Vancouverites are a healthy lot. Whether running around the 10.5-kilometre (6.5-mile) Stanley Park seawall, riding a bike along the gnarly trails of the North Shore Mountains or paddling a kayak in False Creek, residents love to get higher, faster and stronger - just like Olympic athletes! Visitors are welcome to tag along. Here are four unique ways to get fit in this Olympic city.

• Join a mass running event: The 26th annual Vancouver Sun Run will take place in April 2010 (exact date TBA). As North America’s second largest community run, this event offers its 50,000-plus participants — from elite athletes to rambling walkers — a motivating mix of live bands and cheering locals along its 10-km (6.2-mile) scenic route. For serious pavement pounders wanting to go the (greater) distance, the 36th annual Vancouver International Marathon follows on May 2, 2010.

 

• Rent a cruiser bike: Pick-up a back-brake cruiser bike from Spokes Bicycle Rentals on West Georgia Street and kick it old school along Vancouver’s famous seawall. Pedal through Stanley Park, along English Bay, around False Creek, over to Kitsilano Beach and, if you’re still going strong, out to the University of British Columbia.

 

• Do the Grind: The Grouse Grind is a rigorous hike that climbs 2,800 feet up the side of Vancouver’s famed Grouse Mountain. Because the path traverses a heavily treed slope, the views are sparse until you reach the top. But then, wow, do you get views - as well as a low-cost ride back down on the Grouse Mountain Skyride.

 

• Book at a fitness-friendly hotel: The Mbody Fitness and Health Spa at Pacific Palisades Hotel offers superior fitness equipment and classes along with an inviting pool. The Westin Grand Vancouver provides a treadmill or spin-cycle in select bedrooms so that guests can workout in the security and comfort of their own room. The St. Regis Hotel partners with the Steve Nash Sports Club to offer guests an elite-level workout in state-of-the-art facilities.