This was my 3rd marathon and I was thrilled to take part in such an organized event. The spectators were wonderful along the route, and there were plenty of water stations and gel stations (all exactly where the website indicated they would be). I found the course to be my toughest to date. I was really tired after this run.

One disappointing note: there were a lot of us that ran the marathon in 4:30 or less, and I met some runners who were doing their first marathon from Boston - they were very excited that on the other side of the river there would be music, but by the time we all got to the other side of the river, the bands had packed up and left. That was very disheartening for us slower marathoners, who need all of the support that we can get. It's a very long, lonely run for us at the end.

As an overseas runner I found it very welcoming as my first marathon and was delighted to finish in under 3 hours. It's a tough course with plenty of inclines, especially before and after the bridge, and you probably won't PB here. But they really do put on the effort in organizing the event and making it enjoyable, and the scenery is top-notch. One criticism, though: there was not enough water and too much Gatorade. Who drinks that disgusting stuff, especially during a race?!

Overall, it was very well organized. It had a decent expo for an event with only about 900 marathon runners, though the shirts are small (my XL-marked shirt is an L) and the goodies are underwhelming. There were good lodging options, and in an interesting city. They had many helpful volunteers, the pace bunnies were great, the clear markers at every kilometer made the time go quickly (which was helpful, as course was a little dull), and though there were a few tough hills, they had good water stops. The finish was the weakest area, with poor crowd control (pedestrians crossing your path near the finish). After finishing, you moved through a food station, which I passed through to find my family. After I was settled, I tried to go back for a bagel, but was not blocked by two guards - bad, bad, bad. There were no space blankets, and I could not find Gatorade. There were also lots of people milling around at the finish area, with no-purpose/closure. I don't mean to sound ungrateful; I'm just telling it straight. All in all, I had a great time, hit a PR, and would recommend it, but I will not come back since there are so many others.

Very nicely organized and managed marathon. All of the bases are covered, from a well-run registration, to check-in at the expo, to the results being available online within hours of finish... and everything else in between. Some potentially tricky logistics (ferry and buses to the start) were managed flawlessly. There were hundreds of enthusiastic volunteers before, during and after the race, which made for a very pleasurable Quebec City Marathon experience. There was so much to do and see in Quebec City. I highly recommend it as a long weekend destination marathon.

The Quebec City marathon just may be the perfect destination marathon.

The race runs along the banks of the St. Lawrence River and finishes in beautiful downtown Quebec City.

The first 13 miles are flat or on a gradual downgrade. The only hills are getting up onto the bridge that takes runners to the flat, flat Quebec side of the river.

The finish line is lined with a red carpet and a fun party in a park awaits runners. My goody bag was overflowing with bananas, cookies, bagels, oranges and more. The medal is beautiful and lights up!

The locals in Quebec are friendly, gracious people and, though there weren't a lot of fans, the ones that were there were energetic and sincere.

Quebec City is unique in North America. It's charming beyond words. The walled city is clean, with cobblestones, stone houses with slate roofs, and great restaurants. This is a city that loves art and antiques, and there are lots of shops to explore. Then there are the stunning views from the famous Hotel Fontenac. We spent four days, but our running group - Team Honeybaby - felt as if we spent two weeks in Europe.

A couple of small comments about the organization: 1) There were no space blankets at the finish. 2) there weren't enough pins in the race packet. There were four for the bib, but there needed to be an extra one for the bag tag.

There were not very many spectators, and they aren't overly enthusiastic. However, they are polite and helpful.

Also, there should be more food along the course. I had half of a banana and a GU.

I did get a massage afterward, which was nice. Also the medal lights up, which I hadn't seen before.

This marathon is extremely cool to run, the organization is unbelievable, and the course is superb. The first part is on one side of the St. Lawrence, and around the last 15K, you cross a bridge to finish on the Quebec City River. The finish is great, with lots of people and a red carpet on the last 250 meters - very spectacular. I recommend it for every marathoner at least once.

As a runner who does a variety of marathons (47 so far), I can tell you that Quebec City is a marathon that you should do. One of the main attractions of a marathon is the city so that you and your family can take a vacation before or after. The old town in Quebec City is very historic and attractive and worthwhile of a family vacation.

The 8:30 start, I believe, is due to the boat schedule, so it cannot run earlier; but there were enough water stations, even if it was a bit hot.

The race is pretty flat and run along the river. The food at the end was better than a lot of races that I have done and the medal was very pretty with the flashing lights.

For non-residents who are thinking of doing this marathon, do it and remember to take some time to see the city after the race.

This course is definitely NOT flat or even slightly hilly. It's EXTREMELY hilly (and the most painful marathon I had ever run). Furthermore, it was definitely not as scenic as I had thought. (The majority of the time, you're running in suburban Levi.)

The only pluses of this marathon:
1) Pretty nice medal. It lights up.
2) Expo and the finish were very well organized.
3) Host hotels were great. I stayed at the Chateau Laurier.
4) This will definitely help you prepare for a fall marathon.
5) You get to go sight-seeing in Quebec City afterward (but of course, you don't have to do the marathon to do this).

I read the article in 2007 and ran the race in 2008. I totally disagree with C. R.'s comments. This race is great and extremely well organized. Here is the lowdown.

The expo is well located, for a tourist anyway. Getting our things was easy and the volunteers were very patient with all our (stupid tourist) questions. Although this is definitely a French city (it's the charm of it), we never felt lost.

Transportation to the start is fine-tuned and we loved the ferry ride. The 8:30 start is fine with me (I hate getting up at 4 a.m. for a 7 a.m. start).

The course is just beautiful with about 70-75% along the St. Lawrence River. We had seen the profile and trained consequently. There are plenty of supporters before the bridge, much less after the bridge, and then plenty again 2 miles before the finish. Water stations are well-spaced and well-staffed. Even with the heat - which was very unusual, we were told - there was plenty of water and Gatorade. They even had showers!

The finish is the best we experienced for a race this size. The decor, the ambiance and the supporters help me cross the finish line (I was beat). They even had a red carpet for the last 100 feet or so. After we had the chip removed and were given our medal, getting to the food area was fast enough and there was plenty of it, but here is one bad comment: it is a bit crowded. More space is needed. The medal's very unique: it has lights!

We fell in love with the city. Just walking around is like being in Europe.

So, like Runner's World said: this is a must-do!