This is the most beautiful race route I've ever run! it's also pretty small, I believe there were 1100 who ran the full marathon distance. Big enough to feel the excitement though and always be around lots of people.
Definitely not flat, lots of rolling hills..although they start to feel like more than just rolling hills later in the race of course.
This race is so easy to get to, Victoria is small. I was staying at an AirBnB in the Fernwood area and I walked, probably 15 minutes or so and it was nice to get the legs moving.
The race is super organized and the spectator support is awesome. It's also on a long weekend which makes it an even busier time to be in Victoria (Canadian Thanksgiving)
The aid stations were great and the course is awesome. breathtaking actually. I enjoyed all of it, and even the non ocean-view sections are though beautiful residential neighbourhoods. It's a great race!! I highly recommend it. Not a huge fan of the women's 1/2 zip race swag...I usually love New Balance but this one had weird rouching along each side of the zipper and I'm not a huge fan of people but maybe I just have bad taste??
The finish chute was great, lots of energy from the announcer and it ends right back downtown which is beaufiful and busy and a wonderful place to strut around with your new medal and find somewhere cute to have brunch!! If you are in a hotel, it will be within blocks!

The expo at the convention centre was big and exciting. Lots of awesome exhibitors and i loved the blue BMO gloves they gave out. The shirts however, I did not like. Mine was WAY to small and seriously ill fitting, flaring out at the.bottom. But since I didn't come for the shirt, moving on!
I like Queen Elizabeth park as a starting area and we lucked out with great weather, unlike when I ran the half in 2014 and everyone was soaked and freezing by starting time.. What I wasn't a fan of was the 8:30 starting time! so late, and it was a HOT day so by the time I was finishing, which was right around the average time, it was blistering hot. The quantity of aid stations was incredible though and I was able to soak myself with water the entire race basically so it wasn't too big of an issue.
Gear check was easy, and corral organization was good. This course is breathtaking. I love the big downhill down Cambie street at the beginning, it was a great warm up and it was so cool as a first time marathoner to really take in how many people i was running with. The aid stations were often and organized (I think there were 20 all together? amazing) and there were tons of entertainment stations and areas with a ton of spectator support! I loved the "races within the race" and having timing mats at the bottom and top of the biggest hill in the race was really helpful and motivating!
The finishing area is overwhelmingly awesome! i love the finish chute along pender street. The medals are big and simple, the post race photo opportunities plentiful with marathonfoto, and the snacks were legit and the gear bag retrieval was easy. Being in downtown vancouver after finishing a marathon is indescribable. I loved every second of this day and I would recommend this race to anyone wanting to run a marathon in a beautiful city! it's about a 5000 runner sized event (for the full) and I thought it was awesome! I do wish I liked the race shirt for my very first marathon though..