My marathons

GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon

Run on 11 October 2026. Next race: date not out yet. Victoria
Parliament Buildings, Victoria
Parliament Buildings, Victoria. Photograph by Michal Klajban, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The course

The 2026 marathon started and finished at the Legislative Grounds in downtown Victoria, with its turnaround at 25 km and a timed 1 km sprint between 39 km and 40 km.

The course in short 3 lines
  • An oceanfront out-and-back from the Legislative GroundsDowntown, Beacon Hill Park, Oak Bay hills, the coast, then back downtown.
  • A gently undulating course between 3 m and 25 m770 ft of climbing, high point 25 m, low point 3 m.
  • Qualifier, championship and a Saturday in Oak BayBoston qualifier; the next race weekend is 8 to 10 October 2027.
Course notes 3 short reads on the course
Whole courseGeometryAn oceanfront out-and-back from the Legislative GroundsDowntown, Beacon Hill Park, Oak Bay hills, the coast, then back downtown.

The organiser walks the course through historic downtown and Beacon Hill Park, the rolling hills of Oak Bay, stretches along the coastline and a final push back into downtown. The marathon turns at 25 km, and the Island Savings 1K Sprint, a timed section with prizes, sits between the 39 and 40 km marks.

Sourced

Whole courseGradientA gently undulating course between 3 m and 25 m770 ft of climbing, high point 25 m, low point 3 m.

Water and electrolyte stations stand at 5, 9.5, 12, 15, 18.5, 22, 25, 28, 31, 35, 37 and 40 km, with kilometre and mile markers along the whole route.

Sourced

Whole courseConditionsQualifier, championship and a Saturday in Oak BayBoston qualifier; the next race weekend is 8 to 10 October 2027.

The 2026 marathon also counted as part of the BC Marathon Championships. The marathon, half marathon and 8K start and finish in the Inner Harbour area of downtown Victoria. The next race weekend is 8 to 10 October 2027.

Sourced

Race fuel

Energy gel
An energy gel sachet
Illustration · drag to turn

5 gels for Victoria, plus 1 spare

Finish

One every 40 minutes, by the clock:

  1. km 7mile 4.4
  2. km 14.1mile 8.7
  3. km 21.1mile 13.1
  4. km 28.1mile 17.5
  5. km 35.2mile 21.8

Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side.

Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.

Get it on Amazon

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In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.

Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.

Anti-chafe
Compeed Anti-blister stick
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.

Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.

Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Number belt
A race number belt
Illustration · drag to turn

Compressport Race Belt

Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.

Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.

Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Electrolytes
A tube of electrolyte tablets
Illustration · drag to turn

SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20

One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.

One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.

Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.

Blister plasters
Compeed Blister plasters, medium, 6
Photo: Compeed

Compeed

Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6

Best selling on Amazon amazon.nl, read 2 Nov

One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.

Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.

Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.

Get it on Amazon

We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
distance
42.2 km26.2 mi

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