May 4, 2008, BJ (Betty Jean) McHugh set another record for women aged 80 in the half marathon, finishing in 2:04:19.
- On May 2, 2010, Gwen McFarlan set a world record for women aged 76 in the half marathon with a time of 1:52:23.
- Also on May 2, 2010, BJ (Betty Jean) McHugh set a world record for women aged 82 in the half marathon, finishing in 2:23:08.
When the Race Happens
The Vancouver Marathon is always held on the first Sunday of May.
- May 2, 2010 (39th race)
- May 1, 2011 (40th race)
- May 6, 2012 (41st race)
- May 5, 2013 (42nd race)
- May 4, 2014 (43rd race)
- May 3, 2015 (44th race)
- May 8, 2016 (45th race)
- May 7, 2017 (46th race)
- May 6, 2018 (47th race)
- May 5, 2019 (48th race)
- The 2020 race was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic. The 2021 event was held virtually, meaning people ran on their own and submitted their times.
Race Cancellations
The marathon in 2020 was changed to a virtual event because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 race was also cancelled and replaced with virtual events.
See also
- List of marathon races in North America
