Toronto Waterfront Marathon - Race Reviews

I have run this race many times and it is not bad but the city could do a lot more for the runners. in Montreal the subway was free for participants and was open early prior to the race. This was not the case for TO Waterfront marathon. It made getting around expensive and overly complicated. the package pickup was pricey since it costs $14 to park. I prefer the pick up took place at City Hall since it close to subways, etc., The other problem with City Hall is that it is blocked but fences with small openings. It creates bottlenecks when the race starts. The race is okay but not as good as it could be. The shirt had a nice design but was a bit small for me. After 89 pasta dinners I would prefer something a bit larger for my frame. Yeah. Anyway, great for local runners. Some areas where you are cheered by no-one though.

I've run this marathon for the second time since 2008 (my first) and got a PR and a BQ. Very well organized race with plenty of water stations, large expo and enthusiastic volunteers. Course is mostly flat and fast, if not very scenic. One part that should be eliminated is the out-and-back on Bayview Extension along Don River. Crowd support is somewhat lacking but that's always the case with Torontonians. They mostly gripe about runners blocking traffic. At least this year we had Bridge The Gap urban running crew gathering, so in a few spots it felt like Boston or NYC. I wish they could do this every year. Also, more support and promotion from the city would be nice. Finish area is crowded. One other thing to be aware about is streetcar tracks - There's plenty of them, and they can trip you up. I will run this race again because it's about the best you can expect in Canada.

I was disappointed in this race. Touted as a 'waterfront' marathon, one really had to stretch a neck to see water anywhere along the course. A good portion of the race was on a highway (or underneath a highway) and through construction. The sections downtown and through the Beaches community were nice. Spectators were sparse except for The Beaches and the finish line. Drivers in cars seemed angry at the road closures. It is however a fairly fast race.

This race is definitely geared more toward the half marathon. In general the race was very well run, the volunteers were the best I've ever seen. The expo was ok, but I was disappointed in the race merchandise, everything was too big! I was also disappointed in the spectators, more than once I was forced to detour around people crossing the course in the middle of a pack of runners, and my sister was hit by a cyclist! There also seemed to be a lack of excitement in the city for the race the whole weekend, although maybe I'm just more used to the U.S. feel. Some of the neighborhoods did do a great job of getting out there and cheering though, to give credit where credit due. Overall a good fast course, although mentally challenging with the long stretches and turnarounds. I enjoyed it but probably won't be back.

This is a flat course, very few hills which were overpasses. The first half is fairly nice most of the second half was BORING. They claim 26,000 runners only 3,800 run the full so it really is geared to 1/2 runners. Expo not bad - all volunteers were wonderful the Dream Team folks were the best ever. NOT enough food at the end. Put the date on the shirt, expected a better goodie bag for a big city race. I have already told some of my running friends to skip this race even though the city is wonderful. I didn't expect much given some of past comments so not real disappointment. I went, I conquered it and home healthy is all I wanted.

Hey I ran my 40th, 49th and 60th marathon here. It was natural I would do my 75th here as well. It is a good course with the first part going up around cool neighborhoods like the Annex and near King West. Some great bands on the course - the Greek one around 38k had lots of energy. The problem was City Hall. In previous years runners could stay there prior to the race. Since Rob Ford left office this has been closed to the public. In the cold morning this is a problem. Maybe the TTC can also operate a bit early on this Sunday so parking would not be such a problem. Also paying $14 for packet pick up is a rip off. Why they don't move it closer to the subway line I have no idea. A good race if you live in the area and the expo is very strong but these little things leave a bad taste in my mouth. I will be doing it again next year hoping these things can be ironed out.

This was my first marathon and I really enjoyed it. The course is fairly flat except a few overpasses. Crowds are here and there and are semi-enthusiastic. It is a pretty epic finish in downtown Toronto and the crowds are quite big. I liked the signs at the end every 100m so you know when the pain will stop! My biggest complaint is that the food after the race is not healthy bananas etc...it is prepackaged processed food that was probably provided free by sponsors.

This was my first North American marathon. Pre race expo was good though was a little disappointed that I couldn't exchange my very large t-shirt for a smaller one, also a lack of general race memorabilia for sale. Race was very well organized and the course was very flat. Lots of space to run right from the start. There is also a half marathon which seems to be more popular so be prepared for a big drop off in spectators from half way. Expo was easy to get to with free buses from downtown. City is a typical large city but the people were very friendly. If you're looking for a laid back marathon with lots of room to run I would recommend Toronto.

I have a soft spot for Toronto Waterfront. I've had huge PR's both times I've run it. The organization is top-notch, the course is quick (it's not pancake flat, but you could hardly call it hilly), and the size is exactly what I like - not too big, not too small. I am completely impressed with the folks at CRS who put the race on. They are very engaged with the participants on social media and the attention to detail on race day is fantastic. It's also great that there are so many hotels in staggering distance from the finish line. You can wobble your way to the hotel with minimal agony...relatively speaking, of course.

Overall I really liked the course; for it served as a flat and fast Boston Qualifier. The crowd support was excellent in spots, but you had numerous 'dead periods' where you were kind of isolated. The expo at Exhibition Place was really large and had many options but it was crowded and lines were extremely long (perhaps the expo has outgrown their space!) Overall, this race is an event I would recommend doing at least once.

I normally start off talking about the good but I want to get the bad out of the way first. 1. Parking. I had to pay $14 for parking to get the race kit. I thought this was a rip off. I prefer the organizors chose a place near a subway stop with parking close by. This is a constant complaint and not a good way to start a race. 2. Massages - most races have free massages. Here - you buy them. I just did PEC a couple of weeks ago and massages were free. Just a thought. Here are the positives: 1. Shirt - most shirts from Canada are like Canadians - low key, quiet, and a shade dull. This was not the case! This is a great improvement over the past years. 2. Medal: I will take everything back if they make this the defacto medal every year and race shirt photo. I love that they chose Honest Ed's as the TO symbol. It was a special place for minorities in the 70s and 80s before chain grocery stores sold spices. My parents would take me there on the weekends in winter when Gerard Street was too far and cold. Nice Touch. Rename the race to Honest Ed's and I will be back next year.

The course is fast, but the scenery and enthuiasm was lac-lustre. In a metropolitan city you would expect large crowds and energy. Very few bands or DJ's playing on the course and I did not feel motivated. The shirt and medal were decent, but I was disappointed in the race atmosphere. Race food was mediocre (a very cold banana, some type of stale bread and a few odd extras. It would have been beneficial to have a protein shake or chocolate milk. I only ran the half since I am running NYC in two weeks. My sister ran the full marathon and acknowledged that the course was fast, but boring and had no energy. Furthermore, the city roads were in rough shape and you had to be aware of street car tracks. The marathon and the half start at the same time and they basically loop the marathoners back (which is confusing and un-necessary. The race expo was well organized. It was easy to pick up race kit, but I did not see any speakers or things to draw my attention to. The weather was ideal, and I am sure that I could have easily run a PB if I were racing this course and not using it as an easy training run. If you are looking for a fast track - this is flat and fast. If you are looking to be energized and blown away by Scenery - stay away. This race appears has a corporate feel - I would take a small town marathon over this race any day.

If you are worry to run an International Marathon, because you are concern on how you may do, TORONTO is the place to LEAVE FEAR AT HOME, TORONTO WATERFRONT is a unique race to improve yor TIME, in everysingle aspect. Organization was very high quality, Course is great, Start with downslope, then pretty flat and only hard at the last mile with a mild climb. OF COURSE YOU MUST TRAIN in order to complete the race

Good marathon expo with free shuttles to and from downtown hotel. The course is fast and flat, with only a few inclines. Has the potential to be affected by winds but we had great weather! Marathon and Half start together but with corrals and wave starts, we had no problem finding our pace. First half has more interesting scenery but second half has more crowd support, except for a few less interesting sections along the industrial district. Some out-and-backs sections with hairpin turns. It slows you down a bit but you can see your runner friends! Many well operated water stations, 2 gel stations, wonderful volunteers (thanks!)and great weather. It has been pointed out in earlier comments that post race lunch was minimal with bagels, water/gatorade yogurts and bananas. It is still true,but not uncommon for large marathons. Also, there were a few sponsors at the finishing site and handing out fruit juices, power bars and ice cream treats, so it wasn't so bad!

To be fair, the weather was perfect after a miserable, rainy day yesterday. Also, I ran Chicago one week ago and the exhilaration and excitement of the crowds is not found in Toronto. At all. Looking at my finisher medal for 2013 it says '14th annual'. I thought this marathon was one of the classics that had been around for years. I just didn't feel motivated by the crowds here even though the folks who did come out to cheer us on really tried. I guess I was hoping we would be treated to all the areas that make up Toronto (similar to Chicago) but we were sent running west on Lakeshore, with little to look at and no crowd support, then headed east to the Beaches with a little more crowd support. I'm recovering from an Achilles strain so I was an end-of-the-liner but I finished and was happy with my medal. Of course I'll be back next year, and I get why the marathon course is set up this way (Toronto drivers, I'm sure, would be rioting if a marathon cut through their streets preventing them from getting out...the way it was, there were enormous traffic jams). The other runners were so much fun, easy to talk to and towards the end it was nice to find someone to walk with while exchanging old war stories about our injuries and motivate each other to keep going and make it to the finish. That part - motivating and connecting with the other participants - is what it's all about. It took me forever to finish, but I felt good that this was such a friendly group of runners who had my back and vice versa.

I am at a loss to understand with all the wonderful areas to run in Toronto why the race is pushed down to the water treatment plant and boring dock areas. Having run several marathons in the US I find most Canadian races are run through uninspiring areas with little fan support and dull scenery. The other disappointment was the finish line area. Long walk to the food and disappointing when you got there. After running 26 miles a bagel and more water or gatorade isn't what a runner is looking for. Cleveland marathon had ice cold chocolate milk and great cookies at the finish. Fantastic !!!!

I usually run the Goodlife Fitness Marathon here in May; the way the calendar fell in place this fall allowed me to run both Chicago and Toronto, and the Toronto Waterfront Marathon was really a great event (getting in the start wave was a hassle, but quickly forgotten). Great course and energy.

I flew over from the UK to run Toronto and wasn't disappointed: personal best time and first Vet 60+. The course is fast but the long wide highways make it difficult to run the tangents - can we have a 'race line' as in London etc? A bit chaotic at the start, better at the finish, good crowds but some long lonely stretches. Also NB I stayed at the Metropolitan which was HOPELESS, avoid that. I ran with no breakfast. Overall, well done Toronto.

I am so glad I chose Toronto marathon as my 3rd marathon. What a beautiful City! I came here to destroy my personal best but due to rain, slippery roads, High winds I missed to run a PB. But everyone from top to bottom ran slow in second half due to weather. COURSE: Nice course! You can run a personal best. Nice incline to start then flat, down hill, mostly flat for 30k last 12k are rolling inclines and and nasty wind. But it is a fast course. My only problem was 2 things 4 hairpin turns and the nasty weather! I will recommend this race! And I will be back! The Race Director Mr. Brookes i met him at finish line and got to shake his hand! Very nice gentleman. I <3 TO RUN TO!!!

What a way to run my 40th marathon! A great city (best theatre in North America, best restaurants and a fight club for artists!). It was quite an experience meeting runners from all my various races throughout the course. Chatting with Scott from the TO Ultra Marathon in January, George who ran 400k in 72 hours in Phoenix, Dr. Raymond who ran his 277th marathon, the other maniacs and finally Peter Donato. There were some problems though: 1. Starting line: Fences kept runners out and was chaos prior to the race. Don't need them or atleast not as many as them. Better if race kit tells you which street your corral was at 2. No Vaseline stations 3. Only one gel station 4. No Gatorade at the station at 14k 5. Barren landscape on Lakeshore Blvd - should loop down Bloor to Dufferin and down on Ossington to Queen or something Not to sound negative but the race did feature a good expo, great medals and good bands. Thanks to all the runners in the subway ride back for a fun way to run 40 marathons. My 4 am alarms, twice a day training, mileage on my car, excessive registration fees were worth it. See you in Columbia City, Indiana! Sanjay

You can tell the race organizers took the bag check comments from 2011 to heart. There were no issues whatsoever this year. I thought the course was great (twists and turns, but I'd take that over a lot of hills) and I was pleasantly surprised how many spectators were on course. The water station volunteers were outstanding and, again, I was surprised how many people were holding out cups at each station. Nice work, everyone. I would happily come back.

Every aspect of this marathon is well done. From registration through email update to the expo and the race they got it right. The one thing they don't control is the weather. And when they get that nice cold clear windless October day it will make for excellent running. I believe the changes from last year made for a huge improvement in the organization. To me things went off seamlessly. A couple of suggestions would be maps of the start and finish area. It wasn't hard to find the entrance to the corrals but having a picture of how it was controlled would have been nice. Also the finish area was the same. Maybe I just didn't see the maps. Just copy the Boston booklet. I actually only ran the half so can't comment on the whole course but I enjoyed the front side. I am not a real fan of multiple races starting at the same time, but if you have to do it this worked well. Does give a 'larger' marathon feel at the start. Separation at the end was good. My only criticism is of the pasta dinner at the Trattoria Mercatto. And this really has little to do with the race. They had a marathon special but they really missed the boat on quantity. You'd have thought they would have made up on quality but the portions were small and cold. In the end probably the right amount but not what you expect. Overall a great event.

Generally not bad but there were lineups at every porto potty. In Chicago it was a lot better. I get it...porto potties cost a lot of money and each extra one takes away from the bottom line...but for the average runner...this is important.

The baggage pick up has been written about and it truly did suck. However, I sent an e-mail to the race director the following day making some suggestions to fix the problems and within 24 hours he got back to me saying it was already being restructured. Everything else was great: the course offered a chance to see the leaders, the rolling terrain made things interesting, the neighbourhoods were tremendously supportive and the medal is very nice. The t-shirt is OK and the post-race food could be improved quite a bit. Overall, I'd still recommend this race - but don't kid yourself, it isn't pancake flat.

I was very lucky to avoid the bag check fiasco as my office overlooks the finish line. I saw what a mess it was. Alan Brookes has acknowledged it and promised it won't happen again. I think it will be sorted out next year...just a one year hiccup. That being said, a problem like this will cause people to skip this race in the future.....it is that important to get things like this right.

The course may be flat, the fans may have been out there, but the organizers messed up the finish area. The bag check was a, in their own words, a disaster (http://yumkerun.blogspot.com/2011/10/utter-fiasco-that-was-scotiabank.html). They want to keep their silver rating, they should focus on serving their runners, not trying to create press out of prize money or singling out great runners. There are the other of runners  thousands of them  that your race will depend its reputation for. You let them down.

the organization was poor, especially at the baggage pick up. After Marathon, you can't stop and wait for more than one hour

This was my 5th marathon and the first that I would not recommend running (but just barely - it was fine). It was quite windy, but I don't think that is clouding my judgment. There were enough drawbacks that I would skip this in the future. Pros: Good fast course, downtown start and finish, fairly good crowd support, some beautiful parts of the course, well organized water/Gatorade stations, very friendly runners. Cons: Expensive ($13) parking for packet pickup/Expo, hidden porta-potties at the start (I didn't see a single one), some ugly industrial areas on the course, subpar post-race food and the first water available was a pretty long walk from the finish, ugly race shirt (I will likely never wear it). I didn't get caught up in the bag pickup debacle, but it's pretty funny that this is the only race I have heard of with a fee for bag check.

Now I remember why I haven't run this marathon in 3 years. Flat, fast & Festive? Try: Boring, Boring, Boring!!! The course is boring, with out-and-backs through industrial areas in town, it's fast if there isn't the usual headwind from the lake, the crowds are thin and unenthusiastic in typical Toronto fashion. The Bag Claim which cost $2 was a disaster. I heard one friend waited until 3:45pm to get her bag and she finished her Half Marathon at 11am!!! I went around the back and got roughed up by a cop when I tried to get my bag. I finally saw a 'Race Official' standing beside my bag and he threw it to me over the fence without even verifying my bib #!! How secure is that!!! This race is not worthy of it's IAAF Silver Medal Distinction. World Class? Hardly!

I don't ever plan on running this marathon again. I've run many small and large marathons (7 now) and have NEVER seen such a mess before. I stood in the mob of people for over an HOUR waiting to get my checked bag. After pushing your body to its limit running 26.2 miles, the last thing you need is to stand in the cold for over an hour in tight cramped quarters with thousands of runners! My entire body starting shaking from cold and exhaustion. Luckily I found a friend, who eventually hopped the fence and went in back to get our bags. To funnel 5K, half marathon, and marathon runners; thousands of people; into such small quarters is rediculous. Obviously that was a problem waiting to happen! And we paid and Extra $2 for this privilege!

The Good: Fabulous volunteers and lots of them. Well organized water stations - told as you were getting close that Gatorade would be first and water second (distinctive cups). Superb spectators/bands/music especially through the Beaches. Nice medal and great warming 'blankets'. Good bus service to the Expo. The Bad: Not a very exciting or attractive course and definitely not pancake flat as they say. The last 10 K are rolling inclines which were OK but not fun as there was a strong headwind (not the organizers fault!). Very poor Expo, lousy shirts which were too small and we were not permitted to exchange for another size. Bag check at the start was good but totally chaotic at the end when they opened it up for everyone to rush into the area and try to find their bag. Food was poor - banana, apple and bagel only and you had to hunt for water (not handed to you as you came through). Much preferred the Toronto Goodlife Fitness marathon route and Expo.

The course is great. Spectator support is pretty sparse for a big city marathon. The exhibition, start and the actual race was well organized but the finish was a 'gong show.' Waited 1.5 hrs in the baggage pick-up line before finally getting my checked bag. If they can iron out the finish area issues it will be one of the best!

Fun race in some challenging conditions - the last 5 miles or so of the course was right into a strong headwind and made for a tough finish. Pros: Great pasta feed. Really good expo and gear. Great city, mostly scenic course, mostly flat (except for a few rollers in the second half and a bridge), great aid stations and volunteers, spectators were enthusiastic. Cons: The finish area was an absolute mess. Runners were funneled into a small space which made it very difficult to find people you were meeting up with. The bag check was also the worst I have ever seen- my friend had to wait 45 minutes before finally taking it upon herself to get our bag. Fix the small finish area and try to end the course in a large plaza area if possible, and this race could be really awesome. We definitely had a great time though and enjoyed Toronto very much.

Great rolling, mostly scenic course with enthusiastic fans in most places. Extremely well organized with one GLARING exception: baggage pick up was a complete and utter disaster. I imagine the organizers will be blasted badly and repeatedly about this and make the appropriate changes for next year. With changes, I'd recommend this race 100%.

that this race will forever be remembered for the bag check fiasco. While waiting over 60 minutes for my bag, I spoke with many people, not just from out of town but around the world. People who said they would neither recommend nor run this marathon again because of the bag check problem. I'm not new to this game people, but this was definitely the worst bag recovery I have experienced. And to boot, we had to pay $2 for the service. I personally have never paid for a bag check at a marathon (47 and counting). At the end of a marathon, on a cold day, and you can't get at your dry clothes for over an hour. I got my bag faster in both NY and Boston, and they have a few more runners than Toronto. You keep saying you want to run a world class marathon and attract runners from around the world. Well, I hate to break it to you, you just took a HUGE step in the wrong direction. You can build bridges, super highways, and skyscrapers, but if you screw one sheep.... Enough said.

The race was ok at best. I felt like there were too many out-and-backs and that began to screw with my head near the end. The last out and back down Queen street in the beaches neighbourhood was a difficult stretch to tackle mentally. Your legs are screaming and its all too tempting to step into the west bound lane and cut the race short. There was nothing terrible about the course i just wouldn't have planned it that way. The worst part was the bag check pick-up. The finishing shoot ends at the bag check which is a closed corral. It was chaos. It took me almost an hour to get my bag and that was after they had let all the marathoners go into the half and 5k line to get things moving quicker. Of and after you get your bag you expected to wade back through the mob it was unbelievable. They also charge you $2.00 if you want to check your bag. I'll probably never run this race again because of this.

I didn't get into the race in my home town, so I decided to visit this marathon and I do not regret my decision. The race is pretty flat and there were some bumps, but nothing was noticeably painful. The crowd was also very good and interactive. It's not the 26.2-mile block party that NY is but still extremely supportive. My only gripe is that I don't run with a watch and use the marathon clocks to guide myself. In the US, every mile is marked. Unfortunately, this race marks only every 5K, which I hadn't expected so it threw me off. Oh well - I still had a great time!