This course seemed to have too many twists and turns and you never get going in any one direction for very long. I even prefer the old course that went out to Bowness and back. You had a better sense of direction which helps with pacing and knowing where you are during the race. Also the cobblestone road in the East Village is not suitable for running on and you actually go over it twice, and the second time at one of the most crucial points of the race. The half marathoners should not be starting with the marathoners.....I thought this was established for various reasons. The lack of parking at the start/finish makes getting to the race a pain for runners/family members etc. and the only real option is Calgary Transit. Things that were great : the weather, the bag check, the people cheering along the course, the mayor starting the race. All in all a good race.

This is my fourth time participating in the Calgary Marathon, and what a difference this year. Venue, Expo Speaker (Frank Shorter), Finisher medal/buckle, Course all remarkably improved from past years. Excellent jump forward for the positive. Can't wait to see what's in store for the 49th and then the 50th running of this event!

This is the second time I've run the Calgary Marathon (the Half). For 2012, they changed the course up quite a bit from previous years, moving to a much bigger venue of the Stampede Grounds.

The expo/race package pickup this year was completely seamless. So easy to get there, easy to find, and no lineups whatsoever. In and out in 5 mins. Race day - parking was trickier b/c of strict parking enforcement, so next year ctrain or drop-off may be the way to go. Entry onto the grounds, finding the race chute, etc was simple and fast. This year there were so many porta-potties and opportunities to walk around/stretch, which is not always the case in claustrophobic start lines.

The race started off a bit jammed in places - no corral control (which was fine for last year, but this year it didn't quite work), and despite the wide roads we were running on initially, it was jammed the first 2-3kms before it finally broke up.

The course this year was lovely, scenic, and fast. The route they chose highlights some of Calgary's best hidden spots. Running down the center of Ingelwood, Bridgeland, the old Centre St bridge, Memorial Drive - awesome. The course had a good mix of old-city streets and pretty river views. There seemed to be a little bit more up/down with the inclines - but nothing more severe than off-ramps and tunnels.

Course spectators this year were extremely minimal, maybe 100 total, likely due to the cool weather, with temps around 1-2 degrees celsius and grey skies. The organization and safety of the course, with the many course marshalls and police presence, was wonderful.

I would say the only downsides to this year's race were flaws they didn't see coming because of the new venue and course, which I'm sure will be fixed for next year. The last 3kms of the race had lots of random people walking to the Stampede Grounds for the races later in the day - walking down the middle of the course. Rude and very stupid, considering how many people were dodging around them. Course marshalls did not seem to try and correct this. The very last km into the Grounds itself was also odd. Someone seemed to overlook that the windy road heading into the grounds was completely covered in gravel - a lot of it. It was very dangerous and I was worried for any of the elite runners who would hit this stuff at high speeds, trying to maintain their balance and grip on a windy road in the last km. Entering the Grandstand area was also a bit chaotic. The end chute was not being directed as well as it could have - it was completely congested and trying to get out/find food/find family members was impossible due to the narrow tunnels of traffic. Often my only choice was to ascend the grandstand steps to move, or try and spot any of my family members. Climbing up and down a bunch of stairs after running a race is not exactly something you want to do. It took me almost an hour to locate my family.

Other than those organizational hiccups that I'm sure will resolve after the inaugural run out of the new venue, this course and run is 5 star for its ease, beauty, and energy! Calgary is my hometown and you would think it boring to run a race in your own backyard, but this one opens your eyes to many parts of the city you don't normally get to see. Highly recommended for anyone looking for an easy, no-fuss, enjoyable race. Thanks Calgary Marathon! I'll be back next year.

A great race this year. It is nice having an indoor venue especially given the ever-changing Calgary weather. The pancakes at the finish was an added bonus. Great organization at the bib pick-up, both before and during the race and at the finish. Very impressed with my hometown marathon this year!

I ran the Calgary marathon for the first time since 2008 when I ran it as the Stampede Marathon. It's my hometown marathon so I thought I should get out and support the new course. I have run both big city and small town marathons and I have a few comments good and bad about the marathon:

The good:

1. I liked the change in the location and I didn't have to pay for parking which was nice. The BIg 4 building has a lot more space and felt more appropriate for this type of activity. Additionally there were not the long line ups that there were for last year's number pick up.

2. The finishers medal is a cowboy belt buckle which is kind of fun and unique for the city.

3. The start time and time of year were appropriate for the run. Last time I ran this it was the middle of summer and the heat was very tough. Additionally redesigning the course and keeping us out of Bowness where the marathon turns into a trail run was nice.

The bad:

1. The race is not well organized. I ran my best time but after running for nearly four hours to come up against walls of people walking for the 10k is just unnacceptable it destroyed my focus as I was forced to dodge children, strollers and walkers.

2. Putting a bag check upstair seems like a great idea to keep it out of the way. But after 42km walking upstairs is a cruel and unusual punishment.

3. The expo needs more variety of vendors. The quality of the merchandise was terrible for a race this size. Also there are only so many booths about fitness clubs that I can visit. What about some destination marathons from Canada or the US.

I am also willing to pay for some quality merchandise but that was just not available. The Running Room stuff is great but I wanted some branded items as well. In my opinion this was an opportunity gone beggin by the organizers.

Finally this was the year of the new course and it was very tough. There is a lot of running through random neighbourhoods which can get a little boring. I would hope we can run a loop through downtown next year past the Calgary tower or Stephen Avenue.

Overall I would run this marathon again because it is in my home town but some improvements need to be made.

I just ran the Calgary Marathon this past weekend and had a great time.

The race is very well organized and the aid stations are well placed. The course is fairly challenging with a lot of steady climbs for the first half of the race (which translates into a steady downhill for the last 6 miles). The altitude can also be a factor if you are coming from sea level.

The course is fairly spread out, so there aren't as many spectators as at some other more central races, but there is still a nice atmosphere.

Weather is very unpredictable in Alberta (we had light snow the day before the race!), but at least hot conditions aren't usually a problem. My advice would be to bring clothes for every kind of condition.

Calgary is also a great jumping off point for visits to the Rocky Mountains and Banff National Park, so it might make a good "holiday race."

I would recommend this race to anyone looking for a bit of a challenge and a good, relaxing weekend.

Living in Calgary for the last 13 years, I really like this course. It's representative of the city. This was my first marathon and I had a great experience. The hills are not bad if you train for them, and if you live here then hill training should be a given. The steepest is the last hill in Varsity and its relatively short. Based on past comments the organization has improved. No problem with bag drop. The food at the end was nothing special - something hot and more appetizing would have been nice. Because of the rain the last few days, the eating/bag drop area was very muddy and quite a mess. The weather ended up being great (+2 to 4C) even though rain/snow was a threat. It might seem cold but again, if you live here then thats what we train in (better than a heat wave anyway).

Not much for crowd support. The few bands were actually quite helpful. The race starts with the half marathoners so the running traffic disappears after about 13K. It can seem quite lonely after dropping the halfers so I hooked up with some likeminded runners, which made the last half more pleasant.

Course: Yes, there is a hill and it's a big one. Even if you cruise as gently as possible up, you will likely feel it down. It will slow you a bit. But it's not like they try and hide it.

Congestion: (???) Others have said that there was congestion in previous years at the start - there certainly wasn't any for me, at least not compared to other races.

Water/GU: I mostly carry my own, but every time I looked for it where it was supposed to be, there it was. Great volunteers shouting out whatever they were offering.

Weather: Cold, and I loved it. I heard some didn't. Not controllable.

Organization: Great package pickup. I went Friday at 4:30. Smooth and easy. Husband dropped me off by car one block from the start at 6:20 a.m. for the 7 a.m. start (easy). The lines were tolerable (10 minutes at worst, from my experience) at both of the porta-potties and at bag drop-off. I can't comment on the food - I got in a warm car pretty quickly.

Fans - Enough for me, and while there weren't tons, they had the odd, great sign ("Sexy men ahead!"), cowbells, and so on. Pretty cold for those spectators.

I was a little worried after reading some comments on here from 2009, but I need not have been. It meant I was pleasantly surprised, and my PB was an even bigger surprise. I would recommend the Calgary Marathon to others.

Reading the comments below, I feel I have to share that I really love this course, and after having lived in Calgary for 21 years, I finally chose to run it for my 38th marathon after spectating last year. The course is a very welcome change from the river paths. It is NOT grueling - the only hill is Shaganappi. The university is flat, and the 3 small hills in Varsity, each less than 300 meters, can hardly be testing a runner to the limit if he/she is trained. If you can't run those, then I would venture to say you aren't trained to run a marathon. Thanks for the gels on the course. Incredibly well marked, and traffic was well controlled. I loved having the mile and half split read out. I liked the change in time to May. Fans were great despite the chilly weather. Some changes I would suggest are to offer coffee and something warm like chicken noodle soup at the end, and I could do without a lot of the bands; though I enjoy string quartets, a race is not the right venue. Pacers, from what I could tell, did a good job. This race was really well organized, and I'd certainly recommend it.

I paced myself to run a 3:39 for this marathon; I was very well trained and had recently PR'd in the 10K and half marathon distances, so I felt confident that a full marathon PR was in the cards as well. I guess my legs had other ideas.

I do not exaggerate when I say that this race is very hilly. It's not just the Shaganappi hill at 16K, (which is a full kilometer long and quite steep); but there are many more hills (smaller, but you feel them) between 18-30K. The parts of the course that ran through the U of C and the residential areas soon after are beautiful (but there were quite a few hills). I was on pace for a 3:39 by the half, but my legs ran out of gas and I ended up finishing in 3:49.

In spite of the cold weather, the volunteers were amazing. The water/Gatorade stations were well-manned and appeared often, and there were also plenty of GU gels available to runners.

The start/finish area was also well organized, although they did run out of Mylar blankets by the time I finished, due to the chilly temperature.

Although I will say that this was by far the toughest of my 9 marathons, I really enjoyed the camaraderie of the other runners, as well as the excellent volunteers. It was a fun race, and I feel that the experience will help me in future marathons when there are hills (I will be able to look back and say, "It's a hill, but it's not as bad as Calgary!").