The Vancouver Sun Run
by author Antoine Giraud

When Doug and Diane Clement founded the Vancouver Sun Run in 1985, they had no idea how popular this annual road race would become. Every year, on the third or fourth Sunday in April, thousands of participants run, walk, or roll around the 10-kilometre route through picturesque Stanley Park and downtown Vancouver.

The Sun Run is the largest race of its kind in Canada and the second largest in North America. This year, over 54,000 people took to the streets to support this community event. According to the organizers, over a million dollars in race proceeds has been donated to charity since the race first began. This year donations went to the Vancouver Sun's Raise-a-Reader campaign and to BC's amateur athletes.

In addition to supporting important causes, the Sun Run aims to promote the health and fitness of individuals as well as encourage community spirit. According to Sun Run founder Diane Clement, 60 percent of Canadians are obese or overweight, yet British Columbians are less so than the national average. Clement believes this is partly because of initiatives such as the Sun Run. This run unites the community in the goal of getting fit and many participants use the race as an incentive to start a regular training program.

In Vancouver this fun-filled event heralds the arrival of spring and is the time for many to put a dreary winter behind them. The atmosphere is always festive, with live bands to encourage the runners, plenty of water stations, rest stops, and a huge finish party with fruits and bagels. What better reason do you need to get outside?

Sources:

www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=484fef3b-840e-4ac8-8eda-3b26f2c2fcf8

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vancouver_Sun_Run#_note-VBoT

www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=6c5c21a7-c0aa-44ce-b95f-21499dc0ef63

Source: alive Web Exclusive, May 2008