Founded in 1985 by Canadian Olympians and truly extraordinary people, Doug and Diane Clement, the Vancouver Sun Run is one of North America’s largest 10Ks, and was built upon being an event for us all.
“If I can get someone to walk the Sun Run one year and then walk-run it the next, we’re winning,” says Tim Hopkins, the Sun Run race director who has been at the helm of the west coast’s most popular running event since 2005. “We want to see people getting out, being active and making a physical change in their lifestyle and one thing that brings people back every year is the energy and positivity of the event—they fall in love with it, and it’s contagious.”
The Sun Run’s numbers have risen and fallen alongside running’s popularity crests and this year Hopkins has reason to be excited. With a boom happening in our sport since COVID, Hopkins delights in explaining the team aspect of his run, in which corporations and youth teams bring together groups of ten or more to participate.
“We’ve found through the years it’s a really healthy programs for schools, organizations and charities and brings people together in a fun way to challenge themselves,” says Hopkins, mentioning the Sun Run attracts close to one thousand teams and is looking to increase that number this year by offering each team their own customized race day shirts, complete with team names and numbers. “The team element of the Sun Run gives our event a particular identity of camaraderie and sportsmanship and it’s important to tell all of Canada that the program is still wide open and all are invited to join!”
While the Sun Run carries on an important tradition, it remains constantly iterating to attract the maximum number of Canadian athletes. According to Hopkins, we’re all athletes, and the mission of the Sun Run is to provide the largest, friendliest platform in the world.
“Doug and Diane are now in their late 80s and still participate in every Sun Run and they’re great ambassadors of the Sun Run mission—honestly, there’s nothing like it in the rest of Canada,” says Hopkins, with a smile. “Today, while we see a lot of new runners and new teams signing up, it feels like a new day for the Sun Run. I think the 2023 edition of the Vancouver Sun Sun will be a stepping stone for the next forty years.”
The Vancouver Sun Run is being held this year on April 16, 2023. For more information, please click here.
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