The staff was uncommonly friendly. The route is very level. It's not a large marathon with thousands and thousands of participants. So it feels real warm and 'homey.' It's a very special marathon.

Having lived in NS most of my working life, I returned to this race (having done it twice before) from where I live now in Hamilton ON, to vacation on the south shore and do the marathon.

The day (weather) was perfect, but more impressively was the improvement of aid and support on a course that is ruggedly beautiful.

Not being a sea-food lover i did not partake of the chowder ( and would ask whether there could have been an alternative to the chowder...beautiful as it was to most :)but I did enjoy the beverages, bread and fellowship.

Thank you for a well structured race and great volunteer support.

sincerely

Andy Crowell - 3:45:40 (2012)

I am from Iowa and chose this marathon as my first because I needed to escape the 100 degree July Iowa heat and also because it is billed as a flat course which it was. It was in the low 70's F so a touch warm for the area. There is no shade as previously stated by others and it was a sunny day. However, I think this was a great choice for a first marathon (it's flat and mild people!). My only recommendation is a few more water stops the last 15 K. There were water stops every 3K I believe but it wasn't enough. Thank God that there was a guy handing out water on his own and another guy driving around in a car handing out water in those last 10 K or I don't know whether I would have made it (I was cramping by this point). However, I pushed through the cramps and completed my first marathon! There was excellent organization and I thank Anna and the town of Barrington for hosting this wonderful event.

Although I hadn't properly trained, I ran this again in 2009 - with a time just under 4:11. I really want to run this course when I'm at my peak and do a sub-3:30. I cannot challenge it again this year as I'll be running my first ultra!

i ran this marathon in 2005 at a weight of 104 kilograms. I can't wait to run it at my new weight of 88 kilograms. This is a great course, which could be fast. There are long periods of solitary running. I love it. It's very well organized.

There were 156 hardy runners at the start, and 46 of those were running the full marathon. The gradual inclines made the course challenging but not overbearing. The start of the race was at 8:30 (7:30 start preferred), and after a short pep talk by organizer Anna Kenney, we were off.

Course is well marked in miles, which drew a bit of criticism by the home town folks who preferred kilometers, but I liked it. Aid stations were well manned and very accommodating, with nice, cold sponges from mile 14 on, every 2 miles. They came in quite handy on a day that started in the 60's and ended around 76 degrees. The heat and hills and lack of shade were a marathoner's test in the last 6 miles. You would think with only 46 runners that you would feel alone, but there always seemed to be someone there to pick you up. Whether it be a race director or a passing car with people cheering out the window. The ending is quite satisfying, as you have a good flat 1/2-mile trek across the bridge to get to the McDonald's finish line.

Overall, it was a very good marathon. The people were outstanding - nice and accommodating (especially Anna and Stephanie Nickerson). They were up for any request, and smiled as they helped you. Can't ask for anything more!!

Accommodations: I stayed at the Stage Coach Inn in Barrington, along with some other runners. It was nice and quiet by 10 p.m. Nice place; nice location. Comfortable.

It was a warm and humid day. The first 6 miles were run in 100% humidity, with temperatures in the mid 60's. Once the sun came out, it warmed up into the 70's with little breeze. Driving from Halifax to Barringon you do notice that Nova Scotia is very hilly, but the course is mostly flat. The course instructions warn about some hills but they were gradual inclines. Aid stations were adequate at every 2 miles, with both water and Gatorade. There seemed to be a lot of traffic on the course and I felt at times that this was unsafe so I would run on the dirt/gravel shoulder when cars or tractor trailers approached. I think the course would be safer and more pleasant with an earlier start. This race starts at 8:30 a.m. With an earlier start, it would be cooler and there would be less traffic to deal with on the road.

The race is well supported by the business in the community. It only cost $30 Canadian to register for this race. Except for the first 3 miles, the course is mostly a loop around Cape Sable Island. I like the last mile, which is across the bridge as you leave the island. As you are approaching the bridge off the island, you can see the golden arches in distance at the finsh line. The finish line is right next to a McDonald's.

They had fruit and chocolate bars at the finish. They had to keep the chocolate bars on ice because they would melt. Locals told me it was the warmest that it had ever been at this race. There was a nice post-race/awards party that had fish or corn chowder along with desert.

If you want lodging close to the race start, book your rooms early. All rooms in town were booked solid a few weeks before the race. If you don't stay in town, stay about 15-20 min. away in Pubnico, which is a French Acadian village. Rooms are cheaper there - like $65 for a room with a view of the bay.

Organization was good. Although this marathon has been going on for 30+ years, the race director was a 20-something guy organizing his first race. Race director did a great job. If you want to see how not to organize a race, read the comments on this site from the Reno Marathon, which is the most disorganized marathon in existence. Reno should bring this kid out there to run their race.

Running the Nova Scotia Marathon or half marathon is a refreshing change if you have run big-city marathons with several thousand other people. How often has it been the race director that gave you your T-shirt and number? The race itself had fewer than 150 runners in both the full and half. The race is well organized with aid stations staffed by friendly volunteers at about every 2 miles. The only complaint I have is that the first porta-pottie wasn't until mile 10.

The course itself is not too difficult but has plenty of rolling hills to test the runners. There are no steep climbs as I have seen in some rural marathons. While the advance notices and comments talked about the mild weather, 2007 was the exception to the rule. It was foggy with consistent rain showers during the days leading up to the marathon then on the morning of the marathon the sun came out. There was no breeze to speak of so the heat felt pretty over-bearing.

We felt very welcome by the community and enjoyed our visit during the time leading to race day. If you have a week or more to spend in Nova Scotia, this marathon is an enjoyable way to wrap a leisurely tour of the province.

If you go, plan on going to the awards banquet. It happens right after the race and the chowder tasted great. A note of caution - be sure to arrange your lodging well in advance.

It is hard to get the most accurate reflection of what the course would look like on a nice day, as Tropical Storm Beryl settled down on the area for the entirety of race weekend; but when the fog, rain and clouds did break you could see how absolutely gorgeous the area was. In addition, as the majority of the marathon is run right on the coast, with very little to block your view, it is a spectacular sight.

Small touches make marathons matter. I know that bigger races cannot do some of the things that small races can do (and vice versa) but it is nice to be treated like you are not just a number every once in a while. With a small field, the Nova Scotia Marathon actually allows you to prepare your own mixture of drinks - provide them to the volunteers with your race number on them and they will deliver them to the aid stations throughout the course! You have your own support crew!

The one thing we noticed as we drove into Barrington was that almost every store from McDonald's to the grocery store to the local shoe repair shack had a sign that said: "Welcome runners." When some races had people not even aware there was a marathon in their town and the race started half a block from their door, it is nice to know you are actually welcome and appreciated. It is the little things like this which explain why this marathon has been run for decades.

There is a little bit of a nasty hill right around the end of mile 24 (doesn't that always seem like the way?) but the majority of the course is flat. You can deal with some winds out on the island (especially on an out-and-back portion called The Hawk) and the temperature can range greatly in some regions but for the most part the wind - while stiff this weekend - was cooling. Some small rolling hills dot the course and a few quick turns, but the volunteers adeptly directed everyone to the right place.

With an 8:30 a.m. start, one might think that you have to deal with the possibility of heat later in the race and that could be the case but even in July the weather in Nova Scotia stays pretty mild.

This is a definitely a destination marathon. Go, try the lobster, enjoy the lighthouses, and run a nice little marathon.

Hi. Very disappointed about the fact that the results are not posted yet. Very scenic. Good refreshments.