What is Vancouver Marathon?
The '''BMO Vancouver Marathon''' is an annual [[marathon]] which is run on the first [[Sunday]] of every [[May]] in [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]]. The distance of the race is 26 miles and 385 yards and is the largest international marathon event in Canada. The current sponsor for the marathon is [[Bank of Montreal]]. It is certified by both the [[International Association of Athletics Federations]] & Association of International Marathons and Distance Races as a qualifying marathon race. It started in 1972 after a small group of 46 runners ran five loops of [[Stanley Park]] to finish the first Vancouver International Marathon (which was known as Lions Gate Road Runners International Marathon).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://arrs.net/HP_VanMa.htm|accessdate=2014-03-20|title=Association of Road Racing Statisticians|publisher=Association of Road Racing Statisticians|archive-date=2008-04-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423183146/http://www.arrs.net/HP_VanMa.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> A Full Marathon is a [[Boston Marathon]] qualifying event<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bmovanmarathon.ca/faqs/is-the-bmo-vancouver-marathon-a-boston-qualifier/|accessdate=2014-03-20|title=Is the BMO Vancouver Marathon a Boston Qualifier?|publisher=BMO Vancouver Marathon|archive-date=2013-05-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517075659/http://www.bmovanmarathon.ca/faqs/is-the-bmo-vancouver-marathon-a-boston-qualifier/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and is 42&nbsp;km, and a Half Marathon is 21&nbsp;km. The [[Forbes|Forbes 2014 Travel Guide]] named the BMO Vancouver Marathon one of the world’s Top Ten Marathons Worth Travelling For that marathon season. It also made their top ten marathon destinations in 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bmovanmarathon.ca/press-release-forbes-2014-travel-guide-names-bmo-vancouver-marathon-top-10-marathons-worth-travelling-for/|accessdate=2014-03-20|title=Forbes 2014 Travel Guide names the BMO Vancouver Marathon one of the world's Top Ten Marathons Worth Travelling For this marat