Royal Victoria Marathon 2024 in British Columbia

The Royal Victoria Marathon is an annual marathon taking place on Vancouver Island in Victoria. The event has become one of the most prominent annual sporting events on Vancouver Island. It is held each Thanksgiving weekend and, besides a marathon, features the Thrifty Foods Kids Run, 8K, 5K, and a half marathon. The event is also a Boston Marathon qualifier. For 2024, the marathon distance already sold out in July, and the event expects to sell out its half-marathon distance in August. The event expects over 12,000 participants in 2024.

Marathon & Half-Marathon Route

The marathon stands out from other races by the way it cherishes its runners, its scenic ocean views, and the quality of the route, of course. Both the main marathon and the half-marathon take place at 8:15 am on October 13, with the course closing at 2:30 pm. The start and finish line is located in downtown Victoria near the Legislative Grounds. The course lies through James Bay and, along the coast, passes by Beacon Hills Park, through Fairfield and Oak Bay. The main marathon runners turn around near Loon Bay and head back to the finish line at the Legislative Grounds, while the half-marathon participants turn around at Cowichan Street.

Other Events

On October 11-12, the marathon will host the RVM Expo at Crystal Gardens from 11 am to 6 pm on Friday and from 9 am to 6 pm on Saturday. On Saturday, you can participate in the 5K race at 9 am, and children can join the Thrifty Foods Kids Run at 10:15 am. The 8K run takes place on Sunday, October 13, starting at 7:15 am.

History of the Marathon

One day in 1980, three founding members of the Prairie Inn Harriers club, marathoners Bruce "Gunner" Shaw, Alex Marshall, and Robin Pearson, were drinking beer and closed a deal to start a marathon in Victoria. From 2010 until 2020, the marathon was known as the Goodlife Fitness Victoria Marathon and then returned to its previous title, the Royal Victoria Marathon.