Small marathon but really well organized. Has a decent expo, good Asics tech shirt, nice medal, and you receive a glass mug after you finish. There weren't many spectators but there was a new route this year so I would guess there will be even more people out next year. Course is flat and this course is surely a Boston Qualifier.

Will be back next year. Great event!!!

Decent race. Could be better, but it has limited flaws. The good outweighs the bad.

Pros:
1. Price is right.
2. Good finisher medal and the mug was a nice touch.
3. Finishing in the Glass Bowl was pretty cool.
4. Age group awards were useful and of quality brands (socks and a hat) .
5. Parking was easy.
6. Nice to be able to hang out pre-race in the athletic complex.
7. The people giving splits and times. Nice touch.

Cons:
1. Race course was confusing, not marked well, and boring. The only decent sections were the finish and the small loop in the park.
2. The shirt. I registered in time and I still did not get a shirt. The volunteers felt bad and they did find me a t-shirt. I was not mad, but they felt bad. Marathons should have a tech shirt for all that run.
3. A few more bathrooms would have been nice. Lines at the start, but it was better than other races that I have been to (hand washing stations were nice).

The Glass City Marathon 2010 was well organized. The course was varied. A lot of the course was on paved trails, which was great. There were a fair number of turns, but there were plenty of volunteers to point you in the right direction. This was the first time I did this marathon, and I was apprehensive because of some negative comments from previous years. I was pleasantly surprised. The finish inside the stadium was fun and a nice touch. The University of Toledo is a beautiful campus and worked out well as a start/end. I also must thank and commend the professionalism of the medical personnel. I was feeling quite nauseated after crossing the finish, and they checked me out in the medical tent and made sure I was OK. This was my 11th marathon and it was as well run as any I have done. Only possible negative was that portions of the course have you running on the road shoulder. This is common for smaller races, and I personally did not find this to be a problem.

This new course was AWESOME - 2000% better!! I don't live in the Toledo area (4th time I've run this race) and wasn't sure what to expect, but was quickly greeted by a side of northern Ohio that I've seen running almost every mega-race in just about every big US and Canadian city you can name (my 78th marathon). Trust me when I tell you that it now has as many top qualities as you can find anywhere!

I much prefer smaller, more intimate races over the big-name/big-city races and this one came through and is my new #1 mid-size race and shall be highly recommended! Extremely fast, scenic, well staffed, much improved finishing medal; really good start/finish location; and well thought out - except for just a few minor things:

1) Much needed PORT-A-POTTIES in the neighborhoods, and lots of them too!! The treks through some neighborhood areas were really on the long side early on into the race, and to my horror and that others around me, there were absolutely none to be found. I had to hold mine in till an appropriate wooded area came up, where I had no problem fertilizing the local flora.

2) A few short road-construction spots might have needed a cop or something else - perhaps to better ensure that "impatient car" and runners don't collide. Just for a quick time, both runners and cars had the use the same narrowing and corralling lane, and there was not that much "edge" to run on. Very brief it was, and the slight fear of getting wacked by a side-mirror while watching where I stepped did get the adrenaline going a bit though, I have to admit. :)

I wish I could add a .5 to the overall stars, but either way the Glass City Marathon is a definite keeper; I'll surely be back! :)

This was my first marathon, and I really enjoyed it! The course was almost completely flat, which made reaching a goal time manageable. Everyone was really friendly, and the race was fairly well organized. My only complaint was that some of the turns were a bit confusing because the workers stationed there were not overly vocal about which direction to turn. Overall great race though!

Pros:
* Medal was awesome
* Glass mug was cool
* Organization was great
* Volunteers were cheerful and manned the plentiful water stations well
* Parking was very easy
* Price was right

Cons:
* Post-race food was nothing special: Old bagels, some bananas and cookies
Shirt was not that great - not sure why the logo was completely different from the shirt
* Course was not my favorite out all the marathons I have done. This course was beyond boring and uninspiring. Granted, there were about 2 to 3 miles that were nice, but the last mile going through parking lots, zig-zagging all over the place to get to the finish, was not fun. The last 5-6 miles on the isolated path with no one around was very difficult mentally. Overall, I gave the course two stars and that was generous.
* They offered post-race massages but the massage tables were taken by half marathoners. Long wait. Next time they should have an area for just marathoners.

The race was okay for a small, local marathon, but it's nothing too write home about. This is more of a half marathon event.

This was my 2nd marathon, and I thoroughly enjoyed this race. The course was varied (residential and trail), mostly flat, well marked, and there were plenty of supporters out to cheer us along throughout. I thought the race organizers and staff really delivered an outstanding race. The finish in Glass Bowl Stadium was wonderful, and the medals were lovely. This is a wonderful (and fast) small marathon that I'd recommend to anyone.

Based on comments from previous years, the marathon was improved for 2010. I thought the course was nice - mostly flat. The course is narrow and you are generally running with a group, but it was never too crowded. This is a good, small marathon and worth doing. If the race gets too big, though, they will have to change the course; it is too narrow during long stretches of the race to handle many more runners.

My only complaint is that they need more Jiffy Johns throughout the course.

The organization was good - packet pick up went smoothly, as did the start and finish. They should maybe have the volunteers at the end tell runners where to go for the medals and glass mug (under the goal post) and for the food (outside the stadium) - or maybe large signs; it was a little confusing.

The medal, tech shirt, and mug were nice.

In 1976 I ran the first marathon at the Glass City - and then again in 2010 (the 34th year). I congratulate the organization on a super run. The course was flat, the roads were excellent, and the corners and the numerous water stations were well taken care of. The finish was into the university stadium. What a terrific run. It rates the best so far.

I had a great time. The course was flat and the water stations were plentifull. I think the race was pretty well run; the traffic control was fine except for that one little construction area. The spectators were sparse but friendly.

All in all, I would recommend the Glass City - it was a great first marathon.