Marathon weekend
It’s not just a 42.2-kilometre run, it’s an entire Thanksgiving long weekend of marathon-related fun and activities.
The 24th annual Okanagan Marathon features a Sports Expo during the race package pick-up times from 3 to 7 p.m. on the Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Also Saturday, there’s a kids zone with bouncy playgrounds and face painting from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Running Room free friendship run at 9 a.m., a five-km fun walk-run at 10:30 a.m. and outdoor kids activities, followed by a fun one-km walk-run at noon.
Sunday is race day with the marathon starting at 7:40 a.m., the halfmarathon at 8:10 a.m. and the 10-kilometre at 8:40 a.m. Also Sunday, the kids zone is open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The routes are known as some of the flattest and fastest in Western Canada. The events are open to runners and walkers of all abilities.
While this will be the 24th running of the Okanagan Marathon, this is the first year Kelowna-based fruit-and-snack maker SunRype has been the title sponsor. In past years, Bank of Montreal had its name on the event. “Becoming a bigger part of this long-standing local event is really exciting,” said SunRype communications manager Barb Broder.
“We want to help people live healthier lives and it’s only fitting we are now partnering with a community event that shares our values.”
The marathon also supports Sunshine Foundation of Canada, the charity that grants wishes to kids with severe physical disabilities and lifethreatening illnesses and organizes the Sunshine DreamLifts to Disney theme parks.
To register, visit OkanaganMarathon.ca. To volunteer check out MarathonVolunteers.VolunteerHub.com/lp/Okanagan/Events.