Run Info

Run Day Schedule

7:00am	Half-Marathon Start at UBC Thunderbird Arena
9:15am	5k Fun Run / Walk Start, Stanley Park Fish House
9:00-11:00am	Shuttle buses from finish back to UBC (free, but not guaranteed)
10:00am	Half Marathon Course closes
10:00am	Awards Ceremony on stage at finish area, Ceperley Park
10:15am	5k Course closes

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Health & Runners' Expo / Packet Pickup

Exciting new venue and expanded expo area! Pick up your runner's bib, timing chip and Technical t-shirt. Check out the latest running gear, events and more great health exhibits.

IMPORTANT! Please bring a printout of your registration email confirmation OR a piece of photo ID to packet pickup.

Picking up for a friend:

If you have someone picking up your packet for you they will require a copy of your email confirmation and a one-liner that states this person has permission to pick up your kit for you.

If you no longer have a copy of your email confirmation, make sure your name is listed on the confirmation list and then the only thing the person will require is the one-liner that states that you give them permission to pick up your kit for you.

Empire Landmark Hotel (1400 Robson St, Vancouver)

upstairs in the Crystal Ballroom

• Friday June 22, 11:00am to 7:00pm
• Saturday June 23, 10:00am to 5:00pm

Expo Exhibitors

If you are interested in having a booth at the 2012 expo, please email us at svhm@canadarunningseries.com

Expo Location Map

Click map to enlarge

Run Day Packet Pick-Up for out of towners only

• Half-Marathon: at the start line (UBC Thunderbird Arena), 6:00am to 6:30am
• 5k: at Ceperley Park / Second Beach, Stanley Park, 8:00am to 9:00am

We encourage out of town runners to pick up your race packets at the expo, to allow yourself time, and reduce the stress of race morning.

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Race Shirt Exchange

Shirts will be distributed at packet pickup according to the size you selected when registering. If you would like to exchange your shirt for a different size, you can bring your clean / unsoiled shirt on race day to the “Solutions” tent (beside awards) at the Stanley Park race site to exchange for another available size.

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ChampionChip Timing By Race Headquarters

Half-Marathoners: pick up your timing chip with your bib number at the Runners' Expo. You must have a chip to receive a finishing result. No chip, no time, no exceptions!

Note - we are using disposable chips this year, no need to return your chip!

Note: As per IAAF rules, all awards will be based on gun time (not chip time). For more details read explanation here.

Have your own chip? Please note that White Timing chips, used at events that are timed by Championchip Timing companies (like Sun Run, Vancouver Marathon), are 'single use chips'. There are not reusable, or usable at another timing event. Only yellow Championchip timing chips are re-usable for the applicable discount — these have been bought from ChampionChip and come with codes that are specific to the owners.

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Race Course Description & Maps

HALF MARATHON START LOCATION:
on Wesbrook Mall at UBC Thunderbird Arena

Course maps are posted below. Click maps to enlarge, or click here for an interactive map.

                      Half Marathon                                               5k

 

Half-Marathon Course

From Start Area at Thunderbird Arena: Runners head south on Wesbrook in south lanes to W16th. Runners turn right on W16th into west lanes, then bearing right into north lanes of East Mall. Continue through at Thunderbird, East Mall closure becomes full closure of East Mall. Runners turn left onto Agronomy (full closure), right onto West Mall (full Closure), continuing left onto Agronomy (full closure). From Agronomy, runners turn left on SW Marine Drive in south lanes (coned down centre), continuing south to Wesbrook. Runners turn around the island at Wesbrook into the north lanes of SW Marine Drive. Following SW Marine Drive back to Chancellor, and down the hill to Spanish Banks. Runners will follow NW Marine through Spanish Banks, Locarno Beach and Jericho Beach before bearing left into the North bound lanes of 4th Ave heading east. Runners follow 4th Ave and bear left into Highbury Ave heading north. At Point Grey Rd runners bear right in the North lanes heading east. Runners follow Point Grey Rd / Cornwall St to Burrard St bearing left on to the Burrard Bridge in the west bound lanes to Pacific Ave. Runners bear left on Pacific Ave in the south bound lanes heading west to Stanley Park and the finish line.

The half-marathon course is marked every kilometre, only in kilometres.

See map for details and elevation profile. Great finisher medals and technical shirts for all Half-Marathoners!

5k Course

Start at 9:15am. Start on Stanley Park Drive — at the Stanley Park Fish House, heading from Lagoon Drive to the path at North Lagoon Drive. Turn right onto the path, following it to Lost Lagoon. Then circle Lost Lagoon, returning to Ceperley Field through the tunnel under Stanley Park Drive. Follow the path towards Second Beach Pool then turn East onto the Seawall.

You then head out past English Bay Beach House, to the Inukshuk, where you will turn up to Beach Ave and join in with the Half-Marathoners finishing on the road. See map for details. The 5k course is not chip timed and is open to runners and walkers alike. See map above.

Course Restrictions

The Half Marathon course will be closed promptly at 10:00am; 5k course will close at 10:15am. PLEASE NOTE: In the half-marathon there are no strollers, no bicycles, no dogs allowed on course, due to course safety, sanctioning and insurance limitations. In the 5k event strollers and dogs are permitted; please line up at the back of the starting field. Ensure you respect the safety and space of the other participants. Ensure that everyone and every animal is comfortable with loud noises and large crowds. Bicycles are not permitted in any aspect of either event.

AGE LIMIT: Half Marathon = 16 years on race day (no age limit for 5k)
For further information and background, see IMMDA Advisory Statement on Children & Marathoning (PDF).

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Finisher's Medals

All finishers in the Half-Marathon will receive our Finisher's Medal. Click image to enlarge.

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Getting There & Parking

Race Day Transport

We recommend that Half-Marathoners park at UBC, then take our complimentary shuttle bus back to UBC after the event. The Half and the 5k finish at the same spot, in front of the Stanley Park Fish House (the 5k also starts from this location). Car pool (see Share A Ride, below) or take a taxi to the start line, or check Translink to see if a bus is available to UBC in time from your neighbourhood to the start line. Plan to be at Thunderbird Arena for 6am, to give yourself time to get ready for the run.

As a test — we are offering two paid shuttles up to the Half Start at UBC. Shuttle tickets must be prepaid, purchased online. Shuttles will board at 5:30am at the Empire Landmark Hotel, and leave promptly at 5:45am to head to UBC. Only 80 tickets were available, and it's now sold out. We will evaluate and consider for 2012.

Share A Ride: As an alternative to driving to the event, “Why Not Share a Ride"? Canada Running Series has set up an account with Pickup Pal so that runners have the ability to share a ride to our events, and save the environment. Please visit the Pickup Pal website and see what it is all about — it's free to join. www.pickuppal.com/pup/group/Canada-Running-Series

Runner Drop Off Zones: To assist with traffic flow on race morning we will have designated "Drop Off Zones" in place at UBC. If you are not parking, follow the signage and marshalls to to the drop areas. This way vehicles that are parking will get to the Parkades much quicker. For details you can download the parking map which shows the parking options in the area and the "Drop Off Areas". Parking rates for the UBC Parkades are included on the map. Download the parking map here (PDF)

If you are being dropped off or dropping someone off, don't drive right up to the garage or the start line. Drop them off a block away, in our drop off zones. Runners need to warm up anyway, and it makes the morning that much easier for everyone.

Baggage Drop Off & Shuttle Buses to UBC

Adjacent to the Thunderbird Arena we will have baggage drop off buses positioned to take your bags and change of clothes to the finish line in Stanley Park. Once you have completed the event you can board the buses back up to UBC. These will operate from 9am to 11am.

If you are not heading back to UBC after the run, plan to meet friends outside Stanley Park as there will be road closures and limited traffic flow through the park.

Driving Directions for Half-Marathon start at UBC:

From downtown Vancouver: head south on Burrard St, over the bridge, up to Broadway, turn right. Stay on Broadway to Alma, left for 1 block, right on West 10th and into campus. Turn left on Wesbrook Mall, right on Agronomy which leads to several parking lots.

From East of Vancouver (Hwy 1): Exit onto Grandview Hwy (12th Ave), stay on Grandview Hwy for approximately 10 km, at which point 12th Ave becomes 10th Ave. Follow this into campus as above.

From Richmond (airport): take the Arthur Laing Bridge towards Vancouver, take Granville Street exit (right lane on bridge), follow Granville to 16th, left on 16th, follow this into UBC, turn right onto Wesbrook, then left on Agronomy as above.

From the US: Follow Hwy 99 into Vancouver, Hwy 99 is called Oak Street after the Oak Street Bridge. Turn left onto 16th, then follow directions as above.

From Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal: Hwy 17 to Hwy 99, then follow directions above.

Getting there and parking for 5k at Stanley Park:

Please note that Stanley Park has very limited parking. We will have the main lot near the finish line closed to accommodate medical facilities and the finish line. There is some parking near the tennis courts and along the roads in Stanley Park, but we recommend you park near the Zoo on the other side of the Park. We will be operating shuttle buses from there to the party site and back.

We recommend public transit, car pooling or alternate transportation.

• 5k and extra parking map (PDF, 420 KB)

5k runners should be in Stanley Park for just about 8:30am. Note that there is no entrance to the park from BEACH AVE. This is the route that the runners are finishing on and the road will be closed all morning, so park at the Zoo as per above. Car pool, or take public transit to Denman / Davie and walk into the park from the corner. The 5k course will be open until 10:15am, giving abundant time (1 hour) for a walker.

For map of Stanley Park please see Tourism Vancouver.

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Aid Stations

Water stations are located approximately every 3–4km on route. Refer to course map for locations. Water, Gatorade and First Aid will be available at each station; plus areas at the Start and Finish lines. On the 5k route there is a water station at the 1k / 4k point.

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Asics Pace Team

New this year: the Asics Pace Team to help you achieve your goals. Six pacers will be taking to the streets to help guide you to your goal. Find them in the starting chute with elevated signs for 1h45m, 2h00m and 2h15m paces. Pace Team hats will also be marked with their goal times.

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Port-o-Lets

Will be located at the start and finish areas. There will also be Portolets at the 6k and 14k locations. The route passes public facilities at Jericho, Kitsilano and English Bay.

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Baggage Check

Half-Marathon baggage check will be available at the starting area at UBC, closing at 6:55am to take your bags to the finish area.

5k baggage check will be available at the start/finish area at Second Beach, Ceperley Park.

There will be a $2 fee for baggage check, with proceeds to the Scotiabank Charity Challenge.

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