Banff Marathon: A natural beauty

North America’s only marathon in a national park embraces Banff’s wild side.

It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful setting for a race than through Canada’s first national park. The Banff Marathon is the only marathon in North America to take place entirely within nationally protected parklands, which on its own is a reason to add this event to your running bucket list.

The race was supposed to launch in 2013 but race director Paul Regensburg was forced to make an extremely tough decision in the 48 hours leading up to race weekend. The region was devastated by extreme flooding. Although the town of Banff largely escaped the flooding that plagued Calgary and High River farther downstream, much of the race course was set to run along the Bow River and with some sections submerged. Regensburg also worried about the optics of holding a race in the midst of such devastation and opted to pull the plug on the event. The race shirts, water, energy drinks and bars were quickly donated to f lood relief efforts and those that registered were offered a deep discount to run the event in 2014.

Motivated by the emotional comebacks in New York City and Boston in the last couple of years, Regensburg was excited to showcase the park and make the event a celebration of the community. “This will be a very special race with the route weaving through mountain valleys on closed roads. It will be worth the wait,” he told Canadian Running in December when registration opened for the second inaugural Banff Marathon.

But this year’s race was not without its own smaller scale environmental complication. Both the half and marathon course were set to take over the Bow Valley Parkway, one of Canada’s great scenic drives, which was to be completely closed for runners. In the days leading up to race weekend, a pair of male grizzly bears began to do battle over territory, spilling out onto the road around Vermilion Lakes. Bears are a somewhat common sight in Banff and usually steer clear of humans, but these two grizzlies were spotted walking the length of the road refusing to defer to the presence of humans in the days leading up to the race. Park officials decided to close the area to the public due to the aggressive behaviour of the warring 600 lb. grizzlies. Regensburg and his crew have developed a strong relationship with Parks officials and the community through running the Banff Triathlon and they already had an alternative route planned.

The secondary course in Banff tapped into the area’s extensive paved trail systems, relying on an out-and-back route along the Legacy Trail. Although Banff sits at altitude, making running a PB challenging, the new course was speedy, delivering you back into the town after non-stop panoramic views of the area’s breathtaking mountain ranges. The last few kilometres of the course around the town are no less spectacular, as you go over bridges and run along the serene Bow River before crossing the finish line in Banff ’s Central Park.

Fittingly, the race hosts a small expo, race kit pickup and post- race festivities outdoors, surrounded by mountains in Central Park. Banff National Park is designated as a unesco World Heritage site and, because the area is protected, the race is limited to 1,500 entrants. The inaugural event attracted an interna- tional field from over 30 countries, including a delegation of 100 Chinese runners looking for a uniquely Canadian marathon experience. And what an experience it was. Running the Banff Marathon’s “A” course will make next another special experience, if the Grizzlies co-operate, of course.

How to Get There

Both Air Canada and WestJet have multiple daily flights from most major cities into Calgary. From there, it’s a scenic 90-minute drive west to the town of Banff. If you have time, plan for a short stop in the town of Canmore.

Where to Stay

Banff is designed to expand into a small city during peak winter months. In June, there are multiple affordable options, including the Inns of Banff, which has seen better days but was less than $150. Ideally, find accommodations closer to the centre of town at the southwest end of Banff Avenue. Of course, there’s always the Fairmont Banff Springs, one of the crown jewels of Canada’s grand railway hotels, perched atop the Bow River.