9 replies to this topic

[RedRunner]

I am shortly heading over to Vancouver, Canada and want to try on some trail running shoes whilst I am there. Does anyone know any stores which carry a good range? I can find a lot of online stores but not many real stores! :unsure:

[don27]

Red Runner,

I have a good friend who owns a running store in Vancouver. It is called Run Inn . The address is 2236 W 41st Vancouver. The store is in the suburb of Kerrisdale .They also have a site on the net www.runinn.com .I checked & they do stock trail running shoes .

Cheers
Don27

[pastyboy]

There are a few good running shoe stores in Vancouver, the RunnInn mentioned above (which used to be a Forerunners store) and Forerunners on West 4th Ave. Their list of trail running shoes is here. Peter and Karen own the store and Bill is the manager at Forerunners. They are excellent. They will give you good advice and let you run around in the shoes before purchase.

A fair amount of outdoors shops also carry trail running shoes these days, such as Coast Mountain Sports (West 4th Ave), and also MEC though I don't recommend you buy from there unless you know exactly which shoe you need/want; they are not running shops.

Enjoy Vancouver, there are some great trails to run there, including UBC endowment lands (known as Pacific Spirit Park), Stanley Park (especially up to Prospect Point, as well as the seawall which isn't really trail, but nice nonetheless), and all along the Baden Powell trail on the north shore.

Also on Sunday February 8th is perhaps the best run and most scenic event in Vancouver, the First Half half marathon, though the race has sold out already.

Pasty

[don27]

downunder runner,

If you click on www.runinn.com which I posted previously go in click on events & then click on clubs/athletes. This lists 4 clubs in Vancouver. Kajaks is the gun club in Vancouver they have there own tartan track at Richmond & hold a meet each year. Running is very popular in Vancouver . You will see heaps of people out running & there are many great places to train as previously mentioned on this thread (Stanley Pk & UBC Endownment Trails only a mile from Runinn store) . Club athletics is not that big in Vancouver most people choose to run with a gym,running stores or alone.
Some of the big races in Vancouver are the Sun Run in April 10k which is always run in a quick time due to the Kenyans competing & the course is slightly downhill. Harry Jerome track meet in May & Vancouver marathon from all reports a tough course.
Enjoy Vancouver it is a nice place & friendly people.

[pastyboy]

There are a few clubs in Vancouver. A lot of people run out of the running shops such as Forerunners and RunnInn mentioned above.

I can recommend Pacific RoadRunners which is a more social running club with all ranges of runner from beginner to some great athletes and triathletes. They meet on Granville Island (close to the downtown area, in a suburn called Kitsilano) in the False Creek Community centre each tuesday and thursday. They hold various social events including ski weekends, a cross country race and a half marathon, and attend various large relay races such as Haney-to-Harrison 100km each year, and regularly do post-run dinners. It's free to try them out as long as you like, then $30 annual membership. This gives you access to running shop discount nights where you will quickly recover your membership costs.

Pasty

[downunder runner]

Wow......thanks guys for the info !! This is great...now I cannot wait to get there!! Yes, I had been looking at a few races and the results and it certainly looks as if there is quite a lot of competition...many women running under 40mins for the 10km....a challenge for me to finally crack it too (PB is 40:11 !!).

The discounts at running shops and ski weekends away sound fantastic too...

Obviously Pastyboy and Don27....you have both lived there for awhile?? Can you tell me, does it really rain/drizzle a lot?? People say Melbourne does, but since the 3 years I have lived here, I think the weather is great for running......what about Vancouver? I will be there for the winter, spring and summer.

thanks HEAPS again for the info !!!!!

[RedRunner]

Thanks for the shop locations and run suggestions as well. I am looking forward to trying them out.

[downunder runner]

I am also heading over to Vancouver soon for 6 months or more...I have been seaching the net for running clubs but since I don't know the areas/suburbs it is a bit hard to know who to contact for meeting other runners and joining in a club.

Is there a list somewhere of clubs like we have here on the coolruning site??

[pastyboy]

I lived in Vancouver for almost 7 years, and been in Melbourne for 3 years now, so I think I can compare the two. Vancouver's weather is very similar to Melbourne's. Melbourne has been drier than a usual Vancouver year for the past three years though. Vancouver rarely gets above 30oC in summer (they have the greatest outdoor swimming pool there at Kitsilano beach 137m long with a view of the mountains), and occassionally gets very cold in the city with the odd snowfall (they had a few this year already) but usually there is only snow on the ground for a few days. Generally it's very similar to Melbourne with lots of overcast days in the 5-20oC range. November is usually the worst month, because it isn't cold enough for snow and still very wet and overcast.

Whistler/Blackcomb and the three local ski hills (Cypress/Hollyburn, Grouse and Seymour) usually open about December 1st depending on snow cover. I learnt to really enjoy sunny days, and actually joined the running club to make sure that I had people to run with in the dark and rain. Personally I love the rain, because I then knew that there was fresh snow on the hills. I learnt to cross-country skate ski, and would ski after work on floodlit trails at Hollyburn mountain (about 30-40 mins drive from downtown) when I didn't feel like running. Plus ski the resorts. Another popular thing to do is to hike up Grouse Mountain (on the north shore, which is 1000m climb in 3km of trail) a few times a week and had beer and pizza at the top.

Most importantly, don't let the weather stop you doing things outdoors. Join a club and continue running.

Enjoy Vancouver, it's a fun place.
Pasty

[downunder runner]

thanks for that.......yes, i will enjoy it all !! I have been cross country skiing once in Quebec.....on my own for 2 hours...but boy, did I hurt in the legs like for days afterwards !! Of course my technique was terrible, so probably used up far too much energy, but burned HEAPS of calories !!

If I end up going, I would love to ask you on advice on other general things later...

Happy running !