Health

The rise of running in B.C., by the numbers

As we approach the peak of the annual race calendar, we take a statistical look at B.C.’s ever-growing running culture.

By Michael McCullough /

From just 32 finishers in 1972 to more than 25,000 runners today, Vancouver’s marathon boom reflects a broader surge in running—now embraced by over a quarter of Canadian adults and powered by growing community events and data-driven fitness trends. Here’s how the numbers stack up.

  • More than 25,000 athletes registered for the BMO Vancouver Marathon in 2025 (including half marathon and 8K races), a record. There were just 32 finishers in the first Vancouver Marathon, held in 1972.
  • 27% of Canadian adults ran or jogged for exercise in 2023.
  • According to the fitness app Strava, Copenhagen is the major city with the world’s fastest runners, with an average pace of 8:52 per mile in 2025.
  • Parkrun is a free, timed 5-km run/walk held every Saturday morning at 2,800 locations around the world. There are now 15 Parkruns in B.C. and 60 in Canada that have seen more than 500,000 finishes. The oldest such event in Canada is Okanagan Parkrun in Kelowna, which has staged more than 400 events and seen 27,000 finishes by 3,403 runners.

Sources: RunVan, Vancouver Sun, CBC, CHEK News, BC Athletics, Statistics Canada, Parkrun Canada, Strava

Michael McCullough

Michael McCullough

Michael is a financial journalist based in the Cowichan Valley. He's a former managing editor of Canadian Business and editorial director of Canada Wide Media, BCBusiness's publisher. In 2024, he co-authored Personal Finance for Canadians for Dummies, 7th Edition (Wiley, 2024).