It was a lot of fun. This is a small local race. (not crowded). The weather was great. The races started on time, And the volunteers were very helpful. There was lots of water at all the aid stations. I ran the half and it was my 4th.

The beginning of the race was sunny and cold even freezing followed by running against rather strong wind. The first and final part of the course is in the streets of Waterloo. The most of it runs in not very exciting countryside, farmlands and wooded areas on pavemet and some gravel.
The organization of the event was excellent with visible presence of police and ambulances (bravo St.John!). Volunteers as always were very nice and helpful. T-shirt and ceramic medal were above average.
Thank you, Waterloo!

The weather yesterday was perfect, and that definitely helped. This is smaller, less expensive race, on a mostly flat course. (hills were never a problem) Parking was good, and it was easy both to get to, and leave from.
There were a lot of volunteers at all of the water stops (every 2 miles or so) and the volunteers did a great job and were very friendly. Part of the race is in Waterloo, and part in the country which had us running past some big, beautiful homes.
I don't know how they did it, but somehow I ran 3 minutes faster than I ever had before.

People were very friendly, and the goods for the registration fee (shirt, medal, food) were of good value. It stops there.

While the weather this year was horrible no doubt (there's nothing they could have done about it), water stations felt sparse. Water volunteers were just leaving cups on the table at some places and even ran out of Gatorade at one station (the crucial 33KM mark). I mostly have run urban marathons in the past, so the open course on rural highways with cars whizzing about at 80 KM per hour is something else. With the rain, the unpaved road we ran on was practically a quagmire.

Very isolated, and practically no spectators about. Advertised as "rustic in a rural setting," and they aren't kidding.

After running Chicago, Baltimore and Copenhagen previously, there's only so much I can take of farms and grain silos, and that was definitely exceeded by the halfway point.

Porta-potties were stationed, but rarely available when I actually needed them. As a result, the general store at Conestogo got my personal mark. Also, with the frigid weather, you would expect radiator blankets to be standard - not so; we had to ask for them at the end.

In all, I think the weather definitely put a damper on the whole thing, but trying to avoid getting hit by cars/oxcarts, and having to fetch Gatorade and water myself (instead of it being handed to me) helped me to run my next-to-worst personal record.

Needless to say, reading some of the comments of previous years had me questioning whether or not it was wise to run this one, but it appeared evident early on when I first contacted the race director with some questions that he was taking things very seriously. He even went above and beyond the call of duty to assist me with accommodation matters. Throughout the weeks leading up to the race, Tony sent out several e-mails to all runners with important info.

The race featured a brand new marathon course that differed from previous years. From start to finish, I found the organization of the run to be excellent. Marshals were positioned on the course at every turn to ensure that no runner went off-course. There were KM markers stationed at all 42K on the course. The Gatorade stations were frequent and were stocked full of water, Gatorade, and even chocolate! There were porta-potties stationed at least every 8K on the course.

Most importantly, the course was fairly flat, something that really helps with BQing! The run itself went through some pretty scenic parts of rural Ontario. It felt rather isolating running out there in the middle of nowhere with practically nobody around me once the field had spread out (KM 31-38), but that has to be expected in a run through rural countryside. Running on a fully open highway always concerns me, but there were periodic signs posted warning drivers that a road race was in progress and there were police cycling around the course periodically to keep an eye on things, so overall, I felt they did what they could to mitigate against risks.

Logistically, the t-shirt and medal were standard and sufficient; and the post-race tent featured a selection of food, a massage table, an awards ceremony and printed results. The race started and finished at the same place (always great to not have to take a shuttle bus before or after a run), and there were free shower facilities and ample free parking for athletes close to the start. And there was race-day kit pick up allowed, which was also a great bonus for runners like myself who are often coming from out of town at the last minute.

Not tons of fans out there, but the few spectators that were out there proved to be very positive and encouraging to all runners. Pro photographers were on the course and took excellent pics.

Overall, I was extremely impressed and would certainly not hesitate to run this one again. The race registration fee was half as much as most other marathons, so it made for a great bargain. Thanks, Tony, for pulling off a great event! I hope to be back again next year. All the best!

- Jennifer

This is a very small marathon in a lovely Mennonite area, but close enough to the city to make it a nice family destination. You should be able to finish in fewer than five hours, since this is such a small event. Its size, however, is more than made up for by its heart: there had to be at least three volunteers for every marathoner!

If you are a fan of a nice, long run on country roads amidst farmland, go for this. The race director actually met me on the course and ran in with me. The pottery medal was lovely, and we received a nice shirt.

The host hotels are close, and St. Jacobs and the market are true gems for Saturday pre-marathon shopping. If hoopla is for you, keep looking; if you like a quiet, quality marathon in picturesque countryside, give it a try!

Needless to say, reading some of the comments from previous years had me questioning whether or not it was wise to run this one, but it appeared evident early on, when I first contacted the race director with some questions, that he was taking things very seriously. He even went above and beyond the call of duty to provide me with some rather unique accommodations. Throughout the weeks leading up to the race, Tony sent out several e-mails to all runners with important info.

The race featured a brand new marathon course that differed from previous years. From start to finish, I found the organization of the run to be excellent. Marshals were positioned on the course at every turn to ensure that no runner went off-course. There were KM markers stationed at all 42K on the course. The Gatorade stations were frequent and were stocked full of water, Gatorade, and even chocolate! There were porta-potties stationed at least every 8K on the course.

Most importantly, the course was fairly flat, something that really helps with BQing! The run itself went through some pretty scenic parts of rural Ontario. It felt rather isolating running out there in the middle of nowhere with practically nobody around me once the field had spread out (KM 31-38), but that has to be expected in a run through rural countryside. Running on a fully-open highway always concerns me, but there were periodic signs posted warning drivers that a road race was in progress and there were police cycling around the course periodically to keep an eye on things, so overall, I felt that they did what they could to mitigate the risks.

Logistically, the t-shirt and medal were standard and sufficient, while the post-race tent featured a selection of food, a massage table, an awards ceremony and printed results. The race started and finished at the same place (always great not to have to take a shuttle bus before or after a run), and there was free shower facilities and ample, free parking for athletes close to the start. And there was race-day kit pick-up allowed, which was also a great bonus for runners like me who are often coming from out of town at the last minute.

Not tons of fans out there but the few spectators that were out there proved to be very positive and encouraging to all runners. Pro photographers were on the course and took excellent pictures.

Overall, i was extremely impressed and would certainly not hesitate to run this one again. The race registration fee was half as much as most other marathons, so it made for a great bargain. Thanks, Tony, for pulling off a great event! I hope to be back again next year. All the best!

- Jennifer

I ran the 1/2 in 2007.
Unfortunately, i found more negatives than positives.

Pros
- lots of parking
- friendly ladies at the after-race snack area
- interesting finishing medal

Cons
- water stations were terrible; one station ran out of water, and at another, the kids weren't paying attention and I had to stop at the table and ask for water!
- I was one of the slower runners and when I was nearing the end of the race, no volunteers were around to direct me; I could barely see the runner ahead of me and didn't know where to go
- the shower facilities were nowhere to be found as advertised; I was told there were PLENTY of showers but only found ONE, and there were 5 of us waiting to use it
- the t-shirt was made of heavy cotton, nothing special
- not many spectators at all

I also did not like the course (which is a negative for me, but others might not have a problem with it), as it seemed we were running uphill most of the race.

This is the worst marathon I have ever experienced. The aid stations ran out of Gatorade and some had no water either. When they did have fluid, it was warm and only a little bit was placed in the cup. You had to basically ask the workers for the fluid, not something you want to stop and do while running a marathon. Not enough aid stations and not enough fluid when there was an aid station. A lot of confusion at the 1/2 marathon and marathon exchange route. I was misguided to go towards the 1/2 marathon finish. I had to turn around and run back to the marathon route. I would never run this again and urge anyone that asks about it to not waste their time. Terrible experience!

I didn't mind the mass start for the half and full runners as I was able to draft off them in the beginning!! (It was 6 degrees, windy and raining!) It's not an easy course, but I was feeling great until the halfway point where I didn't know where I was to continue and the where the halfers finish. I wasn't even able to yell out to a marshal because none were around! Orange pylons were everywhere, but in my "race state," not clear enough to comprehend. Furthermore the turn-around was not included in their map of the course! I slowed my pace and continued in the direction I thought was right until I saw a group of runners who were able to verify that I was on the right path!

I adjusted fairly quickly to this questionable stage of the course, but not sure about those who were directed to the finish line for the half when they were really doing the full. I would have been quite upset if I were one of those people!

The 42K course consisted of 2 loops. The second loop was less eventful... fewer runners, and fewer spectators. I didn't expect a lot anyhow as the course is pretty rural and the weather was terrible. I have to hand it to the bagpipers and volunteers giving out water and Gatorade. They did a great job in the cold and rain!

The worst part of the marathon was the finish area. I wasn't even sure it was one. There was more activity at the water stations including the presence of St. John Ambulance workers/volunteers. At the finish line there was no water or Gatorade provided, which I thought was alarming. No one asking or caring how I was feeling or if I needed medical assistance. No medal was put around your neck for a race you specifically trained 27 weeks for - not including the running base of 1 year that is suggested.

If I didn't have my dad and friends waiting for me at the end I don't know who would have helped me down the hill to the recreational center. I know I could have done it if I rolled or crawled down the hill to the parking lot into the rec center only to find that I still needed to walk about 300 meters to find refreshments. This brings me to another point: no signage for participants in the building. A few would have helped to get you headed in the right direction. I just don't have common sense after running 42K.

I was one of the first ones to come in so I was very sympathetic to the runners who came in after me - especially those first-timers, or older runners - to have to experience this disatisfactory finish. I think they were even taking down signs after 3 and a half hours. I hope everyone remembered the course and markings the first time, as they might not have seen it the second time round. Race organizers seemed so anxious to go home - thankfully the volunteers weren't.

The ladies who provided the food were nice. One even offered me her coffee from Timmy's as they had already dumped out the coffee urn they had for participants. I didn't stay long after the "speedy" award ceremony, but I have to ask: was there enough food for ALL the marathon runners? The ones who ran longer and endured the elements? When I came in I only saw a few bags of food left and I am sure there were 50-60 more people yet to come in. The bananas that were available were green and unripe. I couldn't even peel them. I think I finally ate mine Thursday, 4 days after the race. I just hope that someone ran out to buy pizza or something to feed the rest of the finishers. I commend them all for what they accomplished with mediocre organization and nasty weather conditions. Cheers.