• Vancouver,
    Canada
  • May
  • 3 miles/5K, 6 miles/10K, Other
  • Road Race
  • Event Website

Karin Femi

Vancouver, Canada
5 20
2018
"A Great Run to Treat yourself or your Mom"
Overall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
Karin Femi's thoughts:

This Mother's Day Run has all you would expect and more from the kind of event that would make a great gift to yourself or a beloved mother. It is a race that just keeps on surprising and giving.
Package Pickup
Early package pickup is at the Westin Bayshore hotel. To encourage people to pick their package early, they had a spinning prize wheel with great prices like Champagne, Lindt chocolate, pashmina scarves, gloves, and toques.
Race Package
I must admit the race package is one of the key reasons why I like this race. It included Rocky Mountain Soap (my favourite!), David's Tea bags, Swish candy-flavoured breath powder, lavender essential oil from the hotel, Di Morelli beauty product samples, and various discounts (including a free oil change from Richmond Subaru and a $50 discount card from Hello Fresh).
Race t-shirt
I love how this race changes their t-shirt's colour every year. This year they picked a beautiful deep purple (ultra violet as they called it) for the t-shirt. The t-shirt is soft and made of a good quality technical material. It says "I *heart* mom" on the back and I love wearing it at the gym. I hope one day my little one will also get one for walking the 3k.
Getting to the Race
I took transit to get there and even though there is no bus stop right where the hotel is, I do not mind it as the 10 minute walk made for a good warm up. There was a shuttle bus at the hotel to get runners to the start line and I got to enjoy a fun chat with other participants on our way to the starting area.
Starting Area
I had booked the VIP experience, which meant I could come early and enjoy a full continental breakfast in the VIP tent. Since the little one was still sleeping and I did not want to wake her up by getting breakfast home, this ended up coming in very handy! I got a granola bar, some fresh apple juice and some toasted bread with jam. There were also yogurt, boiled eggs, pastries, orange juice, and hot coffee available. The VIP also included its own porta potty and bag check-in area. The start was also close to the beach’s washrooms and a playground which many parents who were running with their small ones ended up using.
Course
The 5k course starts along the seawall, before climbing up on a short but very steep hill to Stanley Park where it is then very flat and fast. On a hot and sunny day, I enjoyed how a big portion of the course was in the park, shaded by trees. Having checked the course online and in person before the race, I found it quite easy to find my way, but quite a few people were confused by the fact that the 5k was basically the 3k course + 1 loop around Lost Lagoon (a tiny lake in Stanley Park). Some 5k runners ended up running 2 loops, while ended up running the 3k. Because we were all wearing bibs of the same colour, the volunteers could not help in directing us either, unless we had enough energy to ask them out loud where to go for the 5k.
Finish Line Expo
The finish line expo had so much going on, I actually wondered around for a few minutes just wondering what to do. After a while, I remembered that all mothers get a finisher pashmina, so I went to claim mine. It was of a much better quality than I expected, very soft, silky, and shiny. The colour and patterns were very elegant. It is an accessory that I will be able to wear a lot more than a medal or even a race t-shirt, yet it will have the same meaning to me. I love that idea and wish more races did the same. After getting my prize, I met up with friends and we got our pictures taken by a professional photographer at the official race photo booth. The pictures came out very nice. I can see how they could make great souvenir family pictures for the moms who came with their families. I then checked the cool down yoga area, entered a few contests at the sponsors’ booth, but skipped the chance to get a treatment with Di Morelli products as I had to leave for my afternoon Mother’s Day activities: with the family this time.

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