I have run 24 marathons wide variety of course and countries, the Toronto marathon was left wanting in many aspects. Race start family and friends in corrals! I witnessed peopls bumping into bag carrying family, not good.Mile/Km markers on the ground, not visible in crowd. Pacers struggling to see them also.Aid stations poorly executed. Fingers in cups, cups three to a hand, NO GLOVES and really plastic and poly cups!! The course at times way to narrow and so many small posts/bollards. I witnessed a fall due to this. I ran a reasonable race and enjoyed Toronto However for 99dollars it really did not live up to the City marathon as promised. I will not do it again, definitely will run the Scotiabank toronto marathon again.

Let me just say that I love the city of Toronto and to visit this great place should be impetus enough to run this race. That being said, I found this marathon to be very dissapointing. Let me first state that I ran Twin Cities last year and that is my basis for comparison (which is probably unfair due to the sheer greatness of the TCM)..
Fans were few and far between. Plenty of cars trying to cut into the race. First half course was great, but anybody who tells you the 2nd half of the course along the waterfront is great is full of beans. The paths were so narrow and you have to double back 6 miles.
Positives. Again the first half of race is good and the finish is quite nice at queen's park. A great city to visit. perfect running weather
Negatives: Few spectators..dangerously narrow waterfront run that doubled back.

This was my 4th and favorite marathon! Indoor and outdoor bathrooms at the start were plentiful and clean. There weren't a ton of fans, but the ones that were there were enthusiastic. Your name is printed on the bib and so people cheer for you by name, which I thought was helpful. There were plenty of water stops. I would describe this course as mostly flat or downhill. There was only one memorable incline at the very beginning of the course. Music along the course was good, especially the blaring Michael Jackson tunes toward the end. The only drawbacks of this race were: (1) the out-and-back portion of the course is a bit mentally discouraging (it seemed like we were running out forever) and (2) post-race food was mediocre. Other than that, I thought this was a fantastic event and I would highly recommend it for both first-time and veteran marathoners.

Having run this race last year, I looked forward to seeing the new route. I was not disappointed. They kept the best part of the old route and added a new section along the lake, which was superb. When they had initially published the route change, I had expected to be running along Lakeshore, but was very pleasantly surprised to find my self on the recreation paths along the lake as opposed to more concrete roadway.

Having run this race before, this was my "make or break" year for Toronto. I'm glad to say this year's effort was a "MAKE." I've stopped my search for a different October marathon and have already marked next year's edition of this race on my calendar. The route makes a difference.

Awesome changes to the course and a great race-day experience. You made the right choice in ditching the North York segment and adding the waterfront. Very enjoyable and you had a great sense of the city. There seemed to be more spectators and musicians this year. The volunteers were awesome and I much prefer the spirit of this marathon as compared to Scotiabank. Great job.... See you next year!!!!!!!!

A well organized and fun marathon to run. Lots of entertainment and terrific volunteers on the course. A real city, point-to-point course that takes in so much of Toronto. Bart Yasso said it: the dinner is not to be missed. It is the best, period! Expo, shirt, medals are all among the best that I've seen. Highly recommended.

I love this race and have made the trip back to TO 6 times in the last 8 years to run it. They have the best dinner and kits I've ever seen, and a really nice medal too. The tech shirts they give are of excellent quality, much better than what you get at most races.

On the course there is great fan support and music. The water stations are plentiful and lots of great food at the finish line.

They have just changed part of the course for this year and it looks fantastic. I'm looking forward to running it again this year and set a PB. Great job, Toronto!

I have some idea of what it takes to get a course changed in a big city. You guys nailed it with this one and I think it's probably among the best big city courses in North America. I can't wait to run this again after a long absence from marathoning. You've got eveything here - great streets, neighborhoods, parks, the lake and a real sense of history as you run through the city. This is what a city course should be!

By the way, your website is great! Lots of great information and tools.

I loved this event last year and just got the email with the new course. It's fantastic - a home run! It will really showcase the city and different neighborhoods. The bands and volunteers last year were wonderful and am looking forward to running this again. Way to go!

I ran this marathon October 2006 and was very disappointed. First of all, there were very few spectators, especially during mile 21-25. I know that when I am running 26.2 miles, I really appreciate cheering crowds! And second, Cliff Shots were handed out at the water station. I am not about to stop at the station, eat the shot and then drink some water. The water should have been given a quarter mile after the Cliff Shots so the runner does not have to stop. I do not recommend this marathon if you actually want to have fun while you are running! Too boring and poorly organized.