SeaWheeze Half Marathon and Sunset Festival

The SeaWheeze Half Marathon is a Lululemon-sponsored Vancouver running race. The Sunset Festival is the event’s after-party featuring yoga and outdoor concerts.

A number of Lower Mainland Running Races involve live music and festival-like activities to varying degrees. The SeaWheeze Half Marathon, however, features fairly major concerts – not just small local bands playing along the running route, or just at the start and finish. The festival at the end of the run is impressive.

SeaWheeze Half Marathon and Festival

Celebrating its 11th year in 2022, the SeaWheeze Half Marathon and Festival is a large fitness event sponsored by Lululemon. The event is more than just a half marathon, however, at least in years where there isn’t a pandemic. Lululemon sponsors pop-up yoga classes, stores and other activities over a full weekend in August.

Over 10,000 runners usually take part in the SeaWheeze Half Marathon. (Note: A half marathon is 21.1 kilometres long, or 13.1 miles.)

Vancouver Sunset Festival at Night — Sunset Festival Evening Concert

About the Event in 2021

SeaWheeze 2020 moved online due to concerns about the spread of the novel coronavirus. Select events took place on the SeaWheeze website including a virtual run. In 2021, the event took place online once again, from September 18th to the 26th.

The virtual SeaWheeze event in 2021 included a couple of different options for the race. Participants chose to either do a 10K run or the full half marathon. They also chose their own course.

Pre-SeaWheeze Party

Before the SeaWheeze Half Marathon runners can take part in a small pre-SeaWheeze party most years. Activities include yoga sessions and meditation run by some of Lululemon’s yoga ambassadors.

SeaWheeze Sunset Festival

The SeaWheeze Sunset Festival is an impressive event. It takes place in Stanley Park‘s Brockton Oval after the SeaWheeze Half Marathon. The event features live music, snacks, drinks and, of course, yoga. The festival also has an artisan market.

The concerts usually include some pretty big-name artists along with local talent. 2019’s headliner artist was Kaskade, who is a famous American DJ.

Tickets for the Sunset Festival cost $48 in 2019, but kids under the age of 5 got in free with a paying adult. The festival is complimentary for runners and volunteers in the SeaWheeze Half Marathon. However, only a limited number of tickets are usually available (and the event typically sells out).

The festival usually runs for several hours after the conclusion of the half marathon. The 2019 festival went from 4:00 until 11:00 pm.

NOTE: There is no parking by the event. However, there are usually shuttle buses available, plus a bike valet on-site.

SeaWheeze Sunset Festival Concert — Festival Concert at Stanley Park

Festival Schedule

To give you an idea of what to expect in future years, below is the festival’s schedule from 2019. 2022 details will likely be similar.

5:45 to 6:30 am – Gear Check (at the Vancouver Convention Centre)
6:20 to 6:35 am – Sunrise Warm-up (at Jack Poole Plaza)
7:00 am – Half Marathon Start (at Hastings Street and Burrard)
8:00 am – Estimated finish time of the fastest runner (at Harbour Green Park)
8:00 am to 1:00 pm – SeaWheeze Recovery & Brunch (at the Vancouver Convention Centre)
4:00 to 10:30 pm – Sunset Festival (at Brockton Fields in Stanley Park)
5:30 to 6:45 pm – Sunset Yoga (at Brockton Fields)
7:30 to 8:30 pm – Big Wild (in concert at Brockton Fields)
9:00 to 10:15 pm – Kaskade (in concert at Brockton Fields)
11:00 pm – Party Ends and Gates Closed