BMO Vancouver Marathon 2013 to kick off Sunday with 17,000 runners
If you have been working hard training for the BMO Vancouver Marathon for the past few months or even as long as the past year, do not give up – you’re almost there! That’s the state of mind you’ll need throughout the race. Timing is important, but what matters most is that you finish. And if you are a spectator or happened to drive by the race routes this Sunday, be sure to show your support for these runners: running 42.2 kilometres (Full Marathon) or 21.1 kilometres (Half Marathon) is no easy task!
From someone who completed the marathon last year, it is a highly rewarding experience to cross that finish line and know what you’ve accomplished in a matter of just hours and after all the training you went through. The routes are also continuous scenic road courses (not loops); the Vancouver Marathon route was named as among the top 10 most scenic marathon routes by Forbes.
The weather is even expected to cooperate for Sunday. Forecasters are currently expecting sunny weather with a low of 12 degrees Celcius and a very warm seasonal high of 21 degrees Celcius – the warmest weather we’ve experienced since the end of last summer.
This year, 5,000 runners will run the Full Marathon. It begins near the top of Queen Elizabeth Park and runners will then head south along Cambie Street, then through Kerrisdale, traversing through the University of British Columbia campus, then towards downtown Vancouver along Jericho and Kitsilano beaches, over Burrard Street Bridge, along English Bay and circling through Stanley Park, and then finally finishing near the Vancouver Convention Centre.
For the Half Marathon, 10,000 runners will take part. The course will also start near the top of Queen Elizabeth Park, with runners descending north on Cambie towards downtown Vancouver across the Cambie Street Bridge, around BC Place Stadium, through Chinatown and then Yaletown heading towards English Bay, and then traversing around Stanley Park before ending near the convention centre.
Organizers have also added an 8 kilometre race to this year’s competition program. An expected 2,000 participants will take part in this third “mini-race” that takes them through Stanley Park and ending near the convention centre. Participants for this year’s event also have the option of signing up for the new RUN4HOPE charity program of committing to raise a minimum of $1,000 for their chosen charity.
Prior to firing the starting pistol for the 3 races, organizers will be paying tribute to those affected by the Boston Marathon bombings. If you can, we encourage you to wear blue and yellow on Sunday in honour of the Boston victims.
BMO VANCOUVER MARATHON 2013 RACE ROUTES AND CLOSURES
The Vancouver Marathon advises residents and business owners of temporary road closures and traffic control measures to accommodate the event on Sunday May 5, 2013. Expected hours of peak traffic impact are as follows:
Traffic control personnel will also be stationed at major intersections and access points along the race route to safely manage and redirect traffic. Motorists are asked to avoid travel during the impacted hours and consider alternative times for local trips. Motorist that need to travel during these times are advised to plan ahead for potential delays and stoppages on the affected route.
Downtown / West End
| May 4th 4pm to 6pm May 5th | FINISH AREA – Thurlow St. from W. Pender St. to W. Cordova St. – CLOSED |
| May 4th4pm to 6pm May 5th | FINISH AREA – W. Hastings St. from Bute St. to Burrard St. – CLOSED |
| May 4th4pm to 6pm May 5th | FINISH AREA – W. Pender St. from Georgia St. to Burrard St. – CLOSED |
| 6:45am-2:15pm | Denman St. from Georgia St. to Seawall – CLOSED / LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY – Bayshore Dr. at Cardero St. |
| 6:45am-8:45am | Dunsmuir Viaduct – CLOSED |
| 7:15am-9:45am | Beach Ave. from Stanley Park to Denman St. – CLOSED |
| 7:00am-12:45pm | Beach Ave. from Denman St. to Jervis St. – ONE E/BOUND LANE CLOSED, W/BOUND LANES OPEN |
| 9:15am-12:45pm | Pacific St. from Burrard St. to Jervis St. – ONE E/BOUND LANE CLOSED, W/BOUND LANES OPEN |
| 7:00am-9:15:am | Beach Ave. from Jervis St. to Granville St. – E/BOUND LANES CLOSED, LOCAL TRAFFIC USE ONLY BEACH AT HOWE ST. |
| 7:00am-9:15am | Granville St. from Beach Ave. to Pacific Blvd.– CLOSEDLOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY USE BEACH AT HOWE ST. |
| 7:00am-9:15am | Pacific St. from Richards St. to Seymour St. -E/BOUND LANES CLOSED |
| 7:00am-9:15am | Pacific Blvd. from Seymour St. to Cambie St. -W/BOUND LANES CLOSED – E/BOUND LANES OPEN |
| 7:00am-9:00am | Homer St. from Pender St. to Robson St. – CLOSED |
| 7:00am-9:15am | Robson St. from Homer St. to Hamilton St. – CLOSED |
| 7:00am-9:15am | Hamilton St. from Robson St. to Smithe St. – CLOSED |
| 7:00am-9:15am | Hamilton St. from Helmcken St. to Smithe St. – CLOSED |
| 7:00am-9:15am | Helmcken St. from Mainland St. to Homer St. – CLOSED |
| 7:00am-9:15am | Mainland St. from Smithe St. to Davie St. – CLOSED |
| 9:00am-12:45pm | Burrard St. Bridge – Cornwall St. to Pacific St. -ONE S/BOUND LANE OPEN – TWO N/BOUND LANES OPEN |
| 7:45am-9:15am | Cambie St. Bridge (N/BOUND) – from W. 2nd Ave. to Pacific Blvd. – CLOSED |
| 7:00am-8:30am | Pacific Blvd. from Nelson St. to Quebec St. – CLOSED |
South Cambie / Oakridge / Fairview
| 6:45am-8:15am | Cambie St. from W. 29thAve. to Pacific Blvd. -N/BOUND LANES CLOSED |
| 7:45am-9:00am | Cambie St. from W. King Edward Ave. to W 49thAve. -S/BOUND LANES CLOSED |
| 6:45am-9:00am | Cambie St. from W. 41st Ave. to W 49th Ave.N/BOUND LANES CLOSED |
| 7:30am-9:00amLOCAL ACCESS | Granville St. from W. 41st Ave. to W. 70thAve. -LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY |
| 7:30am-9:00amLOCAL ACCESS | Oak St. from W 41st Ave.to W 70th Ave. -LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY |
Yaletown / Chinatown
| LOCAL ACCESS | Abbot St. at W. Pender St. – LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY |
| 7:00am-8:45am | Quebec St. / Columbia St. from 1st Ave. to E. Pender St. – ALL S/BOUND LANES – CLOSED, ONE N/BOUND LANE – OPEN – LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY |
| 7:00am-8:45am | E. Pender St. from Columbia St. to Homer St. -E/BOUND LANES – CLOSED, W/BOUND LANES – OPEN |
| 6:45am-8:45am | Union St. from Main St. to Expo Blvd. – CLOSED |
Stanley Park
| 6:00am-10:30am | All roads in Stanley Park – CLOSED (causeway open) |
| 9:00am-12:00pm | Stanley Park Seawall, Second Beach to Children’s Waterpark – FULL CLOSURE |
Rilley Park / Queen Elizabeth Park / Hillcrest
| May 4th 10:00pm to 10:00am May 5th | START AREAMidlothian Ave. from 29th Ave. to Ontario St. – CLOSED |
| Midnight to NoonLOCAL ACCESS | 33rdAve. at Main St. – CLOSEDLOCAL ACCESS to Hillcrest Community Centre / Residents Main at 30th Ave. |
| 6:45am-9:00am | W 29th Ave. from Cambie St. to Midlothian Ave. – CLOSED |
| 5:00am-9:00amPARK ACCESS | Queen Elizabeth Park – Main St. at 37th Ave.. |
| 5:00am-9:00am LOCAL ACCESS | Cambie St. to Main St., from King Edward Ave. to 41st – LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY |
UBC / Endowment Lands/Pacific Spirit Park/Dunbar/Southlands/Kerrisdale
| 7:45am-9:30am | W. 49thAve. from SW Marine Dr. to Cambie St. –W/BOUND LANES CLOSED |
| 8:00am-9:45am | SW. Marine Dr. from Camosun St. to 49thAve. –W/BOUND LANES CLOSED |
| 8:00am-9:45am | W. 41st Ave. from Crown St. to Camosun St. / SW. Marine Dr. – CLOSED |
| 8:00am-10:00am | Camosun St. from 29th Ave. to SW Marine Dr. – CLOSED |
| 8:00am-10:15am | W 29th Ave. from Imperial Dr. to Camosun St. – CLOSED |
| 8:15am-10:15am | Imperial Dr. from W 16th Ave. to W 29th Ave, – CLOSED |
| 8:15am-10:15am | W. 16thAve. from Imperial Dr. to Westbrook Mall -E/BOUND TRAFFIC CLOSED |
| 8:15am-10:15am | SW. Marine Dr. to Westbrook Mall-W/BOUND TRAFFIC CLOSED |
| 8:30am-10:30am | Blanca St. from 16th Ave. to 10th Ave. – CLOSED |
| 8:30am-11:00am | NW./SW. Marine Dr. from Chancellor Blvd. to W. 16th Ave. – N/BOUND LANES CLOSED |
| LOCAL ACCESS | 41st Ave. & Dunbar St. – LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY |
Point Grey/Kitsilano
| 8:30am-11:45am | NW. Marine Dr. from Chancellor Blvd. to 4th Ave. -CLOSED |
| 8:30am-12:00pm | Belmont Ave. from NW Marine Dr. to Discovery St. – CLOSED |
| 8:45am-11:30amPARK ACCESS | Belmont Ave. & Marine Dr. – LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY |
| 8:30am-12:00pm | Discovery St. from NW Marine Dr. to Jericho – CLOSED |
| 8:45am-12:00pm | W. 4thAve. from NW Marine Dr. to Highbury St. -ONE W/BOUND LANE CLOSED, E/BOUND LANES OPEN |
| 8:45am-12:00pmLOCAL ACCESS | W. 4th Ave. at Trimble St. – LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY |
| 9:00am-12:00pm | Highbury St. from Point Grey Rd. to W. 4th Ave. – CLOSED |
| 9:45am-11:45pmLOCAL ACCESS | W. 2nd Ave. at Highbury St. – LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY |
| 9:00am-12:15pm | Point Grey Rd. from Highbury St. to Trafalgar St.–E/BOUND LANES CLOSED |
| 9:00am-12:30pm | Cornwall St. from Chestnut St. to Cypress St. –ONE W/BOUND LANE CLOSED, E/BOUND LANES OPEN |
| 9:00am-12:30pm | Cornwall Ave. from Trafalgar St. to Arbutus St. -W/BOUND LANES CLOSED, E/BOUND LANES OPEN |
| 9:00am-12:30pm | Arbutus St. from Cornwall St., to Ogden via McNicol to Maple, Ogden, Ogden from Maple to Chestnut – CLOSED |
| 9:00am-12:30pmMARINA ACCESS | Whyte Ave. & Chestnut St. – Marina Access only via Cypress St. |
Written by Kenneth Chan, the Deputy Editor at Vancity Buzz. Follow Kenneth on Twitter at @kjmagine.
Featured photo credit: Westcoast Weezie