High Performance Program
Now in its 45th year, the Royal Victoria Marathon is world renowned for its beautiful, seaside course with mild to moderate elevation changes along the way. The event is organized by runners, for runners.
The 2025 Royal Victoria Marathon will take place on October 11 and 12. The marathon, half marathon and Westland Insurance 8K are on Sunday, October 12, with the Island Savings 5K and Thrifty Foods Kids Run occurring the day before on October 11.
Besides being a Boston qualifier, RVM is also the BC Marathon Championships, a World Marathon Majors Age Group Qualifier, as well as a World Athletics Sanctioned event. All the courses are certified, with the marathon being World Athletics certified.
See below for more information and how to apply for the 2025 RVM High Performance Program.
Course records can be found HERE.
BC Marathon Championships
BC Athletics is proud to be partnering with the Royal Victoria Marathon for the 2025 BC Athletics Marathon Road Championships on Sunday October 12 2025.
To register for the BC Marathon Championships (free) CLICK HERE. All participants must have a current 2025 BC Athletics Full Competitive, Masters or Road/Trail & Cross Country membership in place prior to the start of the race.
All participants must register/ pay separately for the Royal Victoria Marathon or have received a complimentary seeded entry to be eligible to race.
Abbott World Marathon Majors MTT Age Group Qualifier
The Royal Victoria Marathon is an Abbott World Marathon Majors MTT Age Group Qualifier. Any athlete achieving the Qualifying Time for their age group will receive a notification that they have qualified for an invite to the 2026 AbbottWMM MTT Age Group World Championships.
In order to receive an invitation, runners must be registered at AbbottWMM.com.
The AbbottWMM MTT Age Group World Rankings comprise over 350 qualifying races in which athletes in nine separate age groups can compete in marathons across the world to earn a global ranking. CLICK HERE for more information.
Boston Marathon Qualifier
The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon and ranks as one of the world's most prestigious road racing events. The Boston Marathon has distinguished itself as a pinnacle event within the sport of road racing by virtue of its traditions, longevity, and method of gaining entry into the race via qualification.
CLICK HERE for information on qualifying. Race results from 2025 RVM would be for the 2027 Boston Marathon.
World Athletics Sanctioned Event
World Athletics has undertaken to create a global ranking system where marathon and half marathon athletes score points based on a combination of result and place depending on the level of the competition in which the result is achieved. The ranking is then based on their average score over a certain number of competitions in a defined period of time.
From 1 January 2023, World Athletics will only process results (for all its statistical purposes including World Rankings) which have been achieved in a competition listed in the World Athletics global calendar. For more information about World Athletics, CLICK HERE.
RVM High Performance Program
The Royal Victoria Marathon has a high performance program for our primary events - the marathon, half marathon and 8K. This program allows us to offer top Canadian and International marathon, half marathon, and 8K runners an environment in which they can succeed. The goal of the program is to create an excellent event and to foster the development of Canadian runners and is designed to attract competitive distance athletes.
Our high performance program offers comp entries, invitation to our media launch event, a priority race package pickup area, start line tent and port-a-pottie, a water bottle on-course service, finish line change room and event awards ceremony as well as prize money (see below for more info). The process to apply:
Apply through our online application system (opening on June 3, 2025). Marathon applications will close July 15, half marathon applications will close August 1 and 8K applications will close on September 15, 2025.
An email will be sent to you from our High Performance Coordinator upon review of your application. Note: The number of comp entries that will be given out will depend on the number of applications received and the verified finishing times. You are not guaranteed a comp entry even though you have met the standard.
If your application is accepted, you will be sent a comp code to register for the event on the RVM race registration page. Athletes will be responsible for registering for the event within a window of time.
If your registration is not accepted, you will be contacted. We would encourage you to still register for the event and enjoy RVM!
If you have any questions, please reach out to Kevin at elite@runvictoriamarathon.com.
High Performance Program Prizes
High Performance Program prizes are awarded to the top male and female, open and masters, marathon and half-marathon athletes, as well as an incentive for breaking the course record.
The registered, not-for-profit Victoria Marathon Society administers the annual Royal Victoria Marathon and associated events.
