I have read some of the comments that other runners have posted, and I just like to know if there were two marathons on the same day in Toronto. The reason I ask is because I think I may have run in the best of the two. From the time I checked into the hotel, to the point where I checked out to return to the United States, my whole experience with the Toronto Waterfront Marathon was great. The course was flat. Sure, there may have been some bumps here and there, but not all marathon courses are "pancake" flat. The Toronto Marathon came pretty close to being "pancake" flat. It was announced before the race that rain was predicted, but Mother Nature gave us a gift by stopping the rain before the start of the race. Yes, it was humid, but that is not in anyone's control. Running a marathon will bring challenges, but the key to handling these challenges is to come prepared - in other words, do some hill training, and train in warm conditions (you may have to scale back on your pace at the beginning, but like with any training program, you need to slowly build up). As for the $2 dollar charge for checking in baggage, look at the bright side: it went to charity.

As mentioned above, I had a great time in Toronto, and even being "humid" I ran a strong race, and finished just a little over three minutes from my PR. This is good since I'm coming off of the heel of a bad hamstring/groin injury. I even earned my Boston qualifier for 2010, but have decided to use it for 2011, which I believe will still be good at that time. The expo was good, and the crowd support was good - I have run in some marathons where there was hardly any crowd support except at the start, or coming in to the finish line.

Toronto, I want to thank you for putting on an excellent event. Toronto is a very exciting city, and I found the citizens of Toronto to be friendly.

I would highly recommend this race to anyone, and I definitely plan on keeping this on my radar screen for next year. (If not Toronto, then some other city in Canada.)

It was very humid (95%), which lead to breathing issues for a lot of the runners I know, myself included. Also, there were several turn-arounds, which were slippery (a friend wiped out, actually). The course was not "pancake" flat as advertised.

In some areas, the support was really, really great, and in some areas there was nothing and cars were trying to drive on the course.

I won't run the full course at this one again, but I do suggest it if you want to get a good view of Toronto.

After having run Chicago and New York, I felt that this race was very well organized, other than the start area. The gear-check line was a mile long, and I didn't know ahead of time that it was $2 to check our bag. When the gun went off at the start, I was still trying to get into my corral with hundreds of others who were bottle-necked, and by the time I crossed the start, there were mostly slower runners that I was constantly fighting to get ahead of. Being from Alberta, I also struggled with the humidity. In addition, my Garmin was completely useless during this race, which threw me off mentally because I have relied on it so much during my training.

On the flip side, I loved the race expo and technical shirt, and the course was mostly flat. There were several areas along the course that were out-and-back and we could see runners heading back toward us, including the elites, which is always fun to see. I also loved the part of the course that went through the Beaches.

In the future, I would get in the start corral much earlier and not count on my Garmin.

Everything was great (expo, volunteers, course). However, the finish line was a deal-breaker for me. I have participated in several Canadian Running Series events and I do not understand why they insist on caging runners in like cattle at the finish line for 500 meters. It is gross and claustrophobic being stuck with a pile of stinky runners. Ottawa had more participants and got people out quicker.

This was my first time to run the Waterfront Marathon. As many others have commented, the organization is top-notch. Without a doubt, it was the best expo I have ever been to. Packet pickup is easy and they funnel you right through and into the vendors. Packet premiums were also good. The medal is also one of the best I've received. I had some problems finding my corral, since I'm not from Toronto and did not know where the "entrance from Nathan Philips Square" was, which they kept telling me to try and find. Overall, it was a fantastic race with a flat course that lent itself to a new personal best.

There are definitely some drawbacks, however. If you like running with your Garmin, forget it. You'll spend the first 3 or 4 miles under a freeway and your Garmin will get lost. It actually underestimated my total distance by nearly a mile. The course itself is sparsely populated with spectators, but the ones there are loud and fun!

Enjoyable event! If you want a new personal best, this is a great place to go. I recommend staying downtown, as the race start/finish is about a block from every major hotel.

This race is extremely well organized and has a very flat course. You get a little bit of everything from the downtown, the waterfront and some more secluded areas. The weather is usually pretty good. Big elite crowd and great cheering sections and fan support. Some parts of the course are a bit hard to get to for fans but the other areas make up for it. Highly recommend this race for a fast time in a big Canadian race.

This was my first marathon after having run the half here twice. New start/finish location is better than in the past, but the city has to do something about the potholes. Plus, it was a long walk from the finish line around the City Hall - the whole area was cordoned off.

The race was very well organized, with flawless packet pickup, well-staffed water stations, good traffic control and enthusiastic volunteers. The course itself is almost perfectly flat and fast - if not very scenic, especially the second half through Portland's industrial wasteland.

Weather can be a little warm in late September, and it was very humid this year, which did not help my performance. But overall, a satisfactory experience.

This was my second Toronto Waterfront Marathon, and the new start finish area was really nice, with a lot more room for us. The course is flat, and you get a great view of Toronto, as well as the lead runners heading back. The volunteers are fantastic, and there is plenty of aid along the course. The new finisher's medal is a nice one; I wore it with pride back to the States.

Pros
*Start and finish is very convenient to downtown, especially if you stay at the host hotel.
*Relatively flat course, though there are some long, shallow inclines.
*Excellent expo.
*One of the best tech shirts.
*Name on bib is always a nice touch; it helped with spectators (few) calling out my name.
*Weather was very good (though a little windy and warm the last 10K).
*Great finisher's medal.
*Coming from the US, Toronto was a great place to visit. Plenty to do. Less then 2 hours to the Falls.

Cons
-Few spectators (but those that where there called out your name often).
-Some spots on the course were boring. Not much water to look at. Waterfront was really never in front of you. Maybe "waterbeyond."
-I would have preferred a few more water stations especially during the middle miles 13-18.
-It was hard to find family at the finish area, as they blockaded it so family could not get to you.

Overall, I had a great time and would do this marathon again.

Overall, the course was very flat. It took in a lot of the waterfront area. The start and finish was in a good location in central Toronto, and it was easy to get to. The expo was pretty good and packet collection was easy. If you want a marathon with good organization, easy packet pickup and a flat course, then I'd recommend this one.