If you are planning to cheer on the runners at the Edmonton 10k race on July 22nd, here are some of the names and bib numbers to watch out for! Toronto’s Sasha Gollish and Hamilton’s Reid Coolsaet will be looking to defend their 10K titles earned in the Toronto 10K on June 16th.
More than 6,700 people took part in the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon and 5k, raising an estimated $970,000 for 70 local charities through the Scotiabank Charity Challenge. This brings the grand total since 2007 to over $8 million.
Every year we’re joined by hundreds of new runners at both the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon and the 5k. For many people, it’s their first time participating in an event of this size. We’ve taken some tips from the seasoned runners out there and come up with the ABC’s of how to set yourself up for a great race – both before and after the event.
Introducing our Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k Elite Field.
| Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon Male Elite Athletes | |||||
| Bib # | Last Name | First Name | City | Prov. | |
| 1 | Kangogo | Kip | Lethbridge | AB | |
| 3 | Tomsich | Anthony | Vancouver | BC | |
| 8 | Setlack | Matt | Cold Lake | AB | |
| 9 | Onsare | Benard | Calgary | AB | |
| 10 | Mutai | David | Etobicoke | ON | |
| 11 | Voth | Chris | Vancouver | BC | |
| 12 | Derr | Tom | Eugene | OR | |
| 13 | Manning | Aaron | Mississauga | ON | |
| 14 | Nicholson | Drew | Surrey | BC | |
| 15 | McNamara | Paul | Vancouver | BC | |
| 16 | Gomez | Inaki | Vancouver | BC | |
| 17 | Dunfee | Evan | Richmond | BC | |
| 20 | Finlayson | Jim | Victoria | BC | |
| 21 | Ziak | Jeremiah | Vancouver | BC | |
| 22 | McMillan | Craig | North Vancouver | BC | |
| Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon Female Elite Athletes | |||||
| Bib # | Last Name | First Name | City | Prov. | |
| F3 | Gollish | Sasha | Toronto | ON | |
| F4 | Pidhoresky | Dayna | Vancouver | BC | |
| F5 | Setlack | Emily | Cold Lake | AB | |
| F8 | Olsen | Courtney | Bellingham | WA | |
| F10 | Morrison | Amber | Bellingham | WA | |
| F11 | Hungerford | Briana | Vancouver | BC | |
| F12 | Pepin | Cheryl | North Vancouver | BC | |
| F13 | Lee | Andrea | Vancouver | BC | |
| F15 | Moore | Katherine | Vancouver | BC | |
| F16 | Kassel | Melanie | Chilliwack | BC | |
| F19 | Slaughter | Gemma | Vancouver | BC | |
presented by:
For those thinking ahead to the 2018 running season on the West Coast, Canada Running Series is excited to announce some exclusive savings through the Vancouver Combo Pack!
Don’t miss out on the best pricing for 2018!
Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon & 5k – June 24, 2018
Under Armour Eastside 10k – September 15, 2018
*When registering for both the June and September races together, your registration for each event is automatically discounted by an extra 10%. The combo rate is also valid for the June 5k + September 10k combination. This discount is only valid on purchases made through the Combo Pack registration form and cannot be retroactively applied to existing, separate registrations.
**A discounted Combo Pack will continue to be available into 2018, but prices for both the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon and 5k will increase at midnight (PST) on January 11th, meaning the price of the Combo Pack will also increase accordingly.
VANCOUVER. January 30th, 2018. Canada Running Series is delighted to announce the appointment of Ryan Chilibeck, who will join the team as Race Director, CRS West, replacing Clif Cunningham. Ryan’s first day will be tomorrow, January 31st, though Clif will continue full-time until the summer as part of a smooth transition.
“After 17 years, we’re sad to see Clif move on in search of new adventures,” said President Alan Brookes, “but thrilled to have someone with Ryan’s combined running, community and business experience on board to continue to build on the success of the events.”
A lifetime sportsperson, Ryan turned to running in 2010, and got the “race experience” bug when he signed up for Canada Running Series’ Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon in 2014. That was also the year he founded East Van Run Crew:
“Until 2014, I typically ran alone,” he recalls. “Then one of my friends was running with Parkdale Roadrunners in Toronto and I couldn’t stop watching his social media feed to see what was going on. I looked around Vancouver and didn’t see anything that really captured the energy of this new running movement that they were bringing to the streets every week. In the lead up to my 2014 Scotia Half, EVRC was founded over social media, to a lukewarm reception. From there, things have just snowballed into what EVRC is today…a large, dynamic, inviting, open-door, community-building and thirsty group of people who also like to run.
Once this social aspect of running came into my life, it gave me another thing to look forward to every week: a new circle of friends and a creative output that no job could not offer me at the time. We were able to raise money for charities, jump on social media to connect with runners across the globe, host group events in our own city and represent our run crews at races around the world.”
From 2012 to 2016, Ryan also gained invaluable business experience establishing and managing a flourishing Famoso Pizza franchise in East Vancouver that also helped sponsor races and act as a popular location for crew runs, post-run pizza and beer, as well as supporting a wide range of community-based charities. He also coordinated and oversaw the training of new Famoso partners and their management teams, and re-vamped and refreshed the music offerings at 29 Famoso locations across Canada.
Ryan has spent the past year in Edmonton where he launched and managed the Northern Alberta Trail Run Series.
“Bringing a new Race Series to Edmonton was an incredibly rewarding experience. I was able to use my previous racing knowledge to coordinate the entire runner-experience from registration to finish line. There is no better feeling than seeing a lofty vision and months’ worth of planning come to reality. The only downside was that I never got to race in any of them! I’m really looking forward to bringing my personal experiences and talents to the amazing structure that Clif, Tom and the rest of the CRS team has worked hard to create across the country.”
Ryan will be joined on the Canada Running Series West team by Jen Cerullo and Ron Denischuk, two high-energy event professionals, as Event Manager and Operations Manager, respectively. Jen has worked on many Vancouver-area events including prominent roles with lululemon’s Seawheeze, the Rock ‘n Roll Vancouver Half marathon and the First Half Half Marathon, as well as with CRS on the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in a range of volunteer-management, course, venue and “people” areas. Ron has worked with CRS under Tom Skinner for 5 years, as well as on the Sun Run and other major events. A UBC Business graduate, he is eager to step up as Tom moves on to a new challenge with HUB Cycling. Like Clif, though, Tom will be there in the transition to support the Scotia Half and the Under Armour Eastside 10k in race-week roles.
“We’re really excited about 2018, from Vancouver to Toronto and Montreal,” said Brookes. “And we’re looking forward to seeing the running community out in force to give Clif and Tom a royal send-off, and be part of the new energy, excitement and innovation that Ryan and his team will bring. We’re all building this together.”
Canada Running Series [CRS] is the nation’s premier running circuit with 7 events: 4 in Toronto, 2 in Vancouver and 1 in Montreal. It annually attracts some 60,000 participants and raises more than $6 million for some 320 mostly-local charities. The Series includes the IAAF Gold Label Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, and the Scotiabank Vancouver Half marathon, the only event in Canada to receive “Inspire Gold” certification from the Council for Responsible Sport in Oregon for its exemplary practice of sustainability. 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”.
We need your help to choose the 20th annual Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon shirt design!
Participants in both the 5k and the Half Marathon will again receive excellent Asics tech-shirts in both unisex and women’s sizing. Help us pick the final design by voting on your favourite option below, or by commenting on our Facebook post. The winning design will be announced on Friday.
Haven’t registered yet? Come run with us on June 24, 2018 in the Half Marathon or 5k!
Over the last 12 months it has become a fairly common occurrence for the Vancouver running community to see me out on the streets tackling a road race. Over the last year I have walked in 10km, half marathon and full marathon races, and ran a 10km and a half marathon.
This dabbling in running during my off-season has led to a lot of questions. How often do you run in training? How does racing/recovery differ? Why do you do it?
And I think it would be fun to attempt to answer some of these questions by comparing my two most recent road races, the Scotiabank Half Marathon, where I race walked to a 95th place finish in 1:29:54, and the recent Eastside 10km, where I ran my way to 6th place in 32:26.
So just how much running do I do in training? Since May 1st I’ve run 120km (not including a few 3km late night runs/plods home from the bar), or a whopping average of 6km per week. Evidently running isn’t something I find myself doing in training too often.
That lack of running most clearly rears its ugly head when it comes to recovering from running races vs. walking races. I can typically bounce back from a 30-40min hard walking effort either later that day or the next day. However, after running the Eastside 10k my legs were shot.
Race walking, because of its lower impact, takes way less of a strain physically on your body (think somewhere between swimming and running). Plus, given that it’s my primary form of training, my body is primed to handle the specific stressors exceptionally well. Running however, requires way more calf/quad activation, and the higher impact takes its toll on my joints and ITBs.
Additionally, after most of my walking races my focus is on recovering as quickly as possible because I’m mid-season. After Eastside the focus was getting home ASAP to shower and head downtown to celebrate the end of my off-season. With drinks at the White Caps game and a late night concert, my body woke up the next day with considerably more DOMS.
There are many more similarities (think physiological measures: %VO2max, HR etc…) than there are differences. One difference, while running, is how easily my mind wanders. Not having to focus on technique freed up mental capacity. Unfortunately, that mental capacity was used to frequently question: “Why are you doing this to yourself?”. It’s tough to say if that is a positive or negative difference.
Another big difference was the overwhelming lack of expectations. When I go into a walking race I roughly know what I should be capable of. Sometimes this is a hindrance where I might hold back subconsciously. With running, I had no idea what to expect. I figured a good strategy was to make sure I ran hard enough that I was tired by 3km and then just hang on from there.
But moreover, no one else had any real expectations. I could have run 34min and people still would have thought that was pretty good for a race walker. Special shoutout here to my retired teammate/full-time lawyer Inaki Gomez who busted out a 35min run! He lost the fastest lawyer battle when Lanni Marchant pulled away from him late in the game.
Talking about others helps me segue into my final point, which is the real reason I come out to these races (running or walking). That reason is to sneak my way into the amazing running community we have in Vancouver. A community which I used to feel like an outsider in but now, finally, feel like I am welcome. Doing these events has helped show that we race walkers are serious athletes. I think that it has helped raise the level of respect we walkers have. It has also brought me way closer to this incredible community. From the awesome run clubs around the city, to the strong Strava contingent constantly pursuing personal excellence. These are the people I draw constant inspiration from. So if it means putting up with a few days of sore ITBs and calf cramps each year then it is well worth the price!
Every year we’re joined by hundreds of new runners at both the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon and the 5k. For many people, it’s their first time participating in an event of this size. We’ve taken some tips from the seasoned runners out there and come up with the ABC’s of how to set yourself up for a great race – both before and after the event.
While this guide is primarily aimed at new runners, it’s always good to refresh your memory even if you’ve been racing for decades! Also be sure to check out our Race Etiquette Page.
Confirm your registration here.
This may seem obvious, but it’s so often overlooked. You can save yourself tonnes of stress on Race Day (and the days leading up to it) by knowing where to go and when. This includes knowing where to pick up your race package and bib number in the days leading up to the race, as well as how to get to the start line.
A common mistake is to try something new just before or on Race Day. This could be anything from wearing a new pair of shoes during the run to changing up your diet the day before. If you typically eat a simple pasta the night before your training runs, don’t try out that new Mexican Food Cart on Saturday night. If you don’t usually have coffee before your training runs, don’t go for a double espresso on Sunday morning. Stick with what works for you – from your meals to your running clothes to your morning routine.
When you pick up your bib number, you’ll notice a coloured corral box on it (Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, or Purple). This colour matches up with the corral you’ve been assigned to and there’ll be coloured corral flags at the start line to show you were to line up.
But what’s a corral? In order to give everyone their best experience on Race Day, we assign all participants into a corral based on their predicted finish time. This way, speedsters can start at the front of the pack while walkers start further back. Please be respectful of other runners and line up according to your expected finish time. Please also be mindful of other runners who may need to pass you on course – if you are running with children encourage them to stay close or hold their hand. Corral details for Half-Marathon and 5k.
BONUS – use our Gear Check to store a bag of warm, dry (and less-sweaty) clothes for after the race. Your $2 donation will go to our Featured Charities.
We use a bib-tag timing system, which means your timing chip is embedded in your bib number. In order for it to work properly and have your time recorded:
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of Race Day and start out too fast. Do the opposite – start a little slower than your normal pace and gradually pick up your pace over the first kilometre. After that, try to keep an even pace throughout the race and save your extra energy for the final push to the Finish Line!
It can be pretty hot in June, so make sure to keep hydrated while on course. It’s a good idea to bring your own water, but we’ll also have plenty of aid stations on course, serving up both water and Gatorade. If you are using one of the aid stations:
Collect your medal as you cross the Finish Line, then keep moving through the chute until you get to the Post-Race Recovery Area. Keep moving for at least 10 more minutes afterwards to gradually bring your heart rate down and help your legs flush out that lactic acid (this will prevent you from being stiff tomorrow).
Right after the finish line we’ll have water and Gatorade for you to rehydrate with. Grab a cup and keep walking – there will be more in the Post-Race Recovery Area. A variety of snacks will be available in the Recovery Area, including bananas, bagels, KIND bars, cookies, raisins, juice, and yogurt. The carbs will help replenish your energy stores while a bit of protein will help rebuild your muscles. Make sure you eat something within 30 minutes of crossing the line.
After you’ve fueled up, stop by Gear Check to collect your spare clothes. Even on a sunny day, your core temperature will drop fast once you stop moving, especially when you’re still wearing sweaty clothes. Once you’ve done that, check out the live band, our Charity Village, and Awards Ceremony (10:30am).
If you’re looking for a place to meet your friend and family after the run, our five Charity Village tents will be labeled A, B, C, D, and E – pick a letter and meet in front of it. Full map of the Finish Area is here.
Congratulations! Now it’s time to start planning your next race – join us at the Under Armour Eastside 10k on September 15, 2018!
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Kip KangogoAge: 37 Kip Kangogo is a previous Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon winner, having won the event 5 times! After immigrating from Kenya 14 years ago, he resides in Lethbridge, Alberta with his family. Kip ran a 2:17:12 at the 2014 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, to earn the opportunity to represent Canada at the 2015 Pan Am Games Marathon. He is an accomplished runner in any event from the 5000m to the marathon, and has an exceptional knowledge of the #ScotiaHalf course , Kangogo will be a force to be reckoned with on June 25 as he hunts for his 6th win. |
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Thomas TothAge: 26 Thomas Toth had a breakthrough performance at the 2016 Aramco Houston Half-Marathon where he ran a blistering 1:04:26. Following this, Toth went on to win the 2016 Canadian Half Marathon Championships in Calgary. Since then, he’s set a solid mark in the marathon, debuting at 2:18:58 in the Hamburg Marathon. Beating the qualifying standard by 2 seconds, Toth has been selected to represent Canada in the marathon at the 2017 World Track and Field Championships in London, England this summer. |
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Geoff MartinsonAge: 31 Geoff Martinson has specialized in shorter distances, with a semi final appearance in the 1500m at the 2011 World Track and Field Championships. With many podium finishes at local road races, he was the former BC Champ in the 5k, and the winner of the 2015 Eastside 10k. With just a few early results at the half marathon distance, he’s one to watch for in the field. |
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Dylan WykesAge: 34 Dylan Wykes is one of the most successful marathon runners in Canada. A member of the 2012 Canadian Olympic Team, he finished 20th in his Olympic debut at the London 2012 Games. He qualified for the Games by running 2:10:47 at the 2012 Rotterdam Marathon; a time that is the third fastest ever by a Canadian, behind only Jerome Drayton’s clocking of 2:10:09 in 1975 and Reid Coolsaet’s 2:10:28 clocking at the 2015 Berlin Marathon. Wykes won the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon in 2014 in 1:03:52, and will be contending for the top spot again this June. |
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Dayna Pidhoresky:Age: 30 Dayna Pidhoresky has had a season like no other this year. She has won every race she’s entered, and although she came in 7th behind an international field at the Scotiabank Ottawa Marathon, she was the first Canadian and hit the mark that would qualify her for the 2017 World Track and Field Championships in London, England later this summer. Having battled through a sacral stress fracture after running the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in October, Pidhoresky has shown that all her hard work has paid off. A previous winner of the Eastside 10k, Pidhoresky lives and trains in Vancouver with her husband/coach. She has never run the Scotia Half, but living in the area will have helped in her preparation to shoot for the winning spot on June 25th. |
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Sabrina Wilkie:Age: 32 Sabrina Wilkie grew up in Langley, BC and now calls Vancouver home with her husband and their three-year old son. Self-coached since 2014, Wilkie has podiumed in many local road races and represented Canada at the 2014 NACAC Cross Country Championships. Debuting in the Victoria Marathon last October, Wilkie won the women’s title in 2:45:54. Outside of running and family, Wilkie is at the University of British Columbia completing her Masters of Physical Therapy. |
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Lyndsay Tessier:Age: 39 Lyndsay Tessier is a competitive runner from Toronto, Ontario who placed second at the 2016 Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon. Tessier has competed in many road running races all across Canada and recently won the Mississauga Half Marathon on May 7 in 1:16:12. Being familiar with the Scotia Half course, Lyndsay will be ready to better her last years placing, and will be in contention for a spot at the top of the podium. |
The full Elite List for this year’s event can be found here.
Want to join these contenders on June 25? Head on over to the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon to see if there’s still space left!
© 2025 Canada Running Series.
