Royal Victoria Marathon
The marathon starts and finishes on the Legislative Grounds at 8:15 a.m. on Sunday, October 11, with the half and the 8K the same morning. The race itself is sold out, but watching downtown is free.
Sunday, October 11, gun at 8:15 a.m. on the Legislative Grounds, which is also where the finish line is. The Westland Insurance 8K goes earlier at 7:15 and the Outway Half Marathon starts alongside the marathon at 8:15, so the Inner Harbour is full of runners from before breakfast.
Registration for the marathon distance is closed for 2026, so this is a spectating event for most of us now. Watching costs nothing, and the start and the finish are the same place, which makes the Legislative Grounds the obvious spot to stand. Check the race’s road closure list before you plan to drive anywhere downtown that morning.
The Saturday before, the Island Savings 5K runs from Willows Beach Park in Oak Bay at 9 a.m., which is the friendlier end of the weekend.