Results, Photos, Reports » Runner Feedback 2009
Runner Feedback 2009
This is the little gem of half-marathons.
There are bigger ones but there are no better ones.
It's the little half that rules
You just gotta run the Fool's!
- Bernie Steininger, Vancouver - leading up to 2010
A great race - super well organized both on the course and in regards to the finish line and race-pack pick-up. Keep it up!
- Kimberley Doerksen, Gibsons
I heard LOADS of information on this race. MOSTLY the HILLS!! HOWEVER what goes UP must come DOWN! And I got my PB on this race.
Shaving off 3 mins and 14 secs. TO FINALLY get to SUB 2 HOURS!! *PRICELESS*
Thank you to all the volunteers... the organizers and staff.
My husband and myself had a great weekend! Will go down for me the best 1/2 marathon EVER this year.
- Debra Nicol, Coquitlam
Hi Teresa,
I wanted to take a moment to thank you for the comp entry to the Fool's Run. It was a challenging, but really well run race. I was really impressed
by all of the marshaling for the race, never any question of where we were to be running - the cones the entire route were definitely a first
(especially for a 1/2) it was nice to have that reminder that you were "on course", the kilometer markers were also very easy to see. The support
along the route was just great - the marshals cheering, people cheering the whole way, cars honking (instead of trying to run us down) it was a fun
race to run. Even the Captain on the ferry welcomed us.
Thanks again for the comp entry, it is definitely a race I will run again and recommend to fellow runners.
Cheers,
- Jo Astoria, Vancouver
I thought the race was fantastic and the course was terrific. I was very impressed by the volunteer support and the top notch "attention to detail"
that was obviously considered by the race organizers. I will definitely return to the April Fool's Run next year. Thanks for a great experience.
- Mike Palichuk, Langley
This is my third half marathon. Easily beats the Scotia Half and Royal Victoria for organization & beauty. Great course (even the grueling hill
up Marleen!) Perfect running day made for a perfect event, and as a result I beat my personal best by 25 minutes. Big thanks to race organizers,
all of the volunteers (I tried to thank them all), & the neighbours who came to wave, especially the guy on Payne Road in the wheelchair.
Finish area comments: Perfect! Sun, beach, long chute and lots of oranges!
- Mario Lowther, Vancouver
It was a great run. Next year I will have to definitely train for. Lots of support and nice people! In the results I noticed some of the walkers
were short an hour in their time. Can you let me know why?
- Kathy Elson, Gibsons
[ Organizers' note: the early start times were fixed quickly by RHQ as soon as they were notified. ]
I am sure that you have heard this today.. but let me say it again.
It was a great event today.. well ran.. amazing information at all times during registration right up to the end of the run.
One has to wonder if you were also responsible for the great weather??? Are you that powerful??? (hahahaha)
Great day, Great job.. look forward to future years!
Go rest.. you too deserve some recovery time!
Thanks again to you (and Larry too)
- Tammy Dean, Garden Bay
I really liked this course. It was well marked and easy to follow.
- Gemma Goss, Gibsons
Very well organized event. Will take part next year.
- Gordon Doerksen, Gibsons
This race is always super! I last ran the race in 2004 and I much prefer the course layout and finish. It was really nice to be able to start
and finish at the new Community Centre. What a wonderful place to visit!! The bystanders were so so supportive. Many played upbeat music from their
vehicles to help set the pace. The support crew and course marshalls were very helpful.
- Paul Kohl, Port Moody
Congratulations on staging such a fine event - and for ordering up such stupendous weather!
- Lise Patterson, West Vancouver
Great race! All information was easily found on the website! Organizers & Volunteers were awesome!
The only suggestion I have, is to have Gatorade at the water stations, not Gleukos, as I was reluctant to try something new during a race.
Overall, a great scenic race, will be back again.
- Dickson Choy, Vancouver
Great race! It was my first race above 10k, and I loved it. It was nice seeing so much local support throughout the race. The only thing I
could see needing improvement was the music/entertainment. There was one van, but my friend said previous races had a bit more of this.
Music makes me run faster! Overall great job, I will definitely be back next year, even though I cannot walk today.
- Iain Henderson, Vancouver
I loved the whole event. From start to finish it went off without a hitch. Very well organised great local cheering and the weather was perfect.
Not to mention a PR and all the great prizes.
Thanks again Teresa, see you at all the other races this year and I'll be back for sure next year.
- David Palermo, White Rock
I liked last year's course, with the longer run down Davis Bay to the finish better - but it was still great this year! I am glad the food wasn't
up at the elementary school again - it's much more convenient to have it right there. If there is any way possible it would be nice to have more
music along the way! Thanks for a great race!
- Deanna Puttonen, Vancouver
Another great event. Very well organized. Great weather. Couldn't ask for more.
- Dominic Gerelle, North Vancouver
The whole course was great! Volunteers and community support was awesome. What a great place!
Excellent event and beautiful/welcoming/generous community.
- Megan Wastle, Whistler
Very well organized. it was my first time however there were 4 of us participated and we are going to participate every year.
- Vefghi, Burnaby
I enjoyed my first half-marathon. As a walker in this event it was a great beginning. Although walkers are not encouraged along the way the same
as runners, it was a good experience. I would say great, however when I went to the list of times, I was not listed. For your reference and my pride!
please amend the list, my name is Margaret Cowan and my finish time was 3hrs, 7 minutes and 54 seconds. Great medals, better than a tee shirt.
- Margaret Cowan, Maple Ridge
[ Organizers' note: we are 99% sure we can get chip timing for the early starters next year, at no extra cost. ]
Great volunteers. Thanks to all who were involved. A very well run, well manned course. You guys should take a bow.
- Bill Kennedy, West Vancouver
Great race overall. The entire span of lower road was great to run on. It was beautful there.
The only thing I was slightly disappointed by was there was no race shirts/socks given out. It's nice to have a memento of the
race and I didn't want to pay extra for one. I would register early to get one as well.
- Patrick Franz, Squamish
[ Organizer's note: We offered souvenir technical socks for $8 a pair. Next year will likely be a tech shirt. We like to change it up now and then! ]
The course is a good course. Nice scenery, good variations, etc. I wonder about the length of the course. We drove it twice and also the GPS used
and all three resulted in a course 13.4 miles. If this is so, it would be good to tell the participants this for result comparisons. A lot of people
track their results and this could affect this. I do not do this but my partner does and she had concerns in this aspect.
- Tim Baillie, Surrey
[ Note from the organizers: GPS always measures long on certified courses. The official measurement, done with a Jones Counter, takes the shortest possible route (tangents) on all curves, which most runners do not, and cars definitely cannot. Also GPS can be off by as much as 20m on each measurement point. ]
Hats off to the organizers. This was the best Fool's Run yet. Shuttle buses and drivers were great too. I like the prize giving in Davis Bay
straight after the race, rather than back in Gibsons. The changed course was great too. I'll have to get in better shape for the hills next year.
- Rod Hargreaves, Burnaby
It was fabulous. Very well planned. Super website. I'll be back next year, after I train for hills!
- Sue Drolet, North Vancouver
I thought the race was very well organized and I had a lot of fun. I would love to come out to more races on the Sunshine Coast.
The community centre was the perfect place to start the race. Great to have the facility to use and to warm up at.
Great location to finish. Nice from a runners perspective to finish by the ocean.
It was wonderful to have the fans cheering us on especially on the up hills and water stations.
- Shelley Walushka, Vancouver
As always, really appreciated the volunteers out on the course. Great day for the race, seeing fellow runners past and present, sunshine and
smiles all around!
- Jenny Rasmussen, Sechelt
It was a well organized event, right from my first visit to the web site, to the snacks at the finish line. Very professional organization.
No details were left out. It was great to see so many people out cheering, the kids were having fun.
- Dennis Hansen, Burnaby
I come to the Sunshine Coast on a fairly regular basis, as my parents live outside Powell River. I loved this opportunity to see the Sunshine
Coast in my favourite way, running. This was my first year participating and I am eager to attend the event as a yearly tradition.
- Carlie Smith, Vancouver
Thanks for a great race, my friends and I had a lot of fun, enjoyed the atmosphere while running and at the finish, great weather too!
Thanks again for all your work.
- Jeanette Lewis, Halfmoon Bay
I just loved visiting Gibsons. The race was more difficult than expected but I was proud to get a PB. The race was challenging but the weather
was PERFECT and the run was beautiful. The people throughout our stay and our run were so warm and friendly and I would love to go back with my
family to visit. Unfortunately it is expensive to fly to Vancouver, rent a vehicle, etc. to attend it again next year.....but that said, it was worth
every penny for this experience. I would recommend it to anyone to plan to add this 1/2 marathon to their itineraries. From the time we left Calgary
until we got home we had a fantastic experience!! Thank you so much for your hard work and planning for this wonderful April Fools 1/2 marathon!
- Sally Sadler, Calgary
Thank you for a great race - it was extremely well organized - from the reminder e-mails to the comfortable Community Centre registration set up,
the carefully marked kms, the many cheerful marshalls, of course the finishing welcome, and then the buses taking people back and forth. I want to
especially thank the volunteers handing out the water - I know a couple of them got splashed by flying water cups. I wore my new socks home, and they
were as comfortable as you promised. Now if I can just keep them out of the dryer!
- Rebecca Reid, Vancouver
As usual, the organization of the race from start to finish (and even well before the start with the great website) was second to none.
This race reminds me of the RVM, so well organized, and you can feel the dedication that you put into the race. You really do pay attention to the
details that may go largely unnoticed by the general public, but are always much appreciated by the runners. I really enjoyed having access to the
new community centre at the race start. Now the only thing you have to do is turn the start line around 180 degrees and eliminate that first shocker
of a hill, and you would have a perfect race!
- Graeme Wilson, Vancouver
The run is well organized and the route is scenic - even though hilly. I like the fact that slower runners like me can enjoy an event as much as
the competitive runners. Something for everyone. The finish line was great, nice to have coffee at the end. We had 7 from our running group in the
run and as I was able to start early (wasn't sure if I could run the whole way this time), I got to cheer for all my running buddies as they came in.
We all had a great time. You did a super job! The atmosphere is friendly & helpful, too, which makes the event better.
- Edie Kernighan, Coquitlam
Thanks for the run on Sunday Teresa, we had to jump on the last bus so we could get the car to the ferry.
Course was well marked, no traffic issues, good venues (start, finish, packet pickup), food good at the end, announcer, photos - the full gamut.
It was well run and the traffic control was in check, even for us early start walkers / late finishers.
Thanks again for putting on a great run.
- Clifton Cunningham, New Westminster
It was my first April Fools Run, but I thought the course was very user friendly. Everything seemed to be well taken care of.
The finish line was the best - lots of "positive energy" and well organized.
Thanks, I'll probably try again next year.
- Janet Perry, Roberts Creek
I grew up in Pender Harbour and was so excited to be doing this race... my mother passed away in Sechelt 8 yrs ago so I love returning to the
coast...I will continue to run this race each year and do return to the coast every few months... thanks for a great first race for me...
it was so much fun!
- Tania Lesurf, Mission
Very well organized event and I enjoyed it a lot and will be back for this one in the future.
The pottery awards are unique and special.
Volunteers extremely friendly and helpful.
In summary a great event.
- Bernie Steininger, Vancouver
This is my fifth time since 2004 (missed the 2006) and not my last one! Thanks, Teresa and all the volunteers for working so hard to make this my
favourite race in the Vancouver area. The course is extremely scenic, interesting to run (some might call it undulating or even hilly:-) and FAST.
It makes for a perfect tune-up race for the Vancouver Marathon and I have always enjoyed dragging my marathon clinic out to the Fools Run for a
weekend of fun! Way to go, it gets better every year!
- Carsten Rathsack, Vancouver
The race was very well-organized and the volunteers and spectators were very helpful and encouraging. On some of those hard stretches, the
cheering made a big difference! I was disappointed with my time, but very happy that I ran such a well-run event and that Rebecca and Janette
had such huge PBs on a demanding course. I was also happy that the VFAC men did so well, also.
Thanks again for running such an excellent event!
- Helen Ritchie, Vancouver
Very well organized, not too big, nice community feel to the run, enjoyed it a lot (despite the hills!) will definitely be back next year.
- Kim Ettinger, Burnaby
I felt there was a lot more cheering along the way this year. So encouraging! The boom box at Roberts Creek was great. This event has a relaxed,
friendly feel which I really like. Lots of volunteers at the finish line.
The Rec Centre is a beautiful, roomy facility. I loved seeing the frontrunners ahead of me go up the hill and round the corner at a sprint!
Loved the finish line location and the closeness of all the amenities (bag check & food). Awesome food, esp. melon and yogurt!
Thanks to Larry & Teresa for a GREAT EVENT!!!
- Edith Troup, Sechelt
I just loved all the support along the way. All the neighbourhoods were great. There was the fellow who pointed out the eagles on Lower Road,
the lady with the ghetto blaster on Beach Avenue, all the kids and families that came out to cheer, they were all great.
This was my first April Fools run. I had a wonderful time, enjoyed the people and the scenery. I smiled and chatted all the way and feel like it
was my best 1/2 marathon ever. Great Job to all the organizers and volunteers!
- Sharlyne Niemela, Vancouver
I can't tell you how much Sam enjoyed the run; he was ecstatic and can't wait for next year.
Thanks again for doing such a great job,
- Gemma Goss, Gibsons
Great race! Thank you for marking each km, very helpful.
- Andrea Stinson, Gibsons
The run experience keeps getting better and better. The April Fool's run has been fine-tuned; great volunteers, good organization, friendly
community. Ability to shower is a big comfort. Teresa, Larry and all the volunteers have put together a model run. Congratulations to all.
- Bob Kuhn, Burnaby
I found the 2 person exchange station a bit dissapointing. First, although nothing can really be done about this, the hill was a dissapointing
finish. Even a little run afterwards would have been more satisfying. Some sort of gate or finish indicator would be nice because just stopping at a
water station is a bit anti-climatic. I know this isn't necessarily catered to teams but it is still an accomplishment for those doing it and only
the last relay runner gets that satisfaction of running through a gate or similar thpe station that could be set up for only relays. Even some pylons
in rows to run between would at least indicate a finish line for those people.
Otherwise, we had a great day, weather couldn't have been better and the views were amazing. Thank you for organizing a great event! See you again.
- Kim MacLeod, Squamish
[ Organizers' note: for 2010 we will have 2 barricades at each exchange to run through and mark the spot exactly. ]
I will definitely return next year to run the race. It was very well organized and put together.
- Shawn Lau, Vancouver
It was an absolutely outstanding event with great organization, a terrific venue in Gibsons, good course,
great volunteers and fine fare for those who can eat after a run.
Thanks a whole bunch.
- Frank McKenna, Sechelt
Very well coordinated the volunteers were great, water stations were well located. The markings on the road and the support from the RCMP was
throughout the course and ambulance.
- Lindsay Hatloe, Roberts Creek
Thanks for a great race.. you guys did an amazing race.. I wasn't going to participate because I didn't enjoy last year but I'm so glad I did,
I had a really great morning so Thankyou, Thankyou, Thankyou!!!
- Sue Booth, Gibsons
As a sport event manager for events in Whistler, I am always impressed with how organized this event is. Professional, friendly, supportive.
The price to enter is amazing considering all the time and effort that goes into it.
I loved that our reg packs weren't stuffed with papers and flyers and we could choose what flyers we wanted instead. Nice sustainable touch!
- Christa Vandeberg, Whistler
A well organized and run event. First time for me in this run and our relay team members really enjoyed it.
Maybe some music at start and exchange points would be good.
Overall - GREAT TIME!
- Ian Winn, Sechelt
It was a great race. I especially liked the last bit which was all downhill.
- Emma Seguss, Garibaldi Highlands
Awesome race, the weather certainly contributed to the overall experience.
The course is tough but still very enjoyable, I will be recommending this race to others and while I may not be back next year it is certainly a
race I will do again.
It would be nice to have shirts available, don't need another jacket but would have loved to get a shirt to help promote your race.
Excellent start location, easy access to washrooms, not too busy, great after for showers.
Excellent work, keep it up in years to come!
- Suzanne Pearce, Delta
This is my third year as a participant and again I had an extremely enjoyable weekend. The race is well organized. The only suggestion I have is
that the addition of a few more water stations would be great. I will definitely run this again!
- Kathleen Lafontaine, Vancouver
This was my first half-marathon and I had a fantastic experience. All the race volunteers were super friendly and supportive and I loved Gibsons
and the surrounding area. I will definitely be making a non-race return visit to the Sunshine Coast.
- Adrian Del Maestro, Vancouver
Great place to put the finish line. Awesome view! Thanks for the run! More hills next time. Just kidding! ;-)
- Rob McConachie, Vancouver
Great, quick race package and chip pickup, nice to have so many bathrooms!
Sunny weather and great energy, love this race!
- Kristen Nelson, Penticton
I have participated in this event about 15 times, and it just gets better. I will get more relay teams next year.
- George Agnew, Richmond
This was the first time I have run this race and it was a very pleasant experience. The location, the start, the finish — and well organized. Thank you. I will keep this race on my yearly "to run" list.
- Christine Hoffmann, Vancouver
A great race - water stops were there when I needed them (with lots of cheerful faces on the volunteers). Lots of washrooms at the beginning - bonus! I haven't tried the socks but they look great. Great weather!!
- Margaret Kerr, Delta
The run was great and I couldn't be more pleased to have done my first half-marathon on the sunshine coast. I enjoyed myself the whole weekend I was there, would definitely recommend visiting the Sunshine Coast to anyone and I will be back next year for the April Fools run 2010. Thank you to all the volunteers and everyone that made the event possible.
- Nathan Wellicome, Surrey
Dear Race Committee
On Sunday four of us traveled from Nanaimo to participate in the April Fool's Run. You may have noticed us as we had matching bright yellow jackets. Unfortunately one of us fell during our warm up and broke a bone in her foot. While three of us completed the race, she went to the hospital for x-rays and was told she needed to get to Emergency in Nanaimo as soon as possible. We left immediately after the race to catch the first ferry. We were in
Emergency by 9:00 last night.
What we didn't know, was that one of our group, Sandie Bissessur came in 2nd in her age group, F55-59. This is such an amazing accomplishment. We are so proud of her. This is the best finish of any of us and such a wonderful accomplishment for Sandie. It is so unfortunate that her incredible accomplishment has been overshadowed by another team mate's injury.
Would it be at all possible if Sandie could still receive her prize? It would mean so much to her, and to all of us who shared her day. It would help to put the day back into perspective and take the sting out of the injury. We were all so looking forward to and trained hard for this race. And the race was wonderful. The route was gorgeous, the food at the end, something we all look forward to, was perfect and the race was very well organized. We met several wonderful people over the two days that made the trip so worthwhile. Sandie receiving her award would be icing on the cake.
I know this is asking extra effort on your part and you are all probably exhausted after putting on such a successful event. We never would have left without waiting for the medal presentation had we not been on our way to Emergency. Thank you so much for your consideration and for putting on such a great event.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
- Deb Gabel, Nanaimo
[ Organizer's note: We mail out unclaimed awards after the race to those living outside the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver - not a problem! ]
