The lineup snaking down lower Douglas Street Friday morning to enter the Royal Victoria Marathon Expo in the Crystal Garden spoke volumes.
Running events may have taken a hit with pandemic cancellations in 2020 and 2021, but they’re back in a big way — registration for this weekend’s races was up more than 35 per cent from last year, with 12,315 participants signed up as of Friday.
It’s the third-highest total in the four-decade history of the Royal Victoria and the largest field of participants since the record 14,010 in 2010. Organizers expect the 2024 event to surpass, by Sunday, the current second-highest total of 12,492 from 2009.
Victoria’s not the only race destination to feel the resurgence. The Boston Marathon has announced tougher qualifying standards to get into the 2025 race in April, because of space restrictions on the historic narrow roads of the Massachusetts capital. The Royal Victoria Marathon has long been an official qualifier for Boston.
“Running has exploded again, people are back into being fit and healthy, and Boston has had to find a way to manage the growing number of people wanting to race its marathon,” said Rob Reid, vice-president of the Royal Victoria Marathon board of directors, who has been involved with the event for 36 years.
The more stringent qualifying times will affect runners in Sunday’s Royal Victoria Marathon who aspire to race in Boston. But the connection is good for business, as the 2,800 spots in the marathon and 5,250 in the half-marathon sold out over the summer. The 5K, 8K and kids’ races still had starting spots open Friday, but were close to selling out.
Of the ribbon of humanity that will take to the streets of Victoria and Oak Bay, 61 per cent are from outside the lower Island, with participants registered from 23 nations.
“Those are amazing statistics about the number of people this race, with its storied history, brings to the region,” said Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto in a news conference Friday at Crystal Garden.
“This is always an extraordinary event for the city.”
Keith Wells, executive director of the Greater Victoria Sport Tourism Commission, added: “These are Instagram images that go around the world.”
One unique aspect of road running is the sight of Olympians and other world-class runners running alongside weekend Spandex warriors — even though their finishing times may be worlds apart.
Oak Bay Mayor Kevin Murdoch, who has raced the Royal Victoria Marathon, said no matter who they are, a marathon “gets people moving.”
“We are always thrilled to be having people running through Oak Bay,” said Murdoch, adding athletics are important to mental and physical health.
On Saturday, Canadian and North American record holder Cam Levins of Black Creek, who this summer ran the marathon in the Paris Olympics, will lead the Thrifty Foods Kids Run at Willows Beach at 10:45 a.m. The day begins with the Royal Victoria 5K at 9 a.m., also in Oak Bay.
The Royal Victoria 8K starts Sunday morning at 7:15 a.m. followed by the marathon and half-marathon races at 8:15 a.m., beginning on Menzies and finishing on Belleville in the legislature precinct. Road closures will be in effect through downtown, James Bay, Fairfield and Oak Bay.
