About 9,000 participants will take part in this weekend’s Royal Victoria Marathon events, the highest number since 2014.
Organizers say registrations for the marathon, a qualifier for the Boston Marathon, and the half-marathon sold out.
As of Friday, 1,861 runners had registered for the marathon, 3,828 for the half marathon, 2,087 for the 8K, 613 for the 5K and 458 for the Thrifty Foods Kids Run.
About 500 marathon participants have registered in hopes of posting qualifying times for the Boston Marathon.
The events begin today with the 5K and Thrifty Foods Kids Run at 9 a.m. and 10:15 a.m., respectively, at Willows Beach in Oak Bay.
The marathon and half-marathon are Sunday with an 8 a.m. start, and the 8K at 7:15 a.m.
Runners will snake through the streets of Victoria and Oak Bay, with the start and finish lines in the legislature precinct.
In what will be an epic men’s half-marathon duel Sunday, Cam Levins of Black Creek, the Canadian and North American marathon record holder, will race against fellow Olympian Trevor Hofbauer of Calgary, the second-fastest Canadian marathoner in history after Levins.
Levins is running the half-marathon to prepare for next month’s New York City Marathon and the 2024 Paris Olympics, his third Olympic Games appearance
Top-seeded in the marathon Sunday is Josphat Kipkoech from the legendary running nation of Kenya, who has a personal best time of 2:13:58.
Of note in the 8K will be Canadian middle-distance star Gabriela DeBues-Stafford, who finished fifth in the women’s 1,500 metres at the 2000 Tokyo Olympics.
A total of 28 nations will be represented, including the U.S., U.K., Mexico, Kenya, Australia and Germany.
“This checks all the boxes and is one of the easiest things for us to support and sponsor,” said Keith Wells, executive director of the Greater Victoria Sport Tourism Commission. “It fills the hotels and restaurants and makes for a vibrant weekend.”
Victoria Coun. Chris Coleman called the economic impact of the event “outstanding for our region,” adding it also has value for its charitable component.
The Royal Victoria Marathon has taken a page from the London Marathon’s charity-pledge component and raised just over $2.2 million since 2014 for Island causes. The money raised this year will go to 21 participating local charities.
People can still register for available spaces in the 8K, 5K and Kids Run at the Race Expo in the Victoria Conference Centre’s Crystal Garden. That’s where participants can pick up their race packages today from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Among the throng picking up their packages on Friday was Glen Fuller, who has run the Royal Victoria Marathon 15 times, as well as two Ironmans and five Half-Irons. He will run the half-marathon Sunday but quipped he doesn’t expect to keep up with the likes of Levins.
“The route along the water makes this a beautiful race,” said the retired 59-year-old from Victoria.
“And the organization is top notch, from the music, medals and T-shirts. And you get to have turkey at the end of it.”
About 800 volunteers make it all possible.
Three of them — Rod and Marilyn McCrimmon and James Bradbury — were honoured Friday at a news conference for their more than 35 years each of volunteer service to the race.
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