Red Deer Marathon - Race Reviews

+2 Celsius and raining when we started, warmed up to a balmy +6 by the end. Great race as you start on the street but quickly get to the paved paths for most of the race.

I did the half marathon in 2013 and am planning on doing it again. This is a wonderful course in a spectacular area that is very well organized. as a 70+ runner I greatly enjoyed the course. Jerry Stewart

My 2nd half marathon and it was an unexpected finished. The scenic were beautiful and breath taking, most especially the trails along the river.

I did the half marathon course in 2013 and found it to be a well organized and spactular course through forested areas on the Red Deer river with many volunteers at well organized water stations. A must to run in Alberata

I actually enjoyed running this marathon more than I did the Vancouver Marathon. The course was nice, and the foliage of the trees kept you in the shade. Once the half-marathoners split off to their own course I found myself coming into water stations alone, which was great as I hate congestion at water stations. The hill at 41.3Km was a bit sadistic, but once I caught my breath and ran down it to the finish line it wasn't too bad.

This was a really great route. You really get to enjoy the beauty that the city has all around it. From lakes, rivers, and trails it is simply beautiful. There were wonderful volunteers who were helpful and friendly. As well what a friendly race director who came and asked me how I enjoyed the race. I will definitely come back and run this race again!

First time runner. Did the 10 km. Awesome course. Would do it again in a heartbeat.

The previous comments say it all - a small-town marathon with a great route along park and forested trails for most of the race. The difference this year is that the route was done in reverse of previous years, so I guess the half marathoners from previous years got to go where they haven't raced before. A little shoulder-to-shoulder on the narrow trails as the full marathoners started with the half marathoners, but it's no different from what you get with the mega-marathons for the first few mile. Once the half marathoners split away, it was a bit of a lonely jaunt at times, so those needing company for their races better bring a friend. The good part of it is that no one blocked you from running the tangents on the twisty paths. Good signage and great volunteers to make sure you didn't get lost. I did the last 5K basically alone and it felt like I was doing a long tempo training run and I did a mid-pack time just under 4 hours. It was a bit of a cold, windy day in the 2010 edition, with temps just below freezing at the start, but just about perfect temps later on in the race. Just enough hills and dips to keep it interesting, but pretty flat most of the way. A little kicker at the end of the race before a downhill finish. At one point on the river trails I thought/smelt that they should name it the Swamp Gas Marathon, but that quickly passed. Master racers who think they might place well in a small race like this, think again. The top three spots and four of the top five finishers were in the 40-49 age group. Not a lot of spectators with the course away from most residential areas, but the aid station volunteers were great. Multiple gel stations, but I would of prefer that they had the gels handed out first before we got to the water and not vice-versa. Plenty to eat after, but just the basics; bagels, fruits, yogurt, cookies and donuts. Race medal was nice and not too gaudy. Long-sleeved tech shirt given at the race expo had "finisher" on it, so you better not DNF or you would feel guilty wearing it. Best bonus was getting free downloadable HD race photos, and I was captured ten times by the photographers.

I have to agree with all of the positive comments below (and that's not easy for someone from a rival city with its own marathon!). It's not just that the river valley landscape is pretty; it's the way the runners are insulated from all road traffic and congestion and given privileged river valley views. No concrete jungle. No rural wasteland. It's true. A small-town race with big-city-style support. To everyone who's never run this course: please stay away so that we can keep it to ourselves!

This is the 2nd time I have done the full, and I have done the half once. As usual, it was a nice, scenic run, with tons of crowd support. I have nothing but good things to say, and I recommend it.

A great course! At one point forgot I was in a marathon and thought I was just on a regular run. One thing very appreciated was differentiation between water/Gatorade by using clearly different cups at the stations. At a couple of marathons I have had to stop and go back to get water because the volunteers just looked blankly at me. The post-race spread was disappointing: oranges, bananas, yogurt, bagels, donuts and cookies. And they ran out of coffee - I got one, small cup. Coffee is vital after the race! Awards were very nice. Bill Nielsen, in his 100th marathon and now in his 8th year of Parkinson's, was staggeringly inspirational as he ran a still-eye popping 4:15-ish.

This is the first time that I have felt like I had to comment on a race before. I just had to because this was such a great run. I love the course. It was such a scenic route that I almost forgot the hills and the long distance. This was my 6th marathon, and the one where I got my PB! Thank you to the wonderful, enthusiastic volunteers - you guys did a great job!! It was Bill Nielssen's 100th marathon, and hearing the crowd cheer and scream it made me want to cry. What a great supportive city. The live band at the last hill was awesome. Thank you, Red Deer - I will be back and recommend this race to my friends as well.

This was a gorgeous run along the Red Deer River. There was a lot of variety in road surfaces - bike paths, gravel, asphalt. There were times I was running in the woods by myself, enjoying the ravens and robins. Although public support en route is at a minimum due to the trail nature of this run, the volunteers at the water stations were incredible. Water, gel and PowerAde were plentiful; some stations had fruit and ice! There are even showers at the end of the route in a school. This is a well-organized, beautiful event. It has two big hills, plus a number of small ones, so it is a bit more challenging than a flat route. I have done both the half and the full here, and will be back.

I really like the Red Deer Marathon. I have run the full once and the half once. There are lots of good sites to see. It is organized well and there are even showers at the end, if needed. That last hill before the finish line kills me each time!!

This race was recommended by another runner so I thought, why not. It has a mixed feel such that the first part is kind of crowded and feels like a typical road marathon, but it then quickly spreads out and feels more like an ultra. At one point I thought I was lost since there was no-one around, though the course is extremely well marked. All the positive comments I agree with, and I'll be back next year! It would be nice if there was race-day package pickup, and it was somewhat tricky getting to the start line, navigation-wise, with the closed roads. Otherwise, the run itself was great, as was the post-race massage. And tell me which marathon can beat a $1500 cash draw prize?

Great course with a lot of variety; it runs along a river, through parks, around a golf course, and through the woods. Includes asphalt and dirt pack trails. Very well marked. But the water station support is the best. Enthusiastic, friendly and well stocked. This is not an easy run because of the rolling terrain but it's well worth the effort.

I ran this race as a training run for my next ultra. And it was a great run. The course is absolutely beautiful. I did quite a bit of walking just to take in the scenery. This is a course not meant for a PR, since it has quite a few hills, and lots of twists and turns. The crowd support was awesome too. Keep up the good work.

Nicely organized, lots of friendly volunteers. Very hilly, so if you are looking for a PB - this is probably not the best one to pick.

Great job to the organizers. This was my 6th marathon and I ran it as a training run for an ultra. Lots of water/PowerAde. Felt super strong at the end. Rolling hills change it up a bit. Beautiful run. I will be back next year to race it!

I wanted to thank everyone who was involved with this race. For myself and my 66 year-old, diabetic mother this was a first for us. This course was very challenging for mom (we had the slowest times of all racers), but everyone was very supportive and kept encouraging us. Even when the water tables closed before we got to them, the lady on a quad went and got mom a bottle of water... she would not have finished if they did not do this for her. THANK YOU!!! It was a special day to cross the finish line and have everyone cheering so much. I really appreciated that all volunteers cared so much about people who were the last place finishers.

Every year I say that I am going to Vancouver to improve on my time there, I always end up coming back to Red Deer, The course is challenging enough (rolling hills) but not so challenging as to eliminate anyone. The volunteers at the water stations THANK-YOU!!!! The organization of the race and the people at the water staions and along the course, never fail to make this a great experience. The whole city seems to embrace the weekend and I will be back. Thanks again for another great race.

This was my first half marathon and I'm glad it was in Red Deer! It was a beautiful course, with excellent organization and volunteers!! I will mark this event on my calendar for many years to come!!

Just want to thank all the volunteers and the great residents of Red Deer for their support. This is a great race with a diverse course. Lots of shade for those warm days. Loved the cross-country sections. The post-race massage and refreshment facilities were fabulous. Thanks to all involved.

I just finished the full marathon, and set my longest marathon record! Being from a flat province, I was prepared for a couple steep hills, but not the rolling hills and the steep inclines to every bridge. Overall, a very well organized race, a beautiful course, and super volunteers. The course description could be updated. I will be back, once my IT bands heal!

This marathon was well organized and very low-key. No stress with simple things like parking and washroom trips on race morning. Course was beautiful but a bit mundane as it seemed to loop around the same places a few times. Prepare for a hill at the end, but the downhill to the finish line was great. Love my technical race shirt that fits (xs) and I will actually use. Thanks to Woody and the Red Deer race organizers!

I absolutely love that just about your whole race is on trails along the river! I think there was only about 2Km or so on the road. You don't even feel like your in a city. This is hard to find these days. Well done Red Deer! Very well organized and I love the smaller numbers.

We truly enjoyed the run. Very nice t-shirt. Water stations well placed and friendly volunteers. Tissues were nice. Kilometer markers. Very scenic route. Excellent weather. Generous food at the finish. Never had so much fun trick-or-treating. These are a few of our favorite things. :) Thank you. T&J

I just finished the Red Deer Half 2005. I wanted to congratulate the race organizers on a most amazing event. Very well organized. Your staging area was terrific, you could actually hear the announcer, and your kilometer markings were the best of any event I've done in the past 5 years. Your water stations were consistent and abundant, as was the energy and enthusiasm of the volunteers. This event could have only been made better by having chip timing instead of clock timing. (Even though this was a personal best, this year for me in Red Deer). The food was good and plentiful and the course was interesting and enjoyable. Now I know why so many of my running friends make this an event on their calendar.

What a great race, organization and all! This was my 2nd year in Red Deer. Was able to attend the pasta again this year and like last year was very impressed. This is a great value for $20.00. Speaker was excellent, funny and right on topic. Found the host hotel venue to be a much better choice this year. More room for the registration and for the dinner. I have five 1/2 marathons planned for this year. Don't know what next year's schedule looks like yet, but I know it will include Red Deer! Thanks again for an excellent day and a wonderful experience. Ps. Any chance you'd ever consider adding a 10 KM?

I'm still pooped. I wore my bifocals, brand new, for the second time - bad decision. Wore new shorts, too, and no hat. You're never supposed to make any changes from long runs to marathon. I broke all the rules. The rules are there for a purpose. Please remind me for next year. My experience with your run was great. You have never let me down. I love your marathon. This is my fourth in a row. I will be back, hopefully smarter. Thanks for your A-1 job.

This is a small marathon race (less than 500 runners) combined with a half marathon race, in a very scenic course. The race was very well organized and people extremely friendly. The weather was perfect for a marathon race.

Loved the weather (cool and overcast), loved the volunteers at the aid stations, loved the 7AM start - Would have preferred fewer 'little loops' on the course and a few more spectators.

The volunteers at the water stations were wonderful - the theme stations were very exciting. I ran last year and they brought me back this year and will bring me back next year!!

What a surprise to see Red Deer from a different perspective. It has always been Gasoline Alley or the main drive, Gaetz Avenue as reference points for me. Running the marathon course truly opened my eyes to the hidden beauties of Red Deer. The course was both scenic and challenging. Unfortunately one external factor which we could not control was the weather. Mother Nature tried to dampen our spirits and at times was doing a very good job at it. However as the true runners we all are, our spirits were too much for the onslaught of trickery that the weather presented itself with. I commend the race organizers on doing such as fantastic job. Aid stations every 3K supported by spirited fans truly made this race one not to forget. I am sore today and feel that I will not do another marathon, however give me a week. I'll be back running as well as penciling on calendar the 2003 date for the Woody's event. THANKS - JT/CALGARY

My first visit to Red Deer apart from driving thru or flying over. Very well organized race, well supported by local residents and a challenging scenic course thru the river valley. Killer hill near the end of the race was a bit of a surprise! Heard about the race from friends. Would definitely recommend and run this again.