Vancouver Sun Run facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vancouver Sun Run
Date	Third or fourth Sunday in April
Location	Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Event type	Road
Distance	10km
Primary sponsor	Ford Canada
Established	1985
Course records	Men:  Joseph Kimani (KEN) 27:31 Women:  Isabella Ochichi (KEN) 30:58
Official site	Vancouver Sun Run

The Vancouver Sun Run is a super popular 10-kilometre (about 6.2 miles) running event. It happens every year in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This exciting race takes place on the third or fourth Sunday in April. It started way back in 1985 and has grown into one of the biggest road races in all of North America! The event is owned by Run Vancouver Holdings ULC and gets its support from The Vancouver Sun newspaper.

How Many People Join the Run?

The very first Vancouver Sun Run in 1985 had about 3,700 people taking part. Since then, it has become much, much bigger!

• In 2006, over 39,000 people finished the race. This made it the 9th largest race in the world and the 3rd largest 10-kilometre race. Only the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta and the Bolder Boulder in Boulder were bigger.
• On April 23, 2006, a total of 50,746 people signed up for the 10-kilometre Sun Run. There was also a shorter 2.5-kilometre "mini Sun Run" for about 2,000 people, mostly kids and their parents.
• The race set a new record on April 15, 2007, with 54,317 people registered. This made it the biggest road race in Canada, the second largest in North America, and the third largest in the world!
• The record was broken again on April 20, 2008, with 59,179 runners. This made it the largest 10-kilometre race in the world. It was a bit chilly that day, around 3 degrees Celsius (37.4 degrees Fahrenheit).
• On April 17, 2011, the record was broken once more, with 60,000 runners. It was still the largest 10-kilometre race in the world.
• Even with cool weather on April 15, 2012, 48,904 people still joined in.
• Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 race was cancelled. The 2021 event was held as a virtual race, meaning people ran wherever they were.

What Happens During the Race?

The main goal of the Sun Run is to "promote health, fitness and community spirit." It also helps support young athletes. Before the race, many 13-week training programs are offered. These include Nordic walking, regular walking, and running clinics.

The Sun Run is not a charity event itself. However, the organizers have given over $1.1 million from race earnings to different charities since 1985. The race includes many types of participants. There are competitive elite runners and a wheelchair race. There are also many other groups, from running fans to parents walking with strollers.

The different groups start the race at different times. Wheelchair racers and elite runners go first. Slower runners follow in many groups, called "waves." For many years, runners have used a special electronic chip on their shoes. This chip records their time when they cross the start line and again at the finish line.

Vancouver Sun Run in 2006

The race route starts on Georgia Street in downtown Vancouver. It finishes outside BC Place Stadium. Along the way, runners go through downtown, Kitsilano, and Fairview neighborhoods. The race organizers hire many entertainers to perform along the route and inside the stadium at the end. This includes the local band The Neurotics, who have played at the start line every year since 1995.

Hundreds of volunteers also help make the race happen. This includes amateur radio operators who help with communication during the event.

After a sad event at the 2013 Boston Marathon, Vancouver Sun Run organizers asked runners to wear blue and yellow. These are the official Boston Marathon colors. This was a way to show support and remember those affected. Race registration actually went up in the days after the Boston event. The Sun Run had one of its biggest turnouts ever that year.

Past Winners of the Race

Here are some of the amazing athletes who have won the Vancouver Sun Run over the years. The fastest times ever recorded are highlighted!

• All information comes from the Association of Road Racing Statisticians.

Key       = Course record

Year	Male winner	Country	Time (m:s)	Female winner	Country	Time (m:s)
1985	Rob Lonergan	Canada	28:47	Susan Lee	Canada	32:39
1986	Graeme Fell	Canada	29:30	Debbie Scott-Bowker	Canada	33:31
1987	Graeme Fell	Canada	29:11	Lynn Kanuka-Williams	Canada	32:15
1988	Paul Williams	Canada	29:12	Lynn Kanuka-Williams	Canada	33:04
1989	Rex Wilson	New Zealand	28:44	Lynn Kanuka-Williams	Canada	32:19
1990	David Campbell	Canada	28:54	Debbie Scott-Bowker	Canada	33:06
1991	Philip Ellis	Canada	29:03	Patricia Puntous	Canada	33:48
1992	Paul Williams	Canada	29:03	Nancy Tinari	Canada	32:44
1993	Silvio Guerra	Ecuador	28:42	Leah Pells	Canada	32:48
1994	Daniel Komen	Kenya	27:46	Daria Nauer	Switzerland	32:55
1995	Simon Chemoiywo	Kenya	28:27	Olga Appell	United States	32:57
1996	Joseph Kimani	Kenya	27:31	Angela Chalmers	Canada	31:05
1997	Tom Nyariki	Kenya	27:56	Sally Barsosio	Kenya	31:47
1998	Christian Weber	Canada	28:40	Krystina Pieczulis	Poland	32:55
1999	Simon Chemoiywo	Kenya	28:52	Tina Connelly	Canada	32:41
2000	James Koskei	Kenya	27:36	Sally Barsosio	Kenya	32:24
2001	James Koskei	Kenya	28:06	Sally Barsosio	Kenya	33:04
2002	James Koskei	Kenya	27:58	Sara Dillabough	Canada	33:17
2003	Paul Koech	Kenya	28:48	Aster Demissie	Ethiopia	33:20
2004	Thomas Kiplitan	Kenya	28:43	Émilie Mondor	Canada	31:10
2005	Michael Power	Australia	29:26	Nicole Stevenson	Canada	32:30
2006	Gilbert Okari	Kenya	28:27	Isabella Ochichi	Kenya	30:58
2007	Solomon Tsige	Ethiopia	29:22	Teyba Erkesso	Ethiopia	32:05
2008	Festus Langat	Kenya	29:26	Genet Gebregiorgis	Ethiopia	33:35
2009	Willy Kimosop	Kenya	29:04	Abebu Gelan	Ethiopia	34:04
2010	Kip Kangogo	Kenya	29:02	Malindi Elmore	Canada	33:06
2011	Eric Gillis	Canada	29:06	Lucy Njeri	Canada	33:41
2012	Kelly Wiebe	Canada	29:13	Natasha Fraser	Canada	34:12
2013	Paul Kimugul	Kenya	29:04	Natasha Fraser	Canada	32:42
2014	Paul Kimugul	Kenya	28:59	Rachel Cliff	Canada	33:14
2015	Luke Puskedra	United States	28:53	Risper Gesabwa	Kenya	32:28
2016	Eric Gillis	Canada	28:52	Lanni Marchant	Canada	32:15
2017	Joseph Gray	United States	29:38	Karolina Jarzynska-Nadolska	Poland	32:39
2018	Brendan Gregg	United States	29:14	Monicah Wanjuhi	Kenya	32:23
2019	Justin Kent	Canada	29:30	Natash Wodak	Canada	32:38
2020	cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021
2022	Lucas Bruchet	Canada	28:29	Leslie Sexton	Canada	32:37
2023	John Gay	Canada	29:40	Leslie Sexton	Canada	32:22
2024	Thomas Fafard	Canada	28:45	Glynis Sim	Canada	32:17
2025	Sam Atkin	United Kingdom	28:09	Glynis Sim	Canada	32:54

How the Run Helps Others

Since 1997, one dollar from each Sun Run registration has gone to Raise-a-Reader. This is a national program that helps people learn to read. The program became national in 2001. It has raised over $10 million to help people with reading skills.

The money from the Sun Run also helps amateur athletes in British Columbia. It supports the Achilles International Track And Field Society. It also helps the The Vancouver Sun Jerome International Track Classic. This is an annual track and field event. It gives local athletes a chance to compete against some of the best in the world.

When Does the Race Happen?

The Vancouver Sun Run is always held on the third or fourth Sunday of April each year. Here are some of the past race dates:

• April 17, 2011 (27th run)
• April 15, 2012 (28th run)
• April 21, 2013 (29th run)
• April 27, 2014 (30th run)
• April 19, 2015 (31st run)
• April 17, 2016 (32nd run)
• April 23, 2017 (33rd run)
• April 22, 2018 (34th run)
• April 14, 2019 (35th run)
• April (cancelled), 2020 (36th run)
• April 17, 2021 (37th run)
• April 24, 2022 (38th run)
• April 16, 2023 (39th run)
• April 21, 2024 (40th anniversary run)
• April 27, 2025 (41st run)