Weather Vancouver: Drivers face detours for BMO Marathon Sunday
Weather Vancouver drivers were advised to plan around detours and road closures ahead of Sunday’s Vancouver BMO Marathon. Some neighbourhoods already saw closures on Saturday, and race-route setup was expected to start affecting traffic as early as 5 p.m. in Riley Park, Coal Harbour and Downtown.
Participants were encouraged to use public transit to get to and from the race, while the organizer reminded them to use bus shuttles from selected Lower Mainland locations to reach the start line at Queen Elizabeth Park. The marathon and half-marathon both finish on West Pender Street between Bute Street and Thurlow Street.
Queen Elizabeth Park to West Pender Street
The route connects Queen Elizabeth Park with a finish area in Coal Harbour, and that stretch runs through Riley Park, South Cambie, Oakridge, Fairview, Kerrisdale, Dunbar, UBC, Point Grey, Kitsilano, West End, Coal Harbour, Chinatown, Yaletown, Cambie, False Creek and Downtown. Those street closures were expected to continue until 1 p.m. in the rest of the city and until 3 p.m. near the finish area close to Coal Harbour.
That timing leaves a narrow window for drivers and transit riders trying to cross the city on Sunday. People traveling near the finish area faced the longest disruption, while other neighbourhoods were expected to reopen by 1 p.m.
TransLink Routes 2 to 246
Bus routes 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 15, 17, 19, 22, 25, 33, 41, 49, 99, 160, 210, 211, 240, 246, C18, C20 and 23 had modified schedules on Sunday. The changes reached routes across the city, adding another layer of planning for riders already dealing with closures near the marathon course.
For anyone traveling that day, the practical step is simple: check routes before leaving and use the race shuttles or transit options the organizer directed participants toward. The race setup starts before Sunday’s main closures, so trips through Riley Park, Coal Harbour and Downtown were already affected before the first runners reached the course.
