The Vancouver Sun Run Race

Since I’ve done this race FIFTEEN times now… I can probably say this is my favourite 10K race ever.
I love how everyone gets involved — the countless volunteers, musicians, cheering spectators, participants ranging from kids to elite athletes, people who walk the whole route, and a wheelchair division as well! It’s always so great to see faces peeking out of the Fairmont Hotel windows as the crowd gathers, and local businesses encouraging runners as the race winds past them through the city. This past run, I saw a young couple running together with his black shirt saying, «We’re getting married!» and her white shirt (with white tutu) on the right saying, «TODAY! 04÷27÷14». It put such a smile on my face!
With a crowd of 50 000 though, sometimes reaching your goals can be challenging.
Tips for a happy race day (and maybe a personal best?):
1. Dress in layers! April mornings are a bit chilly, so stay warm while waiting for the race to start by wearing old clothes on top of your race clothes. Ditch them on the fence just before you get to the starting line, and volunteers will collect them for charity!
2. If you want to get ahead of the huge crowd, show up early, check your bag (if you brought them) and find a spot near the front of your time group. Take advantage of that first kilometre downhill, as you know you’re going to get stuck in that bottleneck at the bottom (therefore losing time)…but remember you have 9 more kilometres to go so don’t use up all your energy by going TOO fast.
3. Train in general, but don’t forget to train for hills! There are only really a couple, but they could tire you out, like the one just leading up to the Burrard Street Bridge. Once you’re over the half-​way mark at the bridge though, it’s downhill again! Yay!
4. If you’re tired, or doing a run/​walk combo, please walk on the right, so that people who are running can pass you. It’s for everyone’s safety! Also, before you stop suddenly, or change direction, please shoulder check! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve almost bumped into someone by accident… it’s like crazy Bangkok traffic out there!
5. Stay hydrated! I’ve been there before — pushed myself too far without stopping, and by the end, I’m too sweaty and too hot, and ready to faint/​barf. Take a break when you hit that wall — don’t get hurt!
6. Don’t forget to look around you — remember that Vancouver is a beautiful city… you don’t want to miss those views, the people running alongside you, and the awesome sense of community that the Sun Run brings.

My love and hate relationship with the Vancouver Sun Run 10 km race.
I’ve ran this race 4 times now and every time I ask myself why!?? Pros: I love how the race encourages all levels of fitness to come out and be active, all shapes, age and size! It’s a great route showcases downtown Vancouver. Lots of support and music along the way. For $ 50 plus taxes entry fee you get a cotton shirt, timing chip /​bib number, food fruits, chocolate milk, juices at finishing line.
Cons: Even though you get a shirt its cotton not the greatest to workout in. With over 50 000 people running if you are an avid runner it becomes an obstacle course, with lots of walkers, strollers, dogs and clowns! no Joke, Clowns! It’s hard to get a PB is this race. With my experience I like to be in the yellow section /​corral and even with that you still get stuck weaving through the crowds. Overall its a good race very family friendly all ages, but if you want a good «running» race Vancouver has lots! Happy Running!

Even though there is no charitable angle to the run, I still sign up every year even though 3 years in a row for one injury or another haven’t been able to get out there. it is a long walk (sorry I don’t run it) and it is a test for me and a challenge but when all is said and done I feel really good about myself. It’s a great way to meet people and see Vancouver actually be sociable. I still can’t believe I completed a 10K still baffles me.

Yes, it’s crowded, and yes, it’s kind of expensive now ($ 50?!), but there’s just a great vibe at the Sun Run that keeps me coming back, rather than simply for the enjoyment of pain.
Tip: if you’re gonna run the Sun Run, train for more than 2 weeks. (Do as I say, not as I do…)
Tip 2: If you’re going to walk the Sun Run (which is totally cool, most people walk at least a portion of it), don’t do it with 20 other people horizontally across the pathway. This ain’t a game of Red Rover.
Overall it’s a fun experience, the energy is amazing, and at the end you have a great excuse to eat something really unhealthy as a reward! Put down that Powerbar and get yourself a rib-​eye steak!

I was in town for a conference which coincided with this race, so I decided to give it a go! I usually stay away from huge races, but I thought this would be a good way to see the city in a different light.
Anyway, maybe I’m tooting my own horn, but I’m a pretty good runner. I was aiming for a time around 52 minutes, so I put myself in the :49-:1:00 group. Understandably, I was pretty irritated when I came across groups of people walking throughout the race! I know there are people who walk this event, but you are supposed to start in the back. If you don’t start in the back, you are rude. So walkers, if you felt someone shove you out of the way, that was me.
Kidding, I didn’t do any shoving, but I did yell at some guy who decided to stop on the Cambie bridge to take a photo WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF A PACK OF RUNNERS. This was near the end of the race, and I was moving pretty quickly, so this dumbass almost got himself mowed down.
Besides some of these inconsiderate runners, I thought the race was well-​executed for being so large. The crowd at the starting line was huge, taking up something like 10 city blocks, but it was organized by bib color based on self-​reported times. Of course there were plenty of white bibs who weaseled their way into my green group (again, why???), but that’s not the organizers fault.
There were at least 4 water stations along the way and a few bands that were a lot of fun. The course was scenic with opportunities to see water, landscape, and architecture. The first mile was actually one of the best – the wide city street gave me more room than I was expecting – but once we entered Stanley Park, things went downhill crowd-​wise. There’s one big hill at the 5k mark before the Burrard Bridge and a few smaller hills, but overall, it’s pretty flat. The first mile is a nice downhill which is a bonus, but be careful it doesn’t cause you to go out too quickly!
My only complaint was that the after-​party was held inside the stadium so in order to get any kind of food or drink, you had to walk up the stairs and then down again to descend to the stadium floor. That was a little annoying since I was thirsty and wanted to stretch before going inside. But, I understand they did it to prevent a traffic jam at the finish line. There seemed to be plenty of mini bagels, bananas, juices, water, and gel packs available when I finished.
I liked that I was able to see a video of the finish online later in the day and was able to pick myself out of the crowd! All-​in-​all this was a good race but with 40,000−50,000 runners, don’t expect a stellar time. I really had to fight for my 54:24, dodging, weaving, starting, and stopping throughout.

If you like running, I recommend this event. If you dislike running, I cannot predict if you will enjoy it. But it’s not high pressure, you can walk the whole thing if you want — it’s only 10K.
I ran for the 3^rd time this year (2012), and I really enjoy this run each year if I have friends to meet up with at the end to share our experience. It is very well organized and there are bands, porta-​potties and water stations at regular intervals.
It is crowded, so I would warn against expecting to shave seconds off your time because you will hit a handful of bottlenecks where you are sometimes forced to slow down. If you expect it, you should be fine.
The end if very crowded and they have signs to say keep moving but it is difficult to move quickly due to congestion. In 2012 they seem to have eased the congestion a bit by moving the after-​event indoors.
There are all types of fitness levels, ages and paces at the event. People run with their small doggies, or in costumes. There is a group of walkers and people pushing strollers wave that starts after the runners start.
One slow down I have encountered every single year: my selected running wave is under 1 hour. I assume that anyone making it under 1 hour does not plan to do much walking. But every year at km2 or km3, a group of people have to stop and walk because they ran too fast at the start (I assume). They really contribute to the bottleneck that is at that stage. The reason I mention it is the funny part: they are always early-​teen aged boys! like 14 – 15 age it looks like. LOL — why? ???

It’s a little more crowded than I’d like it, but the route is great. Well planned, so it helps you enjoy the run. Music and supporters cheering you on really make the whole event much more entertaining. Before you know it, you’ve just run 10 kilometers. Cheerios!

I secretly feel like the Vancouver Sun Run is a must-​do before you call yourself a resident of this fine city. I don’t judge people who don’t (not everyone’s a runner), but those who’ve taken part in in seem to share some secret bond, like they’re part of the stonecutters or something.
2011 marks the 4^th year I’ve run this event, and despite the dodging I have to do, this is probably the only running event I’ll do for the year so it’s my baseline for improving. It’s an easy course for beginners with only one large uphill, there are lots of water stations along the way, there’s great live music and people cheering you on, and there’s tons of free food /​drinks to get your energy back at the finish. Be careful that the finish line isn’t the overpass at the end of the Cambie bridge, it’s always another 500m after that. I know this, and yet I fall for it every time. *sigh*
My only beef would be the people who either sign up in a wave they are targetting. The more competitive runners (which I’m not one of them) always express a bit of «hmph!» when they mention the amount of dodging they have to do around people who were racing in the wrong heat.
But other than that, it’s always a good time at the Sun Run. Keep an eye out for the chicken suits, the pac mans, and all the other fun get-​ups! Bonus: there’s also a shorter 2.5K run for children if they want to be a part of the joy!

The quintessential Vancouver event, the Sun Run is an activity that every Vancouverite should participate in at least once in their lives. I love it when this city gets excited about something, whether it be the Olympics, the Canucks, or something else; strangers start talking to each other, people smile at one another, and the city feels alive. This is exactly what happens one Sunday morning each April during the Sun Run –it’s truly an event that brings the community together.
The run itself is a beautiful one, heading past English Bay, over the Burrard St bridge and back over the Cambie bridge. Being a 10k, the distance of the run is relatively short; anyone can train their bodies to run or at least walk the route. Bands line the course, and spectators cheer to urge runners to keep going. Running the course is a great feeling.
The only downside of the Sun Run is that it is VERY packed, and many runners put themselves in the wrong (ie: too fast) finishing category, getting in the way of faster runners in the process. This year I was aiming for a ~1hr finishing time, but I found it exceedingly difficult to navigate my way through a sea of walkers and people with strollers (walkers to the right, people!). To top it off, when I sprinted to the finish line, I had to stop due to a mob of people coming through at the same time. I watched two minutes pass on the clock before I could squeeze my way across the line. (To be fair, I later heard that someone collapsed and the medical staff were tending to them)
All in all, this is a wonderful yearly event that I look forward to each year. For out-​of-​towners looking to do their first 10k, the Sun Run is a well-​organized event that’s definitely worth the trip!

I get slower and slower every year. I remember the days of running it in the 40’s and now it’s the 80’s! I wonder if it’s a good thing to run your time the same as your age. Kinda like golf where you get the same score as your age???
The event goes up and down but overall it’s solid 5 if you have the right positive mentality for running crazy around people and avoiding those with those dangerous walking sticks and people who like to make a solid wall so you can’t get around them.
Once you do this, you get excited and keep telling yourself you’re going to continue to train and run more and more.
For me, I really enjoy the run. the sore muscles and the pain in the joints afterwards.
OK for most everyone else, maybe not.
but it is an event on my calendar that just can’t be missed.

My second year doing this, running on my corporate team. This year, it was later than the usual April run… and it was hot. Love the route, because it’s a nice scenic route.(parts of it). Woke up bright and early (very early) on a Sunday and headed downtown, all ready for the race.
There’s always a good vibe here, people of all ages, and everyone just here to have a great time.
There are also water stations scattered at various points along the run, with the awesome volunteers pouring endless cups of water. There’s also different bands/​radio stations playing all along, as well as random bystanders motivating you as you run.
Some parts of the race are better than others (along Beach Ave vs. the incline of the Burrard Bridge)…but overall it’s a great way to just have fun. At the end of it all, there’s fruit, water, and free samples of juice and Red Bull, so I really can’t complain!
Looking forward to next year!

This having been my first 10K ever, and I did it without training, I felt such a sense of accomplishment at the end! The route is very scenic and it’s actually great to run along side so many people and know you’re not the last (unless of course, you are last) for people like me that don’t run at all.
1 star off for not providing cooler t-​shirts… like smaller fitted ones for women or of running material. And also for being too crowded that it’s hard to get to the part at the end where there’s food and stuff.

I will never run again for the Vancouver Sun Run. I’ve done it twice already. Why? Gee, it’s crowded to the max. This is the second largets 10K race in North America. It’s like going to some boxing day sale at the mall times 10. If you fall, you’ll get trampled by a big crowd of people. You’ll race against Olympic bound athletics to serious coach potatoes at this race. On the positive side, at the end of the race, you can get some food and drinks at BC Place Stadium. This isn’t a very serious run and you will get a lot of walkers, people with strollers, people with their pets, people dressed up in costumes, so if you’re into running, you better sign up in the lead pack lineup.

There’s nothing quite like putting all that training on the seawall to the test with a 10K run. The Sun Run can be fun in a lot of ways: there’s lots of bands and people to cheer you on while you’re running, it’s inspiring to see all the ages and types of people who complete the run, and it’s great to have a goal in the early spring to get you out to exercise.
It’s the second largest timed 10K in the world and it’s cool to see your finish time in print, since the Vancouver Sun always publishes the results.
However, in the rain, the «Sun» Run really sucks. You have to stand for a long time waiting to start. You get bored of stretching and when you stop moving you get really cold. It’s crowded, since nearly 60,000 people participate in the run. If you’re back with walkers/​baby-​buggies/​people with dogs, you’ll be tripping over the luggage and you’ll have a hard time making your way around all these people. Even if you plan on jogging a bit and walking a bit, I would not recommend starting in this category!
People often ask what charity benefits from this run. Well … it’s not actually a charity event. It is meant to promote health, fitness and community spirit and to support amateur athletics. The fees you pay to participate go in to the supplies and administration of the event. They have been able to donate $ 1.5 mil to different causes since 1985, though.
Lace ‘em up and start training for April 19, 2009!