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Willamette Valley Road Runners (WVRR)
www.WVRoadrunners.org.

The Second Nicest

Half-Marathon in the Northwest

Inspired by those of you who walked or ran in the Cascade Half Marathon in January, Steve and I got itchy feet and looked for one to try. My sister, Nancy and her husband live in Vancouver, B.C., and, as she had a birthday in February, we decided to tie in a celebration with a good, long run. The "First Half Half" is held annually on the second Sunday in February, and is sponsored by a local running club not unlike the Striders. The race involves only a half-marathon distance (I was hoping for 13.1K, since Canada is metric…), and is solely for runners. It closes at 2000, and they had that number well before race day…and we know why!

This has to be one of the most scenic courses around. It was helped in large part by a crystal clear and cold morning on Feb. 12, and the friendliness of many Canadians. The course starts out by B.C. Place, which was home to Expo a few years back. While the first mile is on city streets, it soon cuts down to the Seawall that surrounds much of the west end of Vancouver. Following English Bay into Stanley Park, we looped around Lost Lagoon, and along the east side of the peninsula that is home to the park. We ran by the Vancouver Rowing Club, the center of many athletic events that are housed in the Park, around Brockton Point Lighthouse, and to the north end, where the view across to West Vancouver was spectacular. Continuing on under the busy Lion’s Gate Bridge, runners were treated to the sights of tugs, barges, and huge ships from around the globe coming up the Fraser River into port. The route continued the 6-mile loop around the park, and back to the lagoon, all on the rather narrow but awfully scenic pedestrian paths. Many Sunday strollers were happy to share their territory with us. At this point, the route leaves the park again and doubles back along the Seawall to the city.

Just about a half mile from the finish, a man right in front of Nancy and I suddenly collapsed…just went face first into the pavement. Volunteers rushed to his aide, and although we don’t know the outcome of this, we were impressed by the response time. The finish line provided lots of treats for runners: yogurt, fruit cups, hot cereal, and many juices revived everyone’s energy.

We can hardly recommend this run highly enough! With the US dollar strong, it’s almost as good a bargain as the Cascade Half. The t-shirts were optional and nice, but a distant second to Teresa Hire’s great artwork. The management team is almost as good as Mike English and crew, and the scenery…well...it’s just painted in my brain right now. If you’re serious about entering, better register early….The First Half Half is a favorite among Vancouver and northern Washington runners. We’ll definitely be there again!

Kathy Sansone