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Quebec City Marathon/Marathon des Deux Rives Runner Comments
Back to Quebec City Marathon/Marathon des Deux Rives Information & Reviews
Course 4.2 
Organization 4.7 
Spectators 4.1
Number of comments: 87 [displaying comments 41 to 51]
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s. s. from topfield, ma, usa
(8/26/2008)
 "Hills and Heat" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Quebec City Marathon/Marathon des Deux Rives
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The organization and support for this run are fantastic! Everywhere you looked there was a staff person willing to help you - in French or English. I would especially send a big thank you to the gentleman who was handing out ice on Blvd. Champlain when I came through. That was exactly what I needed. That said, I'd say that the course is a lot more hilly than others have mentioned. There are stretches where all you can see in front of you is a long upward slope. And the approach to the bridge is brutal! It seems like you'll never wind your way to the top. I know you can't control the weather, but be aware that this course is largely exposed to the sun. There is little available shade. So if there is a chance that it's going to be sunny, make sure you have plenty of sunscreen to re-apply, a hat, and lots of fluids. | |
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M. F. from Jakarta, Indonesia
(8/26/2008)
 "Beautiful setting; well organized and great staff" (about: 2008)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 It was my first marathon and I would highly recommend this to be anyone's first. It is not intimidating in any way. The bridge... seems so far away when you first see it, but once you get there, everything seemed to go by faster. Although I had to walk part of it due to injury, they kept it open right till I crossed the line. Thank you to Quebec and the organizers for an excellent weekend experience. | |
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J. V. from New York
(8/25/2008)
 "Bravo, Quebec" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Quebec City Marathon/Marathon des Deux Rives
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Quebec is a wonderful destination marathon. The city is vibrant and charming, and it was great to be there for all of the festivities associated with the 400th anniversary. The Pluses: 1. Very nice, well organized expo 2. Helpful, friendly volunteers 3. Great, great medal 4. Flat, scenic course 5. Nice selection of food at the finish line 6. So much fun to take a ferry to the start Room for improvement: 1. 8:30 start is way too late for an August marathon; the sun was already out in full force and the first three miles or so along an asphalt highway were brutal 2. Not enough water stations for the second half of the race, where there was no breeze and it was hot and humid 3. Race shirt was dull; it could have been more festive given the 400th hoopla | |
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L. M. from Pacific Palisades, CA
(8/24/2008)
"Lovely half marathon in a beautiful area" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Quebec City Marathon/Marathon des Deux Rives
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Ran the half today with a friend of mine running his very first half. The organization for the race was great. While a few thousand people ran the half, it seemed less congested than similar races I have run at this size. Bag pick up was easy. The expo was fine (I never really stay too long). Ferry transport followed by a bus was an interesting way to get to the start. If anything, perhaps the ferries ran too early, leaving us at the starting line for 90+ minutes. However, the start of the half is in a nice park. The weather was warm (hot by Quebec standards), and drinks and toilets were available at the start. A nice touch was the double canon firing at the start. For the half, the first 3-4 miles are pretty much uphill as you climb from the south bank of the Saint Laurence Seaway to the plains to get on the Quebec City bridge. Once over the bridge, there is a downhill section to get on the northern bank of the river and the rest is pretty much flat until the finish in front of the dock area. Multiple and well placed aid stops including Gatorade and water at everyone. Some had sponges, some had bananas and others oranges. Toilets at most of them as well. Being my friend's first half, we walked some of the back 7 miles, but no one gave us any grief about that. The road was wide enough that we could easily do that without getting in people's way. The aid stations were not even an issue walking to them - no pushing or crowding. Crowd support was pretty minimal along most of the route because it is away from the towns. However, once in Quebec, the crowds were very nice and supportive. The finishing area was perhaps the only part that was too packed. It took about 15 minutes to have a photo taken, and then another 10 to get some food (options - water, strawberry milk, yogurt, bagels, mixed nuts, and Sprite). Bag retrieval took just a few seconds though. Overall, I would run this again (likely next year). My wife came with me and really has enjoyed her time in this beautiful city, which celebrated its 400th anniversary this year. | |
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B. S. from Las Vegas, NV
(12/21/2007)
"Great race, great spectators, great city" (about: 2007)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Would just like to echo the others who have commented on what a well-organized, fun marathon this was. The course was varied enough to be interesting though the first few miles were kind of boring. Once the course gets to the river, it's great though. Volunteers were everywhere and very friendly and the crowd support was outstanding. Hearing "Bravo!" was awesome. | |
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J. D. from Chesapeake Bay, Maryland
(9/26/2007)
 "Mighty fine marthon" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Quebec City Marathon/Marathon des Deux Rives
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Great course, great people on the route, and great organization. I ended up in the med tent with an IV in my arm... dehydration... my fault... but the med people were really nice and got me back on my feet soon enough for a late afternoon beer. | |
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M. L. from Hawkesbury ON
(9/25/2007)
"The experience was just great..." (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Quebec City Marathon/Marathon des Deux Rives
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The course was quite fantastic. Once you've crossed the bridge into Quebec City, the remainder is more runner-friendly. The end through the small bistros is great. To be running along the river is also ideal for extra oxygen. The organization was fabulous, starting with the expo at the Hilton. The available shuttle buses were also a great offer - even though I didn't needed one myself that time. Lots of Gatorade available from volunteers - they were ready and not shy to offer more than enough of it. Enough spectators along the course to offer encouragement. There were lots of small groups well scattered along the course. You couldn't go more than 500 M without receiving some support. That was my first run and I was a little nervous. I found the other runners to be quite open and helpful. The ambiance at the finish line was also great with all runners congratulating themselves. I'll be there next year. | |
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L. Y. from Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
(9/14/2007)
"Excellent First-Time Marathon Experience" (about: 2007)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The event was very well organized - from the pre-race website information, to the pasta dinner, and from the race package pick-up to the day-of transportation, distance markers, water/gel/fruit/sponge stations frequency and medical/traffic control. The spectators and volunteers were very nice and supportive. I love the earlier 1-hour start for walkers/slow runners. The only recommendation I have is more "entertainment" (bands, dancers, music) along the course. The course itself was fine for me. My longest training run/walk before the marathon was 15 miles. I finished the full marathon in 5 hours and 20 minutes, and could go up/down stairs the next day. To me, this qualifies as a "success." The great environment adds to the experience. The city is beautiful - a lot to see/do, simple airport and taxi connections, excellent restaurants, etc. I would definitely recommend this marathon to any "first time" or "one time" marathon participants. | |
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J. F. from Sterling, VA
(9/8/2007)
"Great city. Top-notch marathon organization." (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Quebec City Marathon/Marathon des Deux Rives
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Who said Canada is cold? Temperatures for the race this year were in the low 80's. I brought a throw-away shirt with me for the waiting around before the race. I threw it away before I even got on the bus to shuttle us out to the start line. I also forgot to wear a hat, even though they were provided in the goodie bag, and as a result got sunburned on my face and neck. Thankfully there were plentiful water stops along the course, and they always seemed to pop up at just the right time. The course itself is tough enough. During the first half in Levis, there is a long downhill section that will beat you up. The Pierre Laporte Bridge looks so far away from Levis when you first catch sight of it. Then there is a very steep incline on the approach to the bridge; although the steep grade does not last for very long, as I was walking up it, I was going the same speed as some people who looked to be running up it. Only the last few kilometers are really run on the streets of Quebec. All in all, a very good race, even though my own race did not go very well. The funniest part was during the water stops, the French word for water is "eau," which sounds like "oh" in English. So you had 30 French-Candians saying, "Oh, oh, oh, oh...'. Volunteers along the course were plentiful and did an excellent job. The course was marked at every kilometer, in descending order. Water/Gatorade/sponge/first aid stops were plentiful and easy to meander through. The expo was a good size and not too crowded; it was easy to get around. Shuttles to the start line were well organized and wait times were kept to a minimum. Finish line food filled a gap, and was still plentiful, even after the 5K/10K/half marathon and a good portion of the marathons had gone through before me. Race shirt was a technical T and looks good; I prefer races that have cotton shirts so I can wear them on the weekend or whenever. But that's just my personal preference; it's not a mark against this race - just races in general. Races that give out cotton t-shirts are fewer and fewer though. Quebec City is a wonderful city, easy to get around and very walkable. The old part of the city is UNESCO, listed as World Heritage Site. If you go to run the marathon, be sure to stay for a few days afterwards to check out the city. | |
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R. R. from Indianapolis, IN
(8/30/2007)
"A Pleasent, Quality Race Weekend" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Quebec City Marathon/Marathon des Deux Rives
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a very well organized race. I have run Boston three times and the organization of this race reminded me of a mini Boston. For the size of the overall marathon, there was decent crowd support along the whole course and I was amazed at how many volunteers that they had for the race. I've run much larger races where there were far fewer people along the route. For beginners and slower marathon runners, they allow an hour early start which allows the runners to finish with larger crowds at the finish line instead of empty stands. For runners from flat training areas (like me), the hills were more than I expected. There was a sharp up hill around the middle of the course that caught me by surprise. However, more importantly, there is a long curving downhill after the bridge that really caused my times to drop after the downhill so train the quads!!! The course is probably not a PR course unless you come from a hilly area. Quebec City is very beautiful in a European way and makes the whole race weekend experience a good long weekend for runners and their families. There is a lot to see and do so be careful about the getting tired from the hills in the old town. The people are friendly and getting by without speaking French is fairly easy. The race hotels were not especially aware of the events and times as I would have expected but they offered discounted rates and are located well. |
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