Run Kitsilano

Vancouver Neighbourhoods

Overview

Kitsilano

The neighbourhood of Kitsilano is characterized by its beautiful shoreline, parks, and restaurants. Its close proximity to the beach, downtown, and Granville Island make this one of the most popular neighbourhoods in Vancouver.

Originally home to the Squamish people during the 1800’s, the area was named after the Squamish Chief leader, August Jack Khatsahlano. During the 1960’s, the area flourished as the main hub of hippie culture. Although this has changed with subsequent decades of urbanization, organizations such as Greenpeace was founded in Kits.

The neighbourhood is also well known for its cultural festivals, and its ties to the local art community. With live theatre performances and concerts outdoors, such as Bard on the Beach, the warmer months attract many visitors to this area. Vanier Park, which hosts some of these performances, also boasts three museums, providing tourists of all ages with a wide range of activities.

Kits Beach, one of the trademarks of this vibrant neighbourhood, offers a stunning backdrop of the North Shore mountains against the blue sea. Swimmers can also enjoy the scenic view from Kits Pool, Canada’s longest pool, extending 137m along the beach. A popular spot during the summer months, Kits Beach is the perfect place to play volleyball, jog, or sunbathe.

BMO Vancouver Marathon runners can experience the city’s trendy neighbourhood and gorgeous shoreline for 4KM during the course of the Marathon and Relay.

Featured on the BMO Vancouver Marathon and Relay courses.

Attractions

Museum of Vancouver

Essential to Vancouver’s history and culture, the Museum of Vancouver was established in 1894 and is the largest civic museum in Canada. As Vancouver’s oldest museum, the MOV shares local stories, artifacts and tradition, as well as the city’s art and history. Open daily, the MOV offers admission by donation on the last Thursday evening (5pm to 8pm) of every month. Learn more

H.R. MacMillan Space Centre

Founded in 1968, the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre is an astronomy museum sharing an entrance with the Museum of Vancouver. With live demonstrations, innovative programming and exhibits, and an on-site observatory, the Space Centre inspires an interest in the fields of earth science, space science and astronomy from a Canadian perspective. Open daily, the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre also offers a dual pass to the MOV as well. Learn more

Vancouver Maritime Museum

Highlighting the maritime history of Vancouver and the Canadian Arctic, the Vancouver Maritime Museum was opened as a local centennial project. With interactive exhibits on pirates, shipwrecks, deep-ocean exploration and more, the Maritime Museum is fun for visitors of all ages and is open seven days a week. Learn more

Kitsilano Beach

One of the most popular beaches in the city, Kits Beach is the go-to spot for sunbathing, swimming and beachfront jogging. With gorgeous views of downtown, Stanley Park and the North Shore mountains across the Burrard Inlet, Kits Beach also features volleyball nets, tennis courts, and Kits Pool, a heated salt-water pool that’s almost three times the size of an Olympic pool.

Run Crews

Forerunners West 4th

One of the city’s most established running stores, Forerunners offers weekly clinics from their West 4th location on Wednesdays at 6:30pm. Led by certified coaches, runners can drop-in for a low fee of $5 or sign-up for the full clinic, which range from 5KM to Marathon. Learn more

LadySport

Dedicated to promoting an active lifestyle for women, LadySport offers a weekly run clinic starting from January, May, and September. Meeting every Monday at 6:00pm at the LadySport store in Kitsilano, these clinics split runners up into different pace groups. Learn more

Mile2Marathon

Founded by Olympians Dylan Wykes & Michael Woods, Mile2Marathon offers coaching from a team of professional athletes. Although the club hosts several events each week, they meet every Wednesday at 6:30pm and occasionally leave from Kits Beach. Runners can attend their first M2M training session for free; each clinic after has a $7.50 drop-in fee. Learn more

The Right Shoe

Operating out of the Right Shoe on West 4th, the store offers three run clubs: the Learn to Run Club, Tuesday Run Club, and Half/Full Marathon Club. The Learn to Run and Tuesday Run Club both meet on Tuesdays at 6pm and offer a 45-60 minute intensity run, while the Half/Full Marathon Club meets on Sunday at 8:00am. Clinics range frm 4 to 20 weeks and runners can drop-in for a small fee of $6. Learn more

RYU West 4th Run Club

Runners of all levels are welcome at the RYU W 4th Run Club, which meets every Tuesday at 6:00pm from the RYU W 4th store. While no registration is necessary, a minimum $5 donation is suggested with all proceeds being donated to Right to Play. The West 4th store also hosts several other events each month. Learn more

VRC Flight Crew

A fun, free and social group, the VRC Flight Crew is led by a group of ambassadors and meets every Thursday at 6:15pm from the Vancouver Running Company. The crew also hosts several socials each year. Learn more