Vancouver marathon

9:30 am on a sunny Sunday May 3 morning and the Vancouver marathon is pouring along 49th Avenue at the top of our block.  Doco and I emerged just in time to see the three leaders go by, at about 8:45 at the 5 km point, looking so smooth.  The first five, at least, were black Africans.  Which one will win?  I missed a photo of the first woman (not black) but she came along amazingly soon.

 

Do you recognize these keen cheerers?  Jinny Sim and Kevin Song from next door and their FOUR boys (left to right) - Isaac, Theo, Lawrence and Orin.  Last year Jinny (pregnant) ran in the Vancouver half-marathon.  This year she's not running until the Toronto half-marathon in June.  The three older boys ran in the kids' "marathon" around Stanley Park yesterday.  Phew.

Then came the mob.  A moment later there were too many for one lane of 49th.  They'll be off around UBC about now.  All ages, genders, nationalities, sizes and shapes.  Quite marvellous.

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Next day:  Winners were the small front runner in black (above), Luka Chelimo from Kenya, and Lioudmila Kortchaguina from Thornhill, Ontario.

P.S. Rowan and Teagan headed off at 8am for the Stawamus Chief.  Doco and I walked home.