BMO Vancouver Half Marathon 2023 Recap

The BMO Vancouver Marathon, half marathon and 8k took place on May 7, 2023. It was a beautiful Sunday morning. The temperature was absolutely perfect for running (at least it was for the half marathon event).

Crossing the finish line of the BMO Vancouver Half Marathon 2023

I came to Vancouver on the ferry on Saturday before the race. I went to the expo on Saturday where I picked up my pacer t-shirt and race bib. I also saw John Stanton of Running Room and Cedric from Coros.

John Stanton of Running Room and I at the BMO Vancouver Marathon expo

Then, after spending some time at the Expo, I went shopping and got myself two pairs of Guess jeans. They were only $85 bucks per pair which I thought was a fabulous deal. Considering that I don’t go to the mainland that often, I’m glad I was able to take advantage of the price and do some shopping.

Shortly after that, I went for dinner at the Italian Tomato in Richmond. It was only a few blocks away from my hotel. I had to stay in Richmond because it was so much cheaper than staying downtown Vancouver. I paid $360 for the hotel room at the Travelodge in Richmond. I thought it was a fantastic deal. Furthermore, my hotel was super close to the Skytrain station which took me right to the start of my event.

On race morning, I woke up at 5am because I had to be at the start line for 6am. The reason I had to be there earlier was so that I could pick up my pacer sign and connect with other pacers and chat with the runners. Once I found the community center, I was able to pick up my pacer sign and meet some of the other pacers.

I love meeting cool people at running events

Then, it was time to head to the start line. I was in the last corral because I was pacing the 2:30 half marathon group. I talked to a number of runners who wanted to follow me and told them what my race strategy would be. I also took some time to learn their names so that I could support them throughout the event.

Once we got going, I started my Coros watch about a minute before I crossed the timing mat at the start line. My strategy was to be slightly ahead of pace at the 10k mark to allow for more frequent walk breaks in the second half of the race. I wanted to make sure that people were able to use the water stations and the bathrooms along the course without being dropped.

At the 10k mark, I got 1:06:28, which was honestly actually a bit faster than I intended to. However, I didn’t drop anyone from my group and the people said that the pace was good for them. Then, at the 15km mark, I decided to slow down a little bit to make sure I didn’t drop anyone, especially because my pace was slightly faster in the beginning.

Every time that I saw people cheering on the sidelines, I yelled “cheer louder” to keep my group inspired. I was having an absolute blast. I was making jokes and cheering for my group too, especially when we had to go uphill. I also slowed down on the hills to make sure that everyone was still with me when we got to the top.

I chatted about the weather, running, and the beautiful scenery along the way. The breathtaking views distracted people from the fatigue they were feeling as we approached the last quarter of the run.

The next thing I knew, we were less than 1km away from the finish. I got super excited for everyone in the group. I kept cheering for all the people in my group and encouraged them to drop me so that they would cross the finish line before I did and guaranteed themselves a sub-2:30 finish.

As we approached the finish line, the crowds were absolutely fantastic. They cheered and applauded as we went by. My chip time was 2:28:00 which is right on pace for 2:30. Most of the folks who ran with me finished ahead of me so they hit their goal. I was thrilled.

A close up of the BMO Vancouver Half marathon finisher medal 2023

Some of the participants hugged me at the finish line and thanked me for volunteering as a pacer. I love to support other runners and help them reach their goals. Mission accomplished. My heart is full. I hope to be back again next year if the schedule allows.