On the Town
Races
Nearly every weekend throughout the year there are multiple race opportunities. In the winter and spring there is the eight-event Vancouver Island Race
Series, which includes distances from 5K to the half-marathon, starting in early January and running to late April. The flagship races are the Times
Colonist 10K, which brings out 12,000 runners and walkers in late April and the GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon,
Half-Marathon and 8K in October. This weekend of racing also sees approximately 12,000 participants.
Where to Shop
Victoria has many running stores, including MEC. There are three Running
Room locations: Victoria’s first Running Room location downtown, a store at Broadmead Shopping Centre and one located in Langford, 20 minutes west of downtown. There are also three
Frontrunners Footwear locations, an independent and local option. The newly opened third Victoria location is on Shelbourne Street, with the flagship store located at View and Vancouver Streets in the core of downtown. There is also one located in the heart of the Goldstream Village.
Where to Eat
After your run, you may want to head to Spinnakers Brewpub for a bite and a pint at 308 Catherine St., providing water views, quality fare and tasty micro brews. If they have a lineup, don’t despair, there are 1,200 places to eat in Greater Victoria.
What to See
Whale watching is a popular attraction from March until late October.
During March, April and May, migratory grey whales pass by Vancouver Island and can be viewed not far from shore.
From May to October, the southern resident orca pod (three pods in one) can be seen around Greater Victoria and are easy to locate, so much so that local whale watching companies offer guarantees of whale sightings. During September and October viewing of the 30-tonne
humpback whales can be done, close to Victoria’s Inner Harbour.