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☰
Road2Hope Hamilton Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Road2Hope Hamilton Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.2 
Organization 4.2 
Spectators 3.3
Number of comments: 51 [displaying comments 11 to 21]
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M. B. from Oakville, ON
(11/3/2014)
 "Beautiful course, but room for improvment" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Road2Hope Hamilton Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I ran the half-marathon in Hamilton this past weekend and it lived up to the hype of being scenic and fast. However, I thought there could be some improvements to be made - mainly with the water stops. I don't know what the sport mix was, but it was terrible. The volunteers did not put near enough water in the cups at the stops. In my opinion, they could have used one-two more water stops along the way. But, otherwise, a nice small race...and really beautiful! | |
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G. R. from Stratford, Ontario
(11/26/2013)
 "Loved it" (about: 2013)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran the half, rather than the full, but I loved it. The warm wait before the race started (on a cold day) was great. The wind breaker instead of solar blanket at the end was a great idea. There appeared to be lots of food and drink after the race. | |
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M. L. from Rochester, NY
(11/9/2013)
"a well-organized marathon on a blustery day" (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Road2Hope Hamilton Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my second Road2Hope marathon and my first in several years. I enjoyed the course changes and the organization was top-notch. I found the volunteers to be outstanding and the spectators, although sparse, were typically enthusiastic. One word of warning to those thinking of Boston qualifiersI was very much looking forward to the 4 mile downhill stretch of parkway to make up some time, but found that because of the strong headwind and the lack of anything to block it, those were actually my slowest (and mentally toughest) miles. I also have one piece of constructive criticism for race organizers for next year: as the runners exit the parkway and start down the narrow gravel trail that follows, there is a very short, sharp downhill stretch that is 'paved' with uneven concrete blocks that have various patterns/holes in them. I found it very hard to keep my footing there, and it might be useful in the future to find some sort of padding or runner to lay over that small stretch so that people don't twist an ankle (much like some of the big-city marathons do over bridges with uneven surfaces). Just a thought. All in all, it was a nice day and a good race. I'd love to run it again, hopefully on a day with a little less wind! | |
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A. M. from Spencerport, NY
(11/5/2013)
 "loved it" (about: 2013)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Road2Hope Hamilton Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Very fast course. first 13 miles is mostly flat with a few rollers tossed in. Next 5 miles are downhill. Last 8 miles are completely flat. I will definitely be back. Only thing that may concern people is that they use this honey based electrolyte drink instead of a more traditional brand. it worked out fine for me, but If people have sensitive stomachs it could pose a problem. Hey, I am all for Go-Green and eating healthy, but I don't think a full marathon is the place for non traditional products. | |
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D. L. from Calgary, AB
(11/5/2013)
"Solid small race" (about: 2013)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Road2Hope Hamilton Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I thought this was a well-organized little race. It was a cold day and I appreciated having an indoor space to hang around in before the race was underway. Bag check went smoothly on both ends and I liked my shirt and medal. The course was well-marked and although the spectators were sparse, the ones who were out there were enthusiastic. I see some folks below were annoyed with the gravel pathway part of the race, but I rather liked it. It allowed my legs to recover a wee bit from pounding the pavement. If you're going to run this race, you need to enter it understanding that it's small and won't have the panache of the larger marathons, but, if you're there for the run, not the frilly stuff, you'll enjoy yourself just fine. My only teeny-weeny suggestion (if possible) is a couple of extra mats on the course for splits (10 km, half, etc.). | |
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D. W. from Toronto, Ontario
(11/23/2012)
 "Last-minute replacement" (about: 2012)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Road2Hope Hamilton Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 Ran this 42.2 when NYC was cancelled. Conveniently located only an hour away (Toronto). Very bleak course. Almost no spectators. Lots of slow halfers to get around. 3k of gravel trail is terrible. Out and back...and out and black is brutal so late in the race (comes at 30k). The 6k downhill is generous, but trashes the legs. Times will be fast but not a great experience. Would NOT run this again. | |
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T. C. from Ontario
(11/12/2012)
 "Fast course and not much else to offer" (about: 2012)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 Road2Hope Hamilton Marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 When I ran Hamilton in 2010 and 2011, it was a well organized race with a course that was fun to run and just happened to be fast. Now, it just offers a fast course. The race has gone downhill faster than an elite on the Red Hill Valley Parkway. PROS - you will get a better result than you would get on a neutral course because of the 6 km downhill - bag check was efficient CONS - to avoid problems with train crossings that had plagued previous races, the course was re-designed to include (1) a narrow gravel-paved portion, and (2) a double looped out-and-back - the double loop caused serious confusion, and it was discouraging to be sent back out for another lap - the narrow sections of the course were littered with slower half-marathoners that clogged up the path for passing marathoners - at times it was a serious cluster - parking at the finish was terrible - there were serious safety concerns as cars were parking on the shoulders of on-ramps to the highway - drink tables were too short - there's not much opportunity to grab a cup I skipped this race last year for fear of a train interrupting my race. I came back this year to find that the changes to the course were definitely for the worse, and the organizers have tried to cram too many people on to it for the race to be enjoyable. This used to be such a nice little marathon. Now, unless you want to make the Faustian bargain in pursuit of a BQ or other PR, I think you'd have a better time running one of the other races in the region. | |
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H. F. from Dearborn, Michigan
(11/6/2012)
"Great last minute decision" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Road2Hope Hamilton Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I would like to thank the organizers of this marathon for making a quick decision to add 250 spaces for displaced New York City marathoners. I was so excited to be able to run after 3 months of hard training. I even ran a personal best. | |
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G. R. from Stratford, Ont
(11/6/2012)
 "I loved the 1/2 marathon on Sunday" (about: 2012)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 3rd 1/2 marathon, and my second Road2Hope. I loved it. There were over 2,000 in the 1/2, and everyone seemed very relaxed. The volunteers were great. There were lots of water stations. Beautiful waterfront finish, and I cut 5 minutes off my finish time from last year. | |
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A. S. from New York, New York
(11/5/2012)
"Amazing, Fast, and Well Run Marathon!!" (about: 2012)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Road2Hope Hamilton Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is an amazing and beautiful race run by some of the nicest folks I've ever met. With the closing of the 2012 NYC Marathon, we scrambled to look for other marathons going around the same time. My girlfriend and I hopped in the car and fled to Canada! We were thrilled that they added 250 spots for New Yorkers (all were filled), and they went out of their way to find us lodging and give us a warm welcome to Canada. I ran the half, my girlfriend ran the full, both cover roughly the same course with the marathon having a longer out and back along Lake Ontario, and an additional loop at the start. Almost all of the course is downhill, leading to fast times and many Boston qualifiers. I think we both wished there were more spectators, but you get the sense that everybody in the town who would be cheering is with you in the race! This is an impeccably run race that raises money for a great cause. Everyone involved is incredibly nice, from the organizers, to the participants, to the city of Hamilton. If you train, you will PR on this course. We can't wait to come back! |
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