Vancouver, BC – June 23, 2024
The Vancouver Half Marathon & 5K, hosted by Canada Running Series, celebrated a record-breaking day on the streets of UBC and Kitsilano this morning. Over 4500 participants in the half marathon and nearly 1000 in the 5K – the most in recent history – tackled the scenic course, showcasing the best of Vancouver’s running community with no shortage of joy, athleticism, and perseverance. The runners came from 8 Canadian provinces, 24 American states and 30 countries. Fully 4000 of the 6000 were aged 18-39, underscoring the arrival of a new running boom.
Thrilling Elite Races and Local Victories
The Half Marathon distance boasted a solid elite list of Vancouver’s locals. In the Men’s Elite race, Justin Kent celebrated his return from injury and the recent birth of his daughter by taking off early and cruising to a convincing victory. Kent broke the tape with a 1:05:09, an impressive solo performance. As a new father, Kent’s lack of sleep from early parenting didn’t prevent his success, one he noted wouldn’t have been possible without the support of his wife and baby girl who cheered him across the line. While he can add the Vancouver Half to his portfolio of wins, Kent won’t be slowing down anytime soon, with sights now set on the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon, Canadian National Championship in October. Matthew Walker (1:11:30) and Sam Wensink (1:11:38) had a good battle for the second and third podium places.
Canada’s 2020 Olympic Marathoners Natasha Wodak and Dayna Pidhoresky paced alongside each other for the first 15 kilometers before Wodak took the lead, to finish in a time of 1:13:52. Pidhoresky hung on for second in 1:15:22 with Burnaby’s Jamie Hennesey 3rd in 1:18:47. “I wanted to run the first half of the race more on the more conservative side and I pushed myself over the last 6-8K,” said Wodak, giving her the chance to catch a pack of men over last mile joking “it’s always fun to hunt [them down]”.
Charity Challenge Surpasses Goals
Canada Running Series is proud to announce that the annual Charity Challenge surpassed its initial goal of $300,000 by nearly $100,000 expecting to round out donations at $400,000 for the 2024 Vancouver Half Marathon, an increase of over 52% from 2023. Fundraising remains open until July 22nd .
Half Marathon Male:
- Justin Kent 1:05:09
- Matthew Walker 1:11:30
- Sam Wesnick 1:11:38
Half Marathon Female:
- Natasha Wodak 1:13:52
- Dayna Pidhoresky 1:15:22
- Jamie Hennessy 1:18:47
About Canada Running Series
Canada Running Series is the nation’s premier running circuit with seven events: four in Toronto, two in Vancouver and one in Montreal. It annually attracts over 70,000 participants and raises more than $6 million for some 320 mostly local charities. The Series includes the World Athletics Elite Label TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon and the Athletics Canada National Marathon Championships. Since 1999, CRS has gained international recognition for innovation and organization.
We are passionately committed to staging great experiences for runners of all levels, from Canadian Olympians and international stars to healthy lifestyle people and charity runners, and to making sport part of sustainable communities and the city-building process. Our mission is, “building community through the sport of running.”
More info: https://canadarunningseries.com/
