Vancouver Active Lifestyle
Written by: Teck Ip
3x Ironman Canada Triathlete and Boston Marathoner
Photographer: Fred W.
Vancouver has a long history of commitment to healthy lifestyles. 2009 is Vancouver’s 38th Annual Marathon. Vancouver is recognized as one of the ten most scenic Marathons in North America, and attracts runners from 37 countries. Runner’s World Magazine also calls the Marathon in Victoria, on Vancouver Island, one of the top ten destination Marathons in North America.
This year also marks the 25th Annual for the Vancouver Sun Run and it had about 60,000 runners and is one of the largest 10km races in Canada. There were many school teams with children of all ages, and many corporate teams all demonstrating active participation in all aspects.
Vancouver also offers many different races and events that attract top athletes. The Tour de Gastown saw the Legendary Lance Armstrong win the road bike race in 1991, before his seven Tour de France wins from 1999-2005. The Ironman Canada Triathlon in Penticton, B.C. beside the Okanagan Lake saw both local British Columbians Peter Reid and Lori Bowden win the race. These two top triathletes also went on to win the World Ironman Triathlon Championships in Hawaii, with Peter Reid winning three times in 1998, 2000, and 2003, and Lori Bowden winning twice in 1999 and 2003. Another British Columbian, Simon Whitfield of Victoria won Gold at the inaugural Olympic Triathlon in Sydney 2000, with another Silver medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Triathlon.
Hikers enjoy the Grouse Grind in North Vancouver in the summer. This grueling steep climb gains elevation quickly and ends up at the Grouse Mountain Ski and Snowboard Area. In addition to hiking, the mountains in North Vancouver also attract many cross country and downhill bikers. The West Coast Trail along Vancouver Island’s beautiful west coast is world-renowned. This 75km hiking trail in Pacific Rim Park offers some of the most scenic coastline on the globe and protects old-growth rain forest, which attracts artists and photographers from around the world. Other famous hiking locations surrounding Greater Vancouver include The Chief in Squamish, B.C., the Golden Ears in Maple Ridge, B.C., and the Black Tusk in Garibaldi Provincial Park, near Whistler, B.C.
The home of the 2010 Winter Olympics will be in Whistler, B.C., which is a renowned North American ski and snowboarding resort area just about two hours drive away from Vancouver. Skiing is possible all the way into August up in the high glacier areas. It is the diverse topography of Greater Vancouver that allows amazing winter sports in addition to the summer sports all in one season! During the summer, many rollerbladers enjoy the seawall route in the famous Stanley Park next to Downtown Vancouver and nearby False Creek. Vancouver False Creek is the site for the Dragon Boating Competition.
In addition to the variety of outdoor sports in Vancouver, there are also many indoor sports that are popular in demand as demonstrated by the largest collection of indoor badminton courts in Canada at a single location in Richmond, BC.
With rich local history, diverse communities, temperate annual weather, and diverse topography, Vancouver attracts many international athletes to compete in this neighborhood-like city. Overall, Vancouver offers a wide variety of sports for one’s choosing.
