Illness derailed my training for the 2024 Vancouver Marathon, which led me to drop down and run the race’s concurrent Half Marathon for the first time. I had a great time, not just because I only had to run 13 miles instead of 26, but because the race is run on a somewhat different course and provides a different and fun experience.
Run Van‘s Half is actually quite a bit more popular than the full marathon, drawing over 10,000 runners compared to the roughly 5,000 the full gets. This is consistent with most marathons that concurrently run a half with their full race.
I didn’t train for a peak performance and chose to just enjoy the run. Along the way, I took note of some items and have a few tips that may help you if you decide to run the half.
(It is worth noting that the City of Vancouver plans to replace the water supply infrastructure under Stanley Park over the next couple years, which could impact this race as the route travels past construction areas. The 2025 race appears to retain the same course, and it’s possible with contractors taking Sundays off that the sites may be quiet enough to allow running on the normal course. But I will keep an eye out and update this in case Run Van makes any changes.)