40 years of the James Cunningham Seawall Race

By Chris Welner

There’s no doubt participants in the James Cunningham Seawall Race run to the beat of their own drummer. Named after the stonemason who oversaw construction of the Stanley Park landmark, the race has been a runaway success since that last stone was laid 40 years ago in Vancouver. Held annually on the last Sunday in October, the race starts and ends at Second Beach. It’s 500 metres short of a 10K, the only 9.5 kilometre race on the Vancouver calendar, and it’s filled with dressed up characters embracing the Halloween spirit.

Race director Linda Wong says the Seawall race might not be the most competitive, but it’s about the most fun a runner can have for $20 on a Sunday morning. There’s music throughout the course, a couple of water stations and a trick or treat table at the finish line to entice racers all the way through to the end. Organized by the Lions Gate Road Runners, more than 1,200 participants are expected this Oct. 31 for one of the oldest road races in the Pacific Northwest. Proceeds go to KidSport British Columbia.

www.seawall.lgrr.com