1972 project

Community Fundraiser & Celebration

PROJECT 1972

This is a DIY fundraiser to support 5 people (1 for each decade), a gift from the run community, to sponsor their first 42.2km at the 2023 BMO Vancouver Marathon in May. This is also a celebration of 50 years...and to mark this milestone (& the end of this special year) an opportunity to run the original 1972 marathon course.

For this very limited event, we will have 50 race bibs (solo or relay) available to run the original marathon course on December 30th in Stanley Park. Finishers will receive medals and race certificates. The event is sanctioned and the distance certified by BC Athletics/ Athletics Canada. The course is 5 x 5ish mile loops (like the NYC Marathon's original 5 loops in Central Park) starting and finishing at the Harry Jerome statue.

For those not running, you can also contribute $5 donations (or whatever you can give) to one of the 50 runner/ relay bibs or directly to the fundraising scholarship fund- 1972 project. In addition to the race registrations, funds raised will be used to recover the modest costs that went into sanctioning, certification, event permit fees and insurance to host the event. Maps and course certification details will be made available to the run community post event.

If we sell all the bibs and make the additional fundraising target, the 1972 project will also have the course placed on RunGo app with narration recorded from the founders (Lions Gate Road Runners: Jack Taunton & Don Basham) as well as several legacy volunteers and runners from the past 50 years (with help from VIMS & LGRR). Similar to the professional maps & course certification details, the special RunGo narration will all be made available for free as a lasting legacy piece. Lastly, with the help from local run clubs/crews on deciding which runners to sponsor, the 5 runners will be announced on Mon, Jan 30 2023

Hoping a few people will join me at the end of December to dabble in a long day of Type 2 fun in classic westcoast winter conditions. Candidly, it's an unlikely time to run, a unique fundraiser, and an epic way to finish the year...

a small bit of magic to gift 5 runners in the new year.

#run1972 #runitforward