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Toronto Waterfront Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Toronto Waterfront Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.0 
Organization 4.1 
Spectators 3.4
Number of comments: 228 [displaying comments 11 to 21]
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Sanjay Mohanta from Ottawa, ON
(10/21/2014)
 "My 60th Marathon!" (about: 2014)
50+ previous marathons
| 6+ Toronto Waterfront Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I normally start off talking about the good but I want to get the bad out of the way first. 1. Parking. I had to pay $14 for parking to get the race kit. I thought this was a rip off. I prefer the organizors chose a place near a subway stop with parking close by. This is a constant complaint and not a good way to start a race. 2. Massages - most races have free massages. Here - you buy them. I just did PEC a couple of weeks ago and massages were free. Just a thought. Here are the positives: 1. Shirt - most shirts from Canada are like Canadians - low key, quiet, and a shade dull. This was not the case! This is a great improvement over the past years. 2. Medal: I will take everything back if they make this the defacto medal every year and race shirt photo. I love that they chose Honest Ed's as the TO symbol. It was a special place for minorities in the 70s and 80s before chain grocery stores sold spices. My parents would take me there on the weekends in winter when Gerard Street was too far and cold. Nice Touch. Rename the race to Honest Ed's and I will be back next year. | |
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C. W. from Canada
(10/20/2014)
 "Over-Rated. Fast, but definitely not festive." (about: 2014)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 The course is fast, but the scenery and enthuiasm was lac-lustre. In a metropolitan city you would expect large crowds and energy. Very few bands or DJ's playing on the course and I did not feel motivated. The shirt and medal were decent, but I was disappointed in the race atmosphere. Race food was mediocre (a very cold banana, some type of stale bread and a few odd extras. It would have been beneficial to have a protein shake or chocolate milk. I only ran the half since I am running NYC in two weeks. My sister ran the full marathon and acknowledged that the course was fast, but boring and had no energy. Furthermore, the city roads were in rough shape and you had to be aware of street car tracks. The marathon and the half start at the same time and they basically loop the marathoners back (which is confusing and un-necessary. The race expo was well organized. It was easy to pick up race kit, but I did not see any speakers or things to draw my attention to. The weather was ideal, and I am sure that I could have easily run a PB if I were racing this course and not using it as an easy training run. If you are looking for a fast track - this is flat and fast. If you are looking to be energized and blown away by Scenery - stay away. This race appears has a corporate feel - I would take a small town marathon over this race any day. | |
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A. Q. from Caracas Venezuela
(12/5/2013)
 "GREAT PLACE TO RUN" (about: 2013)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 If you are worry to run an International Marathon, because you are concern on how you may do, TORONTO is the place to LEAVE FEAR AT HOME, TORONTO WATERFRONT is a unique race to improve yor TIME, in everysingle aspect. Organization was very high quality, Course is great, Start with downslope, then pretty flat and only hard at the last mile with a mild climb. OF COURSE YOU MUST TRAIN in order to complete the race | |
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Frédéric L. from Marieville, Quebec
(10/21/2013)
 "Great Race!" (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Toronto Waterfront Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Good marathon expo with free shuttles to and from downtown hotel. The course is fast and flat, with only a few inclines. Has the potential to be affected by winds but we had great weather! Marathon and Half start together but with corrals and wave starts, we had no problem finding our pace. First half has more interesting scenery but second half has more crowd support, except for a few less interesting sections along the industrial district. Some out-and-backs sections with hairpin turns. It slows you down a bit but you can see your runner friends! Many well operated water stations, 2 gel stations, wonderful volunteers (thanks!)and great weather. It has been pointed out in earlier comments that post race lunch was minimal with bagels, water/gatorade yogurts and bananas. It is still true,but not uncommon for large marathons. Also, there were a few sponsors at the finishing site and handing out fruit juices, power bars and ice cream treats, so it wasn't so bad! | |
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Canadian Runner from Fort Frances, Ontario
(10/20/2013)
"Needs work..." (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Toronto Waterfront Marathons
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 To be fair, the weather was perfect after a miserable, rainy day yesterday. Also, I ran Chicago one week ago and the exhilaration and excitement of the crowds is not found in Toronto. At all. Looking at my finisher medal for 2013 it says '14th annual'. I thought this marathon was one of the classics that had been around for years. I just didn't feel motivated by the crowds here even though the folks who did come out to cheer us on really tried. I guess I was hoping we would be treated to all the areas that make up Toronto (similar to Chicago) but we were sent running west on Lakeshore, with little to look at and no crowd support, then headed east to the Beaches with a little more crowd support. I'm recovering from an Achilles strain so I was an end-of-the-liner but I finished and was happy with my medal. Of course I'll be back next year, and I get why the marathon course is set up this way (Toronto drivers, I'm sure, would be rioting if a marathon cut through their streets preventing them from getting out...the way it was, there were enormous traffic jams). The other runners were so much fun, easy to talk to and towards the end it was nice to find someone to walk with while exchanging old war stories about our injuries and motivate each other to keep going and make it to the finish. That part - motivating and connecting with the other participants - is what it's all about. It took me forever to finish, but I felt good that this was such a friendly group of runners who had my back and vice versa. | |
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G. N. from Oakville ontario
(11/2/2012)
"Poor course" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Toronto Waterfront Marathons
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I am at a loss to understand with all the wonderful areas to run in Toronto why the race is pushed down to the water treatment plant and boring dock areas. Having run several marathons in the US I find most Canadian races are run through uninspiring areas with little fan support and dull scenery. The other disappointment was the finish line area. Long walk to the food and disappointing when you got there. After running 26 miles a bagel and more water or gatorade isn't what a runner is looking for. Cleveland marathon had ice cold chocolate milk and great cookies at the finish. Fantastic !!!! | |
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J. L. from Duluth, Minnesota
(10/26/2012)
"So glad to run this!" (about: 2012)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Toronto Waterfront Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I usually run the Goodlife Fitness Marathon here in May; the way the calendar fell in place this fall allowed me to run both Chicago and Toronto, and the Toronto Waterfront Marathon was really a great event (getting in the start wave was a hassle, but quickly forgotten). Great course and energy. | |
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Keith Robinson from Somerset, UK
(10/23/2012)
"Good, could be world class" (about: 2012)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Toronto Waterfront Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I flew over from the UK to run Toronto and wasn't disappointed: personal best time and first Vet 60+. The course is fast but the long wide highways make it difficult to run the tangents - can we have a 'race line' as in London etc? A bit chaotic at the start, better at the finish, good crowds but some long lonely stretches. Also NB I stayed at the Metropolitan which was HOPELESS, avoid that. I ran with no breakfast. Overall, well done Toronto. | |
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j. m. from Syracuse,New York
(10/17/2012)
"Awesome!" (about: 2012)
2 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I am so glad I chose Toronto marathon as my 3rd marathon. What a beautiful City! I came here to destroy my personal best but due to rain, slippery roads, High winds I missed to run a PB. But everyone from top to bottom ran slow in second half due to weather. COURSE: Nice course! You can run a personal best. Nice incline to start then flat, down hill, mostly flat for 30k last 12k are rolling inclines and and nasty wind. But it is a fast course. My only problem was 2 things 4 hairpin turns and the nasty weather! I will recommend this race! And I will be back! The Race Director Mr. Brookes i met him at finish line and got to shake his hand! Very nice gentleman. I <3 TO RUN TO!!! | |
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Sanjay Mohanta from Ottawa, ON
(10/16/2012)
"my 40th Marathon!!" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 Toronto Waterfront Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 What a way to run my 40th marathon! A great city (best theatre in North America, best restaurants and a fight club for artists!). It was quite an experience meeting runners from all my various races throughout the course. Chatting with Scott from the TO Ultra Marathon in January, George who ran 400k in 72 hours in Phoenix, Dr. Raymond who ran his 277th marathon, the other maniacs and finally Peter Donato. There were some problems though: 1. Starting line: Fences kept runners out and was chaos prior to the race. Don't need them or atleast not as many as them. Better if race kit tells you which street your corral was at 2. No Vaseline stations 3. Only one gel station 4. No Gatorade at the station at 14k 5. Barren landscape on Lakeshore Blvd - should loop down Bloor to Dufferin and down on Ossington to Queen or something Not to sound negative but the race did feature a good expo, great medals and good bands. Thanks to all the runners in the subway ride back for a fun way to run 40 marathons. My 4 am alarms, twice a day training, mileage on my car, excessive registration fees were worth it. See you in Columbia City, Indiana! Sanjay |
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