This marathon course, designed by Fred Dawson, celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2003. Because of the 'hype', the gorgeous pewter medals, and the running boom in Manitoba, owing to Running Room running clubs, this year's registrations came in at just under 12,000. Each of the events saw a spike this year, with almost 1,300 entered in the full (2002 was 900+). I disagree with some of Derek's comments ... the full marathon continues to be the featured event with full, exclusiv,e V.I.P. treatment for its finishers. Bags containing water, Gatorade, banana, yogart, orange juice, bagel, etc, were available to all.

The course is one of the most scenic I have raced...

No, this is not a 'money' marathon, in that prizes were quite modest. These races do cater to local runners of all capabilities, though many states and provinces are represented.

Perhaps there would be some merit in having certain events scheduled for Saturday in order to ease traffic congestion... yet... this would reduce the general excitement and enthusiasm that is present on Sunday.

So many features along the course. Visitors to Winnipeg would do well to have a 'tour guide' audio pack in order to appreciate the different districts visited while covering the course.

If I could give a negative rating for organization, I would. Best thing going about this race is the course: flat & shady for much of the way.

Over the years, the focus of the Manitoba Marathon has drifted away from the marathon to the 5K run, 10K walk, and marathon relay. While these are designed to make it a 'family' event, they really detract from the signature race.

Here are just a few things that make this a disappointing race for marathoners:

- insane traffic jams to get to the start line

- marathoners start with (and dodge) 10K walkers for the first two miles

- relay exchange points are like an obstacle course (relay runners are mostly kids who know nothing about course etiquette)

- two ice stations were abandoned by the time 4:30 pace group went through

- no gels/bananas/other nutrition on the course

- water at aid stations is hose water (and tastes like it)

- recovery area ran out of bottled water for finishers

- they ran out of marathon finisher medals

Race organizers could fix 50% of the problems by holding the Super Run and 10K walk on Saturday.

I'll probably be back next year, but only because it's my hometown race.

I've run two marathons besides the MM, including Dallas and San Diego, Carlsbad. The Manitoba Marathon was by far the best organized from start to finish. Great intimate course with fan support all the way, including tremendous finish at University stadium with great support and encouragement from fans and volunteers.
I recommend this marathon to all first time marathoners. The course is quite flat, winding through tree lined residential streets and parks, with many spectators.
The oranges, powerdrinks and fruit around mile 16 (I think) were delicious.

The flat course makes it an ideal run for the beginner, the volunteers were friendly & helpful, there were plenty of port-o-potties along the route and the water stations were regular. Disappointing was that the course mostly went through the 'backyard' of the city centre and Winnipeg's hot spot, the Forks, wasn't incorporated. As nearly five hour finishers, we found that there were few spectators at the stadium. There were also few spectators along the route, but the ones out there were really supportive. There was no sign of bananas or gels at any point. Finally, we were to surprised to read in the finishers listing in the newspaper and the manitoba marathon website that we were from Manitoba considering we registered as Germans. We were disappointed about the faux pas. Our tip would be to get in the port-o-potty line at least 30 minutes before the start!!

The Manitoba marathon this year had everything but one thing. Gels (of some sort) The race organizers applauded themselves for being the second biggest marathon in Canada (counting everyone running from relay etc.) but could not find a sponsor for some food during the race? Come on, get with the program

This was my first half-marathon and it was a great start to longer distance running for me. The course meanders through various older character neighbourhoods of Winnipeg, along rivers and roads are lined with big shady trees. It's pretty flat with only a few small uphill sections so what little hill training I did was more than adequate. Plenty of volunteers at the start getting bags that were organized for pick-up into smaller piles for easy searching made me feel secure about the storage. The finish in the stadium was great and the cheering people and loud japanese drum troupe gave me a kick at the end. Funny spectators offering free beer along the run ('last beer for 7 miles!') and others frying bacon on the bbq and holding it tantilizingly over their upturned mouths as we ran by kept me smiling the whole way. Spectators were truly great as were the volunteers and there were plenty of them. This was a good experience for me. I am inspired to continue entering races.

My one complaint, parking is tight at the University. Get there early.

Positives first, then negatives.

Overall the course is pretty flat and Winnipeg Women are prettier then your avg. USA girl. This creates nice scenery at the race and in the city.

Nice finish in the stadium w/ the crowd, and nice parting food bag.

Improvements.

Offer Gatorade (or equivalent) before mile 8! Fifty+ minutes is a long time to wait for some calories when you're trying to run a fast pace. Also many races have gel at mile 20, none here.
The prayer over the loud speaker before the race additionally did not win my favor. In the USA there is a separation of church and state at events that either are, or appear to be state sponsored. E.g. 'Manitoba Marathon'

2002 saw 942 marathon entrants. This is much smaller than the commonly publicized number of 9,000+ entrants. This large number includes all of the relay groups, half marathoners and myriad race derivative runners.

I'd go back if my $57CDN entry fee guaranteed I'd get a sport drink every 2miles. There are sponges and water cups w/ straws frequently along the course. But 2 ounces of sport drink is superior to sponges and straws.

This was my second time participating in this marathon. I only did one of the relay legs. It was the most fun I've ever had running before. The course and scenery was beautiful, the fans were fantastic and the weather was great. I recommend it to any one looking for a fun flat marathon.

This was my first marathon and would probably return to run in Winnipeg again. There were many spectators along the route and cheered you on as much as possible. The route took you through beautiful areas of Winnipeg which helped pass the time. I think 'energy' food/drinks (like Gatorade) needed to be handed out sooner. The course was well marked and had a bunch of fantastic volunteers. I thought finishing in the stadium was first class and really helped me find that last burst of energy. Great marathon and would recommend to anyone.

I've completed 7 Manitoba Marathons to date and each time brings a new experience. Although I may be biased because I live here, I've run other races (13) across North America and this one stands out. The scenery is diverse and beautiful in June, the friendliness and support is exceptional and the finish line makes it all worth while. The only changes I would suggest is incorporating the Forks somehow into the course and allowing for better parking. Looking forward to my 8th.