Well, compared to Chicago it is tiny, but it was a nice race to run. It is flat. The main drawback is that your family has a hard time seeing you more than once or twice during the race. It was well organized and I liked seeing the lake so much.

Liked the reversed route, it made the 'spit' seem shorter.
Allan Brooks, thank you for keeping running in Toronto. Without you, it wouldn't be the same. You are great at what you do. The running community is a better place because of your committment.

This was the perfect venue for a first marathon. Everything was well-organized and efficient, from the expo through to the race finish. The route was beautiful and those neighborhood cheering sections and musicians really made me remember why I love Toronto! The race shirt and the medal are also fantastic.

The early bird start is fantastic for those of us that are running over 5 hours...such an awesome feeling to have so many cheering at the finish line...that otherwise wouldn't have been there.

Better than I imagined in my wildest dreams! I've only been running for a few months so I was worried a half marathon might be too ambitious - but this was FUN from start to finish!!! I'm still on a runner's high and planning my next race. Thanks to all the organizers and volunteers for a job well done.

I wanted to qualify for the Boston Marathon and I chose Toronto to do so for several reasons. First of all, I know the town very well (I lived there 10 years and my mother still lives in Toronto). Secondly, the course is nice and you have a chance to see yours friends who are not running at your pace as you cross them along the course. Thirdly, the water stations were ideally placed along the course. On top of that, we could get gel starting at the 10km mark even though it was not mentioned on the web site and that was a great relief for all the runners in our group, as it means that you do not have to carry food with you.

We were very fortunate with the weather, the public is always cheering and the bands are good.
You get all the food and water you want when you finish and all the volunteers are very helpful. The Adidas running shirt as well as the medal have a great design. I usually do not run a marathon twice but I could redo this one with great pleasure, and as I missed my qualification for the Boston Marathon by 5 minutes, I will probably get the chance to try again with Toronto.

Extremely well organized. It was exciting to be a part of it. Runners were treated very well and with lots of respect.

Ran the half marathon. The start was quite congested as compared with the only other event of similar size I've run. (2004 Miami Tropical Marathon/Half Marathon) Interestingly, Miami started everyone together and yet had less congestion. It took forever to get going in the half and just when the course opened up a bit runners started encountering (early start) walkers who had the effect of slowing things down again. I'm of the opinion that a grouped start is more runner-friendly as it allows pace to be the ultimate determiner of how the field 'opens up' though, it's perhaps harder on marshals and has the potential of having slower competitors on the course at the hottest part of the day.

Once we got going the (1/2) course was great! Very fast and under textbook weather conditions. There were lots of aid stations, however the volunteers could have benefited from some training regarding proper ways to hand runners liquids (lots of dropped cups and resulting slowdowns).

The volunteers themselves were great! Cheerful, very encouraging and good natured. We love and appreciate you all! No volunteers/no races... I'm sure I speak for all runners and walkers when I give you a heartfelt thanks!

The spectators were wonderful as well. From what I've read some of the 25K+ events have huge spectator involvement but, in the context of the event's size, crowd support was great!

Aid stations were compromised via congestion from slower early start runners and walkers.

After finishing the half I waited for a friend who was running the full marathon. Bottled water at the finish ran out at about 3:50 or so... Water & Gatorade in glasses was available, however, reasonably close to the finish line. At my suggestion, volunteers were posted at the finish line to direct people to the water tables.

I've never run a full marathon but I know a considerable number of folks who have and I've been at the finish line of more than one.

In my experience the 3:30-4:45 or so guys are where you're going to find the real 'road kill'. I have huge amount of respect for these folks, many of whom have had to dig very deep to achieve their finish/finish times and who've run for twice the time of the high level elites and worked every bit as hard.

Their faces tell the story... They are tired and thirsty almost without exception. Don't make them wait for water.

I spent my time while waiting for my friend carrying water in glasses to the finish line. After 26.2 miles the 50-100' to the water tables is a long trip...

I travelled to Toronto specifically to run and it was well worth it! I didn't see any any issues that couldn't be addressed. Next stop for me is my first marathon in January. If I revisit Toronto next year it'll be for the marathon.

Great event! A little polishing of the gem and it'd be perfect!

Huge praise for the performances and inspiration of Mr. Whitlock and Mr. Singh. The world needs such heroes!

As indicated in my rating, I thought the spectators were awesome. I wish there had been more of them on the Leslie Street Spit, as I found that to be the most challenging leg of the course. Hot, and kind of boring. The rest of the course was fabulous. I was of course disappointed that I didn't get my medal crossing the finish line, but I understand your challenge, when so many people signed up shortly before the race. The increase in numbers indicates the positive feedback runners have heard about last years race. Congratulations on a job well done!!

This was my first 1/2 marathon and what a great experience. The course was relatively flat which was heaven. What a treat to have the live bands out on the course with some really upbeat music to keep us motivated. There was lots of food and water at the end. Overall, a well-run, fun race. Thanks.