Boundary Bay Marathon

Centennial Beach is where the Boundary Bay Marathon begins and ends in Delta. The event also includes marathon relay, half marathon, 5 km and 10 km races.

The 13th edition of the event happens on November 3rd in 2024.

The starting line at the beach is in picturesque Boundary Bay Park which is about a 20-minute drive from the BC Ferries Terminal in Tsawwassen.

The Boundary Bay Marathon is one in a series of running races hosted by Try Events. Other runs in the series include the Fort Langley Historic Half, Vancouver Chocolate Run, Rubber Ducky Race, Shamrock ‘n Race, Vancouver Chilly Chase and Vancouver Historic Half.

Visit TryEvents.ca for the event’s official website.

Delta’s Boundary Bay Marathon Runs

The Boundary Bay Marathon is a fun event that attracts all fitness levels. It’s popular with serious runners looking for their last chance of the year to qualify for the Boston Marathon. The event’s shorter distances are also popular with families that like to run.

The Boundary Bay races take place with a beautiful oceanside backdrop in Boundary Bay Park in South Delta (also commonly known as Tsawwassen). The terrain appeals to many runners because it’s flat and easy to run. Try Events hosts the events. Ronald McDonald House (RMH) is the event’s charitable beneficiary.

Boundary Bay Races Starting Times

The races have staggered starting times to accommodate the various events. Fitness instructors get the athletes buzzed with a warm-up. Right after that, the running begins.

Exact details about the races in 2024 are to be confirmed. Below is a breakdown of each group’s starting times from 2023:

8:30 am – all participants in the marathon and first leg of the marathon relay
8:33 am – all participants in the half marathon
8:36 am – all participants in the 10 km race
8:39 am – all participants in the 5 km race

Note: Try events strongly encourages participants in the 5 km run to set off with their appropriate group, which means waiting until all the runners in the other races have already departed. This is because there is a turn around in the first part of the course where 5 km runners don’t want to get lost or boxed in with people from the other races who aren’t turning around.

Visit TryEvents.ca for the event’s official website.

Event Pricing

The Try Events Boundary Bay races are selectively priced by category and date. Below are the cost details for each of the races in 2023. 2024 prices will likely be similar.

The following prices were in effect until July 31st, September 30th, October 29th and November 5th in 2023:

5 km Race: $50, $55, $60 or $65
10 km Race: $55, $60, $65 or $70
Half Marathon: $65, $70, $75 or $80
Full Marathon: $75, $80, $85 or $90
Four-Person Marathon Relay: $180 (for the entire team), $190, $200 or $210

Note: Online registration usually closes one week before the races or when maximum participation numbers are reached.

Visit TryEvents.ca for the event’s official website.

Race Package Pick-Up Details

In 2023 the Boundary Bay race kit could be collected from the following two athletic footwear and apparel retailer locations:

Run Inn Vancouver at 2331 West 41st Avenue in Vancouver
Run Inn Delta at #125 1315 56th Street in Delta

If you were unable to collect your race package from the above designated locations, you could have still picked up your kit on the day of the race for a $5 cash donation to Ronald McDonald House. If this was your preferred option, Try Events asked you to email them with your race name and write Boundary Bay Pick-Up Service in the subject line.

Note: Bring along a bag when picking up your race kit at the Run Inn locations. Try Events doesn’t provide bags as per its efforts to reduce waste.

Boundary Bay Runs

Marathon and Marathon Relay Course

The following is a description of the marathon and marathon relay course. We describe how the relay works. The marathon is the same, but run by one person instead of four different people all starting at different points along the route.

The Boundary Bay Marathon Relay is a four-person race run over four legs. It follows the same route as the regular full marathon, from Centennial Beach to Mud Bay Park.

With the relay, each member of the team starts and finishes at a different location. The first section is about 7.5 km and begins at the same starting line as all the other races, on the trail at Centennial Beach. From there this first group heads north to where 72nd Street meets the trail.

Leg #2 is about 13.6 km and picks up from on the trail at 72nd Street and continues east to the Mud Bay Parking area located at 13030 48th Avenue (where 99 Highway meets Railway Road).

The third leg is also about 13.6 km. It starts at the Mud Bay Parking area and follows the trail west back to 72nd Street.

The fourth and final leg is about 7.5 km and takes the race home from 72nd Street back to the finish line at Centennial Beach.

Other Race Details

It’s good to know that there are usually water stations on all of the runs except for the 5 km race. Also, the course closes at 1:30 pm most years (which gives everyone lots of time to finish the race).

All participants receive a timing tag with their race kit. If you are a registered runner (or walker), attach this tag to your shoe on the day of the race. It will record your time once you cross the finish line. The tag can then be removed and returned to Try Events. Note: Failure to return the timing tag will result in a $40 fee. You can also mail in the tag, however, to avoid the penalty.

The top three male and top three female runners who finish in each distance receive medals. All participants who finish the races get a chance to win random prizes. Winners can collect their prizes at the table next to the finish line once their timing tags have been removed.