This was held the day before race day and for me, it was convenient because it wasn’t too far away from my work (at Queen Elizabeth Theater). Lots of volunteers were available to help out and I got my shirt and bib without problems. Forerunners was there with a New Balance display. Runners also received a $20 coupon for New Balance stuff which we could use right away. There wasn’t much else there. Rock and Roll Marathon had a table there but I was already signed up so I just grabbed a plastic bag with two running magazines in it… well I grabbed it mostly because they didn’t provide bags to take the bib and shirt home in (to reduce waste). They were also collecting non-perishable food items for charity if anyone wished to donate. There was also race day package pickup but you had to get there a lot earlier so if you can pick up your package the day before, that will be ideal.

Course

I looked up the elevation of the course on Strava and it came up with a low number (my race registered a 68 m elevation gain). That didn’t mean it was flat though. There were rolling hills all throughout the course and some flat sections. The inclines really weren’t too bad but when you’re feeling under the weather, they seemed a lot worse than they were. There were definitely enough downhills and flats to recover from until the next hill. The course scenery wasn’t really the best since we were running through residential streets and a poorer part of town. Gastown was beautiful though. The cobblestones were a bit of a hazard since it was so wet but if you’re careful and alert, you should be ok. I seem to have timed it out well too, I ran by the steam clock as it was chiming. How very Vancouver that was! There were two aid stations available but because the course was laid out as an out and back, you actually hit an aid station 4 times, which is more than enough for a 10K. The start and finish was at the Dunsmuir Viaduct. I didn’t think that viaduct was long going out but heading back with the finish line in sight, it seemed endless. I guess it’s a mental thing. Either way it was a really nice way to start and end the race.

Swag/Medal

The shirt they gave out is not a tech shirt, but it’s a nice soft cotton round neck t-shirt. I liked it, I wore it later that day and it was so comfortable. I also liked that race organizers asked for feedback from runners to vote for the logo and colour of the shirt. We’re gonna have to wear it so I was really happy they gave us a say in it. They asked people to vote on their Facebook page so if you get their notifications, you had the opportunity to vote. The medal is also awesome. It’s a dog tag style medal. The Eastside 10K logo stayed the same as last year but on the other side, the statue of Gassy Jack was engraved onto the medal. It’s probably one of my favourite medals so far. It also has a slot for an iTab, those customized plates you can insert which has your name and race time engraved on it. I opted for that so I can’t wait to put it on. After the race, volunteers were handing out Powerbars and raincover jackets to runners. Online, I saw a photo of volunteers handing out cookies, which I must’ve missed. That’s probably because I went straight home to dry off. The last thing I wanted was to get even more sick from the cold and rain.

Would I do it again?

I would love to do this race again in nicer weather. It was raining cats and dogs the whole time but everyone still had a smile on their face even though they were drenched. The course was challenging but not impossible. The medal is unique and the price is right at $40 (and I got a 10% off discount by signing up through another race as well). The race was a good size at 2,232 participants, timed by Sportstats and professional photographers were on the course. I'll be signing up next year for sure!

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