This was my second consecutive year running in a BMO Vancouver Marathon event. I ran the half-marathon last year in the pouring rain, but the course was so lovely and scenic (and quick! especially that surge down Cambie Street to the bridge!) that I was grinning from ear to ear at the end regardless of being drenched.

I had intended to do the full marathon this year but my body had other ideas halfway into my training and I was sidelined with tendinitis near my right knee and right ankle issues and took a complete almost month-long break from running. So I had to drop down to a shorter distance, which can't help but feel a bit disappointing. (My finish time of 50:36 was also below my expectations... but not really all that bad either.) Still, I really appreciated that this event gives you the option of switching distances when life hands ya lemons.

Anyways, everything that was excellent about the half-marathon event was nearly as awesome with the 8 km event. This particular course mostly covers Stanley Park with an exciting finish in downtown Vancouver, so needless to say, it's an exhilarating beaut, scenery-wise! The T-shirt and medals were incredible--sleek and gorgeous. Dare I say the shirt is even better than last year's awesome shirt, if only because I look better in black/ grey than I do in bright yellow. The volunteers were all friendly and the aid stations seemed well-run. The expo is totally awesome, once again. So many booths, so many samples, so much to see and do, so many friendly running folk milling about all abuzz with anticipation, and it's all wrapped up in the beautiful Convention Centre! Seriously, these guys know how to put on an expo. Race management... nothing bad to say about it at all.

Only problem (and it really only relates to the 8 km option) was that the start line was super tough to get to! Starting in the heart of Stanley Park after the half and full marathons have begun (and their related road closures) make it a somewhat labyrinthine endeavour to get down there, even with the shuttle bus provided. I was, however, somewhat more OK with getting up 3 hours early to make sure I got down there since it didn't start till 9:30. (Those poor 7 am half-marathoners... oh yeah, that was me last year, haha.)

Really, in the face of so much awesomeness, that's only a minor complaint, and again only affects the 8 km distance, as the start line for the half and full marathon in Queen Elizabeth Park is pretty straightforward to get to.

To top it all off, it was a nice, clear, sunny day so you could really enjoy the vistas and the atmosphere... although almost too hot! No idea how the full marathoners didn't all evapourate into a cloud of sweat!