Wow! We had a blast at this one. I was visiting on business with some co-workers and we all decided to run. The expo was medium-sized but very good, and they had great swag in the kits. Meeting Bill Rodgers and Bart Yasso at the expo and then again at the dinner was amazing. It's the first time I ever saw a standing ovation for the speakers at a pasta dinner. We were picked up by the bus at our hotel in the morning for the trip up to the start and sat with some interesting runners from Holland. A perfect day for running in every respect. The cops, water stations and volunteers were very supportive. A great city to visit and experience, and I am planning to be up again for work and to run next year. Also, the medal was huge, like 4 inches, and that pita at the finish was yummy.

This year I ran with some friends, all of us for the 3rd straight year. The shirts they give if you register early enough are the best wicking shirts I've ever received. Lots of cheering and support with great music and bands, especially on the last 15K. The medals were great too... really, really BIG! It provides a great city tour in a point-to-point course, and meeting Bill Rodgers and Katherine Switzer at the carbo dinner was excellent. We'll all be back in '07.

I've run this marathon every year for the last 4 years and favor it over the Scotiabank. Unfortunately, I have to agree with another runner's comment that this race is "cut to the bone." In years past age group winners received plaques but this was cut out because "the organizers found the awards on the ground and in the garbage after the race." Personally, I find this hard to believe; however, on another note, they advertised merchandise for age-group winners. This didn't materialize because of changes in sponsors. Sorry guys - poor excuses and little regard for the winners. If you don't value them, they won't value your race. Last time for me running this one.

The highlight of this race were the appearances of Bill Rodgers and Kathrine Switzer.

I've run this race before and was disappointed, but decided to give it second chance because it was the only race available to fit my schedule. I should have known better. The same issues of poor traffic management, nasty drivers, and obvious gaps and shortcuts in event planning and management that end up creating a frustrating experience for the runner. My sense is that this event is "cut to the bone" organizationally and so we the runners end up feeling that. Sorry guys - two strikes. Just don't want to ever run this one again.

First marathon and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Spectators were thin on the ground but plenty enough for encouragement with some Alpine bells to boot on the hills.
Training in completely flat Cayman Islands, the weather was freesing (6C) and the mostly downhill course absolutley kills the quads and the soles of your feet.
I put my lack of hill training down to being unable to walk downstairs for a week.
A couple of water stops felt like they were in the wrong place. Gel given out at 2 stations.
Bad section under a pass over for a couple of K, but then you appear in downtown.
May run it again, but will compare to Paris and Chicago next year.

Being a Toronto resident and having heard fellow runners' stories of this race, I ran this half marathon with very low expectations.

However I found my overall feeling after the race to be one of pleasant surprise. I found the half marathon course interesting. Fast enough, but with a few rolling hills and a somewhat challenging slow incline at the finish.

The aid stations were excellent, in my opinion, and I noticed more porta-potties on the course than many races I've done. Fewer spectators than you'd expect for such a large city, but still pretty good in a few spots.

Unfortunately the city just doesn't seem to embrace this particular race, so I don't think I'd ever make it my fall marathon. There are just too many better choices within a few-hours drive. But I'd do the half again....

I've run all sorts of races and this remains a local favorite of mine (I usually do the half, though I've run the full twice). I agree that seeing my fellow Torontonians get into shouting matches with the cops is shameful, but I think the organizers could go door to door and announce the road closures individually and people would still claim they'd never heard of such a thing. I do what I do with ugly Toronto traffic every day and just try to ignore it.

Otherwise I enjoy this course very much and would hate to see this race disappear. It's interesting, engaging, and yes, fast. Yes there are a few hills, but, I think they just help to distribute the wear a bit, and it's still a net downhill course and my times have been very good. Yes, there is some industrial blight, but it's not that bad and there isn't that much of it (most marathons have some!). But G. Ross Lord Park is lovely, and the spectators on Yonge and in Forest Hill and even that last agonizing uphill grade of University are great, and there are all sorts of folks cheering from bikes on Rosedale Valley. The scenery is constantly changing, and it never gets boring. It really is too bad that they have to use Lakeshore instead of Front, but them's the breaks.

I had a bit of trouble finding the bag check (it seems to move every year) but I had no trouble getting my bag back; in fact, I sat on a bench while one of the race volunteers brought it to me. The post-race food is a little sparse (and I didn't get a plastic bag to put it in), but the SpongeBob was fun, and there's no shortage of restaurants a few blocks away. The race kit has lots of great swag and the technical t-shirt is very nice. A few more aid stations would probably be good. And I think this was the first largish race I've ever been to where there was no more than a 5-minute wait for the porta-johns, even before the half at the start. Having the kilometer markers more visible (up higher in the first part of the race, and not buried in the aid stations elsewhere) would be nice, too.

I think it's quite a pity that the two Toronto marathons must compete with each other in the fall, but I really prefer this course, and hope it continues in the years to come.

This was my second marathon this year, after having run National Capital in Ottawa in May. I had heard many good things about this race from others who had run it in the past, and a few bad things as well, but I was determined to keep an open mind. The start was disorganized, with no real delineation of various starting groups other than the pace bunnies who were lined up wherever they felt like it, i.e.: the 3:45 was behind the 4:00 bunny by about 25 feet (250 runners). The first 18 KMs of the route were the worst of the course, mostly due to a complete lack of scenery other than high-rise apartments, condos and townhouses, sharing roads with traffic that obviously didn't like us being there. Police control was good with officers at every intersection, but the blaring horns of the motorists was a distraction, as were the catcalls. Personally, I thought the road closures were well advertised on my way into town on Saturday.

The remainder of the route was actually quite nice, gently rolling but a net downhill overall with pleasant scenery and nice neighborhoods. The slow, steady climb to the finish up York and University were difficult, but not sufficiently so to cloud my overall positive impression of the course. I could, however, have done without the interminable run around Queen's Park - it just never stopped. Worst was the "You're Almost There" sign halfway around the bend. As I approached it, I thought that I'd be able to see the clock and the finish when I passed under the banner - NOT! A definite downer - if you can't see the finish, don't post the sign!

The finish was well organized if a little chaotic and the massage wait was mercifully short and worth the brief pause. All in all, I enjoyed the race, but would like to see some organizational, advertising and sponsorship changes before I run it again. The declining numbers should be a clarion call to the organizers that some serious changes need to be made to allow this race to continue and to be healthy.

After reading the other comments, I resigned myself to running this marathon, the only one I could do due to work commitments. I was very pleasantly surprised with this race. I thought the organization was excellent; there was a good expo, including lots of free food samples :), nice technical t-shirt; and the course was good, with the appropriate number of hills (only a couple of ugly spots) - running down Yonge Street rocks! The angry motorists were confined to a couple of intersections, and there were pockets with decent-size crowds of cheering spectators, regular aid stations and bands along the course. The Sponge Bob theme was cute and there was even a Sponge Bob mascot at the start line (although I didn't see him welcoming runners at the finish, which would have been even better). My only complaints (which are more suggestions than complaints) is that the course could be even better if the last part was redirected on Front Street instead of under the expressway and that there could be a greater variety of food at the finish area. I would not hesitate to do this one again!

An enjoyable experience. The course is challenging and takes you through different parts of the city. It's fun to run on Younge Street. It was well organized and the volunteers were very enthuastic. Too bad there weren't more spectators out to support the runners. This is my annual marathon.... See you next year!!!!!!!!