Bomb experts disable ‘suspicious device’ along Vancouver marathon route: Police

VANCOUVER – Police say the BMO Vancouver Marathon was delayed Sunday so explosives' experts could disable a "suspicious device" found along the race route.

Sgt. Steve Addison says in a news release the incident is "extremely concerning" and it appears the device was strategically placed along the half-marathon route to cause panic or disrupt the event.

But he says bomb technicians with the Emergency Response Team determined the device was not at risk of exploding and did not pose an immediate danger to the public.

The news release says a marathon volunteer spotted the device near Science World around 5 a.m., about two hours before the race was set to begin, and promptly phoned 911.

An investigation is underway and no arrests have been made in the incident that delayed the race by more than one hour.

Sunday's race marked the 50th anniversary of the event and a return to in-person racing after it was cancelled in 2020 and went virtual in 2021 due to COVID-19.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 1, 2022.