Vancouver police announced Sunday that the start of the Vancouver Marathon had been delayed so that explosives experts could deactivate a “suspicious package” found on the race route.
In a statement, Sergeant Steve Addison called the incident “extremely pertinent” and said it appears the device was strategically placed along the half -marathon route to cause panic or disrupt the event.
Steve Addison said explosives experts and an emergency response team determined the device was not in danger of exploding and did not pose an immediate danger to the public.
The statement said a marathon volunteer saw the device near the Science Museum. World of Science around 5 am, about two hours before the race starts, and immediately call 911.
The investigation is ongoing and no one has been arrested. The race was delayed by more than an hour.
Sunday’s race marked the 50that anniversary of the event and return to personal career after it was canceled in 2020 and virtual departure in 2021 due to COVID-19.
Source: Radio-Canada
