A half-marathon in Vancouver on Saturday, Oct. 26 will include several street closures in the UBC campus area.
The Great Trek is the Grand Finale of the Runvan Race Series, which includes the BMO Vancouver Marathon in May and the Granville Island Turkey Trot over the Thanksgiving Day long weekend.
Formerly known as the Fall Classic, the race kicks off near the UBC Student Nest at three different start times for races of varying lengths. Runners can participate in the 5 km, 10 km, and 21.1 km (half-marathon).
The three races will travel scenic routes across UBC’s campus and Southwest Marine Drive, starting with the half-marathon at 8:30 a.m. The longest race takes runners on a double loop route around the UBC campus down Old Marine and SW Marine Drive (see slide two for map).
UBC student groups will perform live music at key points along the race, "adding a special energy" for onlookers and participants at the event. Musqueam performances also return with the Indigenous group Tsatsu Stalqayu.
The Vancouver weather forecast doesn't include ideal conditions for race day. V.I.A.'s UBC Weatherhood station shows up to 19 mm of rainfall possible for Saturday. Rain looks heaviest in the morning and is expected to ease somewhat before noon.
"Hopefully the rain holds out, but we know from our other events that a bit of bad weather won’t stop our amazing community," said Race Director Eric Chéné.
Vancouver road closures for The Great Trek
Some traffic closures are in effect on race day in Vancouver.
- Northwest Marine Drive will be closed for the race between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m.
- Southwest Marine Drive northbound will be open but closed southbound between 6 a.m. and noon
- A portion of University Boulevard will also be closed
Have a look at the UBC race day closures map for details (see slides three and four).
Transit users take note that the #49 bus will be detouring due to the run event, as will the #68 bus. Be sure to check TransLink's alerts page for any transit information.
The race map is available for start and finish details online with UBC.
