Regina Queen City Marathon Copy - Race Reviews

I participated in the walk section of this marathon. There was an early start. The course was well marked and there were volunteers all along the route. I am a back of the pack like last runner and the organizers stayed with you. Even if you had to navigate it by yourself you could have. A lot of the route is in a park so you don't have to worry about vehicles. A lot of bikes are also using the path though. It was a scenic route - it does go through some neighbourhoods but I felt safe from traffic. There were some nice touches - the flags representing the participants countries are at the finish line - I wanted to grab 'the Bahamas' and run through like a Boston marathon winner. The host hotel was very nice - there was room service - also on race day they had a bag breakfast for participants - there was also ample free parking at the hotel and at the race start. It was easy to get to the race, park and leave. Regina is a very nice city. your race photos are included in the registration and you could get a personalized bib. The organizers and the volunteers did a wonderful job. I would definitely recommend it.

Having finished 50 States, I've pondered running Canada. My determination & enthusiasm to do so, after QCM, is now absolute. Pre-race communications, Expo, multiple races (wish I'd done the Scribbly challenge, not just the marathon), course marking & volunteers, swag-- all demonstrated excellent organization. It was done so well because the Race Directing team are runners. On marathon day, running temps were very pleasant and the course was mostly a flat mix of urban parks & residential neighborhoods. Despite a leg issue, it was the fastest race by far of 7 I've completed in 2018. Really like the shirt and LOVE my medal & 42.2 car magnet!

Organizers pay attention to every detail, and as runners they know what runners want. Beautiful and varied, well marked course, enthusiastic volunteers, no issues with water, gatorade, porto potties. Not many spectators but that's not what it's about for me. The people I did meet were super friendly and helpful. Everything pre and post race was easy as can be. Nice quality tech shirt and medal. Extra special touch was flags at the start/finish line for all the states, provinces and countries of the runners. Definitely recommend this one.

This was my 1st time at QCM, and I have mixed feelings about my time there. Pros: The course was beautiful. Long stretches through the park system along the river was nice. The course was extremely well marked and marshaled. Cons: Water cups were VERY small making staying efficiently hydrated a near impossibility without slowing and taking 2 cups at the stations. As a faster runner, the tight corners along the park trails made keeping a quick rhythm virtually impossible. I also nearly was hit twice by vehicles along the partially closed roadways. I got a new PR, so I can't complain too much, but I don't think I'll be heading back to Regina again for another go at the QCM.

2011 was an unusually hot September in Regina. The race organizers & volunteers were ready with extra aid stations/drinks, & water hoses. EMS personale were highly visible/available for anyone who felt ill because of the high temperatures. (It was 89 degrees F/ 31 degrees celcius after lunch) I have run this race many times, and it is usually cool/cold, so this was a huge difference. I liked the new course. (don't care for the bridge underpasses on the old course)

This is my second time running the full marathon here. I had previously run the half once. This year was my sixth time running the full distance overall (with about another six halfs under my belt) and I entered the race only as a training run enroute to an ultra. I was glad I wasn't racing as it was 90 degrees by the time I got to the finish. The pros on this race are that the organizers and volunteers are terrific. We knew it was going to be very hot, and unusually so, and it was a pleasant surprise to see that the organizers had hired several water tanker trucks to be on course to hose us down. Also, leading up to the 20 mile point volunteers from one water stop had set up an extra unplanned water station so that we could get extra hydration. Very nice! Other positives are the t-shirt is nice and that they have a separate post-race food tent for marathoners so you don't have to worry about the halfers or relay folks eating all the food (especially for a slow poke like me). There were also lots of portalets on course. One other point is that though there are not many spectators, a number of people in the several neighborhoods we ran through set up sprinklers and/or were ready with their hoses for us. One guy even had his set up a dozen feet past the end of his property as we ran through a park. Very nice! The only place I have ever seen this kind of helpfulness from spectators was in Fargo when I ran the half a few years ago (nice folks down there!). A con is that the race sells out very early. I think they could expand the numbers somewhat, especially if they had an earlier start to the marathon like lots of bigger races do. Another con is that the race starts at 8:00 a.m. I haven't run another full or half that starts that late. On a cooler day, this is not a big deal, but on a hot day a 7:00 a.m. start would have helped to avoid some of the later heat. I heard pre-race grumbling about the new course (a change made due to early summer flooding that caused several bridge underpasses on the old course to be impassable), but I was really pleased with the change. The new course is basically a two-looper, with the second loop adding 3 mile or so stretch to get the length in. I liked going by the same folks at the same water stops, plus seeing the same volunteers out there. Also, most of the loop goes around the Wascana Lakes and is in parkland, which makes almost all of the run very pleasant. My one suggestion on the course is that the marathoners run the extra section on the easternmost part of the course in the first lap and then have a shorter second loop.

The organization is top notch, the fan support is enthusiastic, and the course is pretty, scenic, gently rolling and ever-changing. Some people moan because there are minimal fans (unlike Boston's 500,000 lovable, cheering maniacs), but Boston is special. If people need that kind of support everywhere they run, perhaps you should consider a different sport. The people of Regina were great.

Newly paved, flat, very fast after 2 miles for the pack to thin - certainly a good choice for a BQ attempt, despite the 1900' elevation. Race administration and volunteers were friendly and flawless - a delightful event to go to and a pretty course mostly along a river or lakes. Highly recommend it!

This was a very well organized and enjoyable marathon. I loved the race announcer who made me feel like a star as he announced my name as I crossed the finish line. He made note that I was from Green Bay, Wisconsin, "home of our second-favorite football team!" Very cool. I liked running back through the start line and hearing all of the cheering from the spectators surrounding the start area. The course was fair, yet some of the footing was poor on the older trails. I do prefer running on roads, but this was a nice change. The second half does roll a bit, but otherwise it's not too bad and I was still able to run the tangents. I had my second best time ever, so I was pleased. It was a bit congested at the end, but this is expected with walkers and relay marathoners (etc.) at the finish. The finish area was superb and I like the fact the food was given to us in a bag (for easy carry) on top of the fact that the marathoners had their own food tent and supply. I highly recommend this marathon to anyone looking for a great race and town, as well as a good time!

I've run this run every year since the beginning, even though I moved to Ontario. It is a great run, and the organization is fantastic! I will be back next year again for the 10th year! I ran a PB this year on the course, and hope to improve next year! Thanks so much, Regina!!! :)

I ran the full Queen City Marathon again in 2009 and plan to return again. It was my 35th marathon and one of the best organized. It is not large, but in many ways, it compares with my other marathons in Chicago, Boston, Twin Cities. It is a good Boston qualifier. Registration was easy, but it sold out six weeks before race day. It has good communication by e-mail. The race started on time with many water stations and marshals. The rolling hills in the second half were harder than one would expect from a prairie town. The finish line and post-race food were well done.

My husband and I have taken part in every QCM since it began - in one form or another. The 2009 edition was the best one yet. An ENORMOUS thanks to Doug, Kim, and all of the volunteers. Regina rocks! See you out there in 2010.

This was my first time running in the Queen City Regina Marathon, and it did not disappoint. I had heard a lot of good things and all of them were true. I enjoyed the email updates that I received before the race; each one felt like a message from a family member. Although very small, the expo was good. The start/finish line was very easy to get to and from. Parking wasn't a problem at all. The course itself was beautiful and the volunteers were amazing. I truly had a great time and will definitely be back. Thanks for the hospitality, Regina!

I enjoyed all aspects of this race, from the comprehensive website, to the energy of the volunteers. Nothing in between disappointed me. As a participant, I felt very well supported throughout the race. I will definitely be back, attempting to be one of the many who qualify for Boston.

All in all, a great race. My goal was to qualify for the Boston after an absence from marathoning for three years due to knee surgery. That did not happen. I hope to have better luck next year. The first aid station was the best; the music was playing in my head long after their station. I hope they are there again next year. It was extra special that I got a "high five" from my brother in law, Al. He has been volunteering for a few years now. I feel this marathon is first-class and hope to be back next year. Thanks to all who helped make it happen.

Great day for a race as the temperature was perfect. Very nice course - flat, fast and quite scenic. The volunteers and onlookers are what made this race great; they were so friendly and helpful! A real sense of community was evident and it represents the city well. No complaints about this race, and it is one that I will return to!

Thoroughly enjoyed this event. My first time, but not my last. The course was very picturesque, and was well supported. I was a little disappointed with the quality of the t-shirt - maybe an upgrade for next year. The awards ceremony lacked atmosphere, so maybe they could be held a little later and include the age category awards as well. All in all, it was a success for me. Thank you.

We wanted a marathon we could drive to over a weekend and get back from, as we are in Calgary. Every one of the many volunteers was very friendly and more than willing to help. My friend wasn't feeling that well during the first 10 miles and they arranged it on the course for her to change to the 1/2. Kudos for the organizers, as we all know after months of training anything can happen on game day. Lots of music, lots of volunteers, great course. My one suggestion would be not to go by the start place so many times, as that was fairly narrow, and mentally that's a tough one. But all in all, excellent, and we plan to return and bring our friends for maybe the half and/or the relay (and for my friend to do the full).

A scenic, pretty course that's fairly flat. Great weather in '07. The people were very friendly, encouraging, and enthusiastic. Lots of music along the way. The race was well-organized, well-marked, plenty of aid stations. The loop at the start was good as I was able to hand my warm-up sweater to my husband as I went by after a couple of KM in the cool morning. The start time of 8 a.m. was different, but I really liked it! That's more like when I run on my own time, not such an early morning as for a 6 or 7 a.m. start! The full marathon had its own food tent this year (as I gather was not the case previously), stocked with LOTS of food (every kind of drink, cheese, yogurt, fruit, bagels muffins, etc). It's a nice touch that they announce finishers' names as we come in. Regina is a fairly small event and the venue is good now, but you can kind of see that as it grows they may need to move. But for now this was a lot of fun; nothing at all to complain about - just a great experience, and I will definitely return!

Many congratulations to Doug, his committee and the tons of local volunteers/aid station volunteers/citizens of Regina. Regina is a FANTASTIC place to run a marathon and I am proud to call this great city home. I am British by birth and was fortunate to relocate to Saskatchewan at the end of the eighties. Perhaps you saw me out there running in my British colors....?? Thank you all for another great Saskatchewan moment. I would never ever be running marathons if it weren't for the Queen City Marathon. We have a beautiful location folks; be proud of your city! Thanks to you all for a perfect finish.

Excellent, flat, fast course and a great qualifier for Boston. The weather was perfect. Was able to set a personal best. Very scenic along parkland trails. Some of the pathways were fairly narrow, but the out-and-back trails were a good distraction to cheer on the other runners. The volunteers were the most supportive and were the best I've ever seen. The fans were few in some areas, but made it up with their enthusiasm. The course was well marked out and had an occasional sign for inspiration. Everyone seemed to have fun. I found the finish area great, with lots of room. I assume most of the half marathoners were done by then. Food was OK and met the needs. The tech shirt was the wrong size and they sent me one of the correct size in the mail. This is a great smaller marathon. It has a great personal touch to it. Well worth adding this to your list of fall marathons.

I agree with other comments read on this website. A very well organized, flat 'n fast race with enthusiastic volunteers. Used to live in Regina and enjoyed running the half through my former SE Regina neighborhood on the race course and through Wascana Park & Legislative grounds. I have run bigger races such as Chicago LaSalle, Napa Valley, Vancouver, etc. and locally up in Saskatoon.... Regina QCM does a great job and impressed with the overall race experience. Recommend this race to others without reservation. Great job Regina!

I am from Winnipeg and this makes it the 5th time to run the QCM. Each year has been better. This was by far the best. The new course is awesome and the volunteers and organization were outstanding. The best part of the race is that I have completed 11 half marathons and Regina 2006 was my first full marathon. I thank you much. Now I only have to shave off 20 minutes from my time and I will be off to BOSTON!!!!!

Regina really has something to offer, as a new member of the running world. The Regina Half Marathon has a great, pleasant course. I liked it much better with the change from last year. I was pleased that the medals were in a new shape that differs from last year, as I like to collect BLING. I do not like the cotton t-shirts. I would like to get something that I can use for running.

WOW! I ran the half last year and the full this year and the QCM is such a great marathon. The organizers and volunteers do an incredible job and I am so thankful to all of you for making this such a great experience! The QCM is an excellent event!

While I've run a lot of marathons, this was my first one in Canada. Everything was first-rate, from the pre-race emails and course description on the website (very amusing) to the organization, course and enthusiastic volunteers. Packet pick-up is in a museum, a first for me and a lovely touch. The course, which goes through park after park, is well marked and peopled with folks to make sure you don't make a wrong turn (something I'm rather inclined to do). Bicyclists patrol the course too, and quite well. I appreciated the booklet in the race packet, with details and map of the start/finish area. Music along the course was grand. Really, I can't think of anything I'd change or anything that was missing. Well-done; bravo to everyone who had a hand in putting on this event.

Queen City Marathon needs to follow the popular and respectable trend of other successful marathons and have the Full Marathon start before the half. Regina's bike paths are too small for the nearly triple registrations of half marathoners fighting for pavement space with full marathoners. The race will attract more full marathoners and settle some of the post-race problems QCM faced this year. Such as: -Only 1 gel station for the entire second half of the marathon -Food was portioned off at the tent (you could only get the amount that was handed to you and nothing more - not safe/healthy for marathoners). -Hardly any food left for marathoners after the half-marathon finishers (marathoners had two cookies, a piece of fruit and a pop(???) - while half marathoners enjoyed soup and other hot liquids along with the other food). -Athletes were only allowed to enter the food tent once. I think if QCM does not start to focus on the marathon, then it should become a half-marathon race only.

My friend convinced me to run this marathon and it exceeded my expectations by far - the volunteers and spectators along the route made the run fun and the miles go by. The course was clearly laid out and the race was well-organized. The course was scenic and there were lots of aid stations along the route. As well, there were shorter events so that children could participate as well. The post-race refreshments were good. I would run this marathon again. It is a good course for qualifying for Boston.

This marathon continues to improve. The new route highlights beautiful Wascana Lake and the provincial legislature. Road closures, police and volunteer support on race-day are appreciated. The second half undulates, testing your quads and your will, but the crowd gauntlet and the hilarious race caller at the finish can be heard for the last 5 kilometers. This race is fun.

I recently participated in the QCM, and want to thank everyone that contributed to its success. The QCM is well organized. The package pick-up was quick and easy. For the most part, I enjoyed the course. I was happy with the support during the race, especially the cheerful volunteers at the water tables and the course marshals. The one disappointment for me was the after-race food tent. Less pop and more fruit please. (Hint: watermelon tastes great after 26.2 miles.) The shirt is not my favorite, but it is okay. I found the crowds in the post-race area difficult to cope with right after running too. Overall though, I enjoyed my first QCM experience, and I would recommend it to my friends.

Congratulations to the organizers and volunteers - you put on a great show. The course appears to get better each year. I have run many, many marathons and I truly enjoy running the QCM course. I had one disappointment this year, albeit very minor one. Last year you had a local musician do a "Jimi Hendrix-like" rendition of "O Canada" at the race start and I was hoping to hear him again. It was a very stirring way to get the race underway. Perhaps next year.

While I've run a lot of marathons, this was my first one in Canada. Everything was first-rate, from the pre-race emails and course description on the website (very amusing) to the organization, course and enthusiastic volunteers. Packet pick-up is in a museum, a first for me and a lovely touch. The course, which goes through park after park, is well marked and peopled with folks to make sure you don't make a wrong turn (something I'm rather inclined to do). Bicyclists patrol the course too, and quite well. I appreciated the booklet in the race packet, with details and map of the start/finish area. Music along the course was grand. Really, I can't think of anything I'd change or anything that was missing. Well-done; bravo to everyone who had a hand in putting on this event.

Great race as usual. Great course, great people and great memories. (But I could not believe my eyes when I saw a young girl jump out of a vehicle with her 1/2 marathon bib and cruise towards the finish line. Shame on her and shame on whoever helped her do this. Unbelievable.)

My thanks to the many volunteers that make this race possible. A lot of the volunteers are runners and set their goals aside to offer the rest of us an opportunity to run in Regina. My thanks to all of you.

I registered as a walker and completed the race as a walker. I am finding that we are not thought of as equal to the runners. I say this because when I look at the official times on the website, there is a gun time and a net time for the runners, but all that is calculated for the walkers is a gun time. I have a goal in my head and when you don't go by my timing chip, I wonder why I wear one. The gun time adds almost 5 minutes onto my time, which means I did not make my goal. That is very disappointing. Other than that, it was a great event and seemed to be very well organized.

I was really disappointed in the shirt given to the half-marathon runners. Not only is it non-technical, it doesn't even say "half-marathon" on it! I won't be wearing the shirt as I don't feel proud to wear it, and without that pride it's just another t-shirt. I WOULD BE WILLING TO PAY MORE $$$ FOR A TECHNICAL SHIRT IN THE FUTURE. The food tent had a long line-up and I much prefer being able to get my own food rather than having it doled out to me. I understand the need to keep food costs under control; however, it's no good to have to stand and wait for 15 minutes for a cookie after a hard run. The half-marathon course was well-supported and I liked the changes to the route. The medal is excellent! Looking forward to next year - thanks!

Thank you for putting on such a great event! Everything was fantastic. I run both Regina and Saskatoon and Regina always comes out on top. I do agree with the comments I have heard; we would like to see nicer shirts next year. People are willing to pay a little more for registration just to get the cool mesh long-sleeved shirts. A lot of people were saying they don't plan on wearing these shirts, which is too bad. The course change was a big improvement - it seemed to go faster, and was not as boring! Thank you once again to all involved for a job well done. See you next year.