Over 10,800 registered for Royal Victoria

The 46th RVM will take place October 10 and 11 and is projected to be even larger than the 2025 event with an overall cap of 17,000 in all five events.

“Last year was quite a milestone year for the event – we celebrated the 45th annual with record numbers. Over 15,000 registered for the five events over race weekend,” said Cathy Noel, RVM Race Director and General Manager. “Currently we have 10,834 registered for all the races which is a 36 per cent increase compared to this time last year. We will likely sell out of the marathon and half marathon in July.”

During the evening Noel announced some new initiatives to enhance the RVM experience for participants. These included the addition of a title sponsor for the Half Marathon – OUTWAY – the Victoria-based performance sock company; an energy station hosted by Red Bull and the Island Savings CHEK Charity Cheer Zone. Within the zone from Mile 0 to Oswego there will also be a 1 km sprint ‘race’ for all participants with prize money, courtesy of Island Savings. The pre-race carbo dinner is also returning with guest speaker, World Race Walk Champion, Evan Dunfee.

“We are always looking at how we can make the RVM experience better for participants, volunteers, and the community,” adds Noel. “Our tourism partners are a huge part of that hosting, as event weekend isn’t just about having a start line, a finish line, water stations, and course marshalls, it is about transportation such as BC Ferries and The Clipper, hospitality through hotels and restaurants and attractions like whale watching—all of these partners are part of the experience and memories. The economic impact of RVM was over 14 million in 2025.”

The Island Savings 5K and the Thrifty Foods Kids Run take place in Oak Bay on Saturday, October 10 with the Marathon, OUTWAY Half Marathon and Westland Insurance 8K on Sunday, October 11, starting and finishing in downtown Victoria. Through the CHEK Charity Pledge Program, the charities are looking to raise CAD 300,000 (185,770 EUR), adding to the CAD 2.35 million the program has raised since 2005.