With almost two months before race weekend, both the marathon and half-marathon of the Royal Victoria Marathon have sold out, the earliest both distances have sold out in the event's 44-year history.
The race, which is on Oct. 12 and 13, now has an open wait-list for hopeful runners as people transfer to a different distance and spaces open for the race.
“When the marathon distance sold out in July, we thought the half would eventually sell out as well, but not this early” stated race director Cathy Noel in a news release. “Now we will look to sell out the eight-kilometre, five-kilometre and Thrifty Foods Kids Run, as well as fill all our [volunteer] positions.”
This year will see over 12,000 participants in the event, an increase of 3,000 participants over last year’s total. Noel explained they would increase participation space, however, they are limited by the capacity of the course, the city permits, shirt and medal orders and supplies.
“We thought last year’s increase was excellent, but this year is beyond our wildest dreams. We hope this trend continues for next year when we will be celebrating our 45th year," she noted in the release.
It is expected that the other race distances still available will sell out. For those who aren’t able to race this year, the organizers are encouraged to consider volunteering in a number of positions, including water stations, route marshals, setup and takedown and the green team.
The five-kilometre and the Thrifty Foods Kids Run take place on Saturday, Oct. 12 in Oak Bay, with the marathon, half marathon and eight-kilometre starting and finishing in downtown Victoria on Sunday, Oct. 13. Event organizers are hoping to raise over $100,000 this year for their charity partners to add towards the overall total of $2.35 million since 2005.
For more information, visit https://www.runvictoriamarathon.com.
