Last in the series

There is a dense crush of wall-to-wall people when thousands runners pack the starting line on Menzies street for the GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon. The city, it seems, has no shortage of people who run.

On any given day, and especially weekends, the number of runners on the trails around Elk Lake or Thetis Lake almost (but not quite) outnumber the dog walkers. Running clinics are flush with hundreds of marathon and half-marathoner hopefuls eying a personal best or training for a first race.

But within the ebb and flow of fitness trends, road racing in Greater Victoria peaked about two years ago, and participant numbers are flattening or in decline.

The Victoria marathon topped out in 2010 with 13,995 finishers in four events (marathon, half-marathon, 8K and kidsB次元官网网址� race). Last year it hit 11,674 B次元官网网址� a 19 per cent drop. The TC10K, the other major running event in Victoria, saw 10,616 finishers in 2010, but dropped to 10,044 finishers this year.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a trend all across B.C. B次元官网网址� on average, races are 12 per cent down,B次元官网网址� said Bob Reid, treasurer of the Prairie Inn Harriers running club and a long-time race director and coach. B次元官网网址淣ewer races might be showing growth, but older races are plateauing or dropping slightly.B次元官网网址�

An unsteady economy might seemingly influence athletics trends, but Reid doesnB次元官网网址檛 think so. He points to the growing popularity of sports such as triathlon, which typically have high entry fees and expensive equipment.

B次元官网网址淭丑别 economy doesnB次元官网网址檛 affect attendance. Money doesnB次元官网网址檛 have anything to do with it,B次元官网网址� Reid said. B次元官网网址淧eople have different interests. A lot like running, but not all like racing. Many people continue running for fitness, health and friendship.B次元官网网址�

And despite the decline in racing attendance, people arenB次元官网网址檛 abandoning running. Support for most road race events in Greater Victoria remains strong and entries are far above numbers seen four or five years ago.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 amazing we have two large races on the Island, races with over 10,000 (runners),B次元官网网址� said Mark Nelson, co-owner of Frontrunners Langford and race director of the Bear Mountain 10K. B次元官网网址淎 lot of big cities donB次元官网网址檛 have two events of that size.

B次元官网网址淚n sheer quantity, there are nearly two events every weekend, on average, in the running and triathlon worlds ... with the majority in the Victoria area.B次元官网网址�

Nelson said its difficult to pin down why some runners flock to some races and ignore others. This yearB次元官网网址檚 first Goddess Run womenB次元官网网址檚 only run sold out and had some 1,426 finishers in the half marathon, 10K and 5K races.

B次元官网网址淭丑别 run did a good job. ItB次元官网网址檚 a well-organized event that had a solid team,B次元官网网址� Nelson said. B次元官网网址淚t had a great turnout for a first year event that had no history.B次元官网网址�

The running culture in Victoria remains vibrant, but a race directors sense a definite shift in attitude. Many recreational athletes have used running to build a fitness base and a launch point to other endurance sports, such as triathlon and adventure racing. Others have used running as another tool in their overall fitness regime that might include boot camps or CrossFit.

B次元官网网址淭丑别re isnB次元官网网址檛 so much a running craze than an outdoor fitness craze,B次元官网网址� Nelson said. B次元官网网址淎 lot of people might do trail running, the Victoria marathon, (Mind over Mountain) triathlon. A lot of people do a bit of everything.B次元官网网址�

Phil Nicholls, owner of Island Runner and national-level marathoner in the 1990s, says VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 running culture has shifted over the decades, from a relatively small band of dedicated runners who trained intensely to a popularized activity for thousands of people looking for a challenge and to stay fit.

Nicholls points to the rapid growth of the Victoria half-marathon. From 2009 to 2010 it added more than a thousand entrants to hit more than 5,700 people coursing through the route. The marathon entries stayed steady at about 2,600 for those years.

B次元官网网址淭丑别re is definitely also a health boom; the outdoor fitness boom is there,B次元官网网址� said Nicholls, the race director for the McNeill Bay Half-Marathon.

B次元官网网址淚 think we are one of the better cities overall. People take fitness seriously as a lifestyle.B次元官网网址�

editor@saanichnews.com

On your mark, get set B次元官网网址� go

B次元官网网址� The 33rd annual GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon weekend kicks off today and Saturday as more than 11,000 people flood into the Victoria Conference Centre for race package pickup, to tour the race expo and attend the speakers series. The marathon is on Sunday (Oct. 7).

B次元官网网址� Participants will be on the race route starting with the marathon walkers at 6:30 a.m. The 8K road race starts at 7:15 a.m., the half marathon (21.1 km) starts at 7:30 a.m. and the marathon (42.2 km) at 8:45 a.m. All races start on Menzies Street at Kingston Street, and finish in front of the B.C. legislature on Belleville Street.

B次元官网网址� See runvictoriamarathon.com for more information.

Stats tell the story

B次元官网网址� Victoria Marathon finishers

2011 B次元官网网址� 1,631

2010 B次元官网网址� 2,643

2009 B次元官网网址� 2,621

2008 B次元官网网址� 2,042

2007 B次元官网网址� 1,981

B次元官网网址� Victoria Half- Marathon finishers

2011 B次元官网网址� 5,130

2010 B次元官网网址� 5,716

2009 B次元官网网址� 4,608

2008 B次元官网网址� 4,270

2007 B次元官网网址� 3,869

B次元官网网址� TC10K finishers

2012 B次元官网网址� 10,044

2011 B次元官网网址� 10,225

2010 B次元官网网址� 10,616

2009 B次元官网网址� 9,942

2008 B次元官网网址� 8,816

2007 B次元官网网址� 8,533

B次元官网网址� Oak Bay Half-Marathon finishers

2012 B次元官网网址� 760

2011 B次元官网网址� 779

2010 B次元官网网址� 644

2009 B次元官网网址� 621

2008 B次元官网网址� 544

2007 B次元官网网址� 501

2006 B次元官网网址� 481

Previous stories in series:

Part 1:

Part 3: