Every year, downtown Vancouver turns into a mass of energy, determination and wick-away fabric known as The Vancouver Sun Run.

If you’ve never participated in this athletic institution, I highly suggest you do. Having run in the race last year, I can tell you that the excitement of being among roughly 50 000 all striving for one goal overpowers the physical exhaustion of reaching the finish line.

Having a good run means preparing for it. That means you’ll want to get to the race early to partake in the limbering up and psyching up that’s part of the event. The last thing you want to do when getting ready for the big event is look for parking. There are a number of bus reroutes on the day, so you’ll want to check the TransLink Transit Service for the Sun Run page before you leave.

• The Expo and Millennium SkyTrain lines will start earlier on Sunday: 6:38 a.m. from King George Station with rush-hour service levels, 6:45 a.m. from Lougheed Station in both directions, 7:20 a.m. from Waterfront Station.
• The SeaBus will start one hour earlier than normal, with the first sailing from Lonsdale Quay at 7:02 a.m., and 15-minute service until the afternoon.
• West Coast Express will be offering a Sun Run Special train, leaving Mission at 7 a.m. (arriving Waterfront Station at 8:15 a.m.) and returning from Waterfront at 1 p.m.
• Cycling to the event? We’re offering a free bike valet for 100 bikes on Level 2 of BC Place Stadium, with easy access from the Cambie Bridge bike lanes and Pacific Boulevard. This makes for an east walk to SkyTrain and the starting point near Burrard Street SkyTrain Station. Please note that at busy times, transit staff may delay or restrict bicycles on trains. You can check out our Bikes on Transit section of the TransLink website for more information about bike restrictions and capacity.

You’ll want to check Transit Alerts or m.translink.ca before you leave for any last minute transit service updates.

Remember, the run is this Sunday, April 15 at 9 a.m., so transit customers need only pay a single-zone fare of $2.50 for adults and $1.75 for children, high school students with a valid GoCard, seniors aged 65 or older and HandyCard holders. Have a great run!