Moustache Miler running fundraiser raises over $16K for Movember 

Vancouver’s Moustache Miler raised over $16,000 this weekend as runners pounded the pavement for men’s mental health charity Movember.

The Moustache Miler, which sees runners take to Stanley Park and the West End waterfront, had over 200 runners compete in its back-to-back one-mile and five-kilometre races Saturday. The race had come fresh off the back off the organization's five-kilometre 'Stache Dash' on Nov. 10.

As of Monday, the fundraiser had amassed a total of $16,842 in funds.

“We surpassed our goals this year,” said Moustache Miler committee member Jeannine Avelino, adding how the effort put in by runners was “astounding.”

With the theme for this year’s fundraiser being all things ‘90s, Avelino said many runners had taken to the track in retro tracksuits and comical get-ups.

“It went so well, there was such dedication from all of the runners. There was a lot of neon and a lot of frosted tips, people got really creative,” she said.

One person had dressed up as Wayne’s World’s titular character, while another had embodied the clothes and madcap running style of Phoebe from Friends, she said. Elsewhere in the race, someone had shown up in a full T-Rex costume.

Nabbing the trophies were runners Andre Mandzuk, who clocked 5:02 in the mile race, and Lucas Hodgson, with 16:26 in the 5K. 

The event has raised over $66,000 since it kickstarted in 2018, with Avelino attributing much of the fundraiser’s success to the altruistic tendencies of the local running community.

“The running community here is very supportive. They all banded together for this cause as Movember resonates a lot with our runners.”

Already “pretty tight to begin with,” the runners, who were joined by leaders of various running clubs, are now like “one big family,” after coming together to support the global charity event, she said.