Mississauga Marathon - Race Reviews

This marathon is back with a new sponsor and course changes after the pandemic hiatus. The course has been tweaked to include an out-and-back and a loop in the Mississauga City Centre development at the start and to remove one unpopular downhill / uphill section closer to the end. There's also small route changes in the middle, but the start and finish are still in the same spots and it's still a point-to-point net downhill course. It starts at the Mississauga City Centre with large residential towers and a massive shopping mall, runs through nicer suburban and parkland areas when not on major roads, and finishes at a lakeshore marina. There is still one dusty industrial stretch in Miles 17-19 which could use some improvement. There's plenty of rolling hills after a significant downhill early on, but there are also long flat stretches. The race is relatively well organized for a smaller suburban event. Water stations are spaced too widely, though they were better served this time by cheerful volunteers. There are multiple timing mats and checkpoints. Roads are not fully closed and at one point involve running in a very narrow coned-off lane next to traffic, but overall traffic management at intersections was good, with runners given priority. There's a fair amount of shared bike/pedestrian paths closer to the finish which could get crowded. No expo to speak of at the number pick-up, but plenty of food and liquids at the finish and a comfortable coach transportation back to the start where most runners park their vehicles. Spectators aren't numerous except at the start and finish, but there's a few loud official cheering stations, and overall it seemed like people were into it more than previous years (e.g. a few neighbourhoods have set up their informal water/cheer stations). I would recommend this as a spring race in the Greater Toronto area; it compares very favourably with the poorly organized springtime Toronto Marathon, but does require a trip to the suburbs.

Weather was good. Organization was excellent. The course was 70% scenic (posh neighborhoods and bike paths) and 30% busy streets, but overall I liked it. My only complaint is that the race t-shirt was cotton, not technical, and all it had on it was the marathon's website URL. No images, sponsors, not even the year of the race. Not attractive at all. The medal on the other hand was the largest I've ever seen.

I ran Mississauga in 2007 as my very first marathon, and managed to qualify for Boston there. In the intervening years, Boston has become my spring marathon. But this year I did Mississauga, and it was wonderful to return to the 'scene of the crime' so to speak. The weather was ideal, with a start-time temperature of 10 Celsius, and little wind. As the hours wore on, the temperature rose by a few degrees, and the wind increased a bit, but if anything the headwind was appreciated as a cooling factor. The first 5k are unremarkable, along Burnhamthorpe road, a typical commercial street, but closed completely to traffic, which is good, since the half marathon (around 1800 participants) and the marathon (around 800) all go out together. Then you turn south and the scenery is very pretty along Mississauga road. At 16k, the half marathoners head out toward the finish line and the full heads west. Kilometres 20 to 28 are in an industrial area and mentally can be the doldrums. It's an out and back, so you can see the runners ahead of you and behind you on the course as you cover this stretch. I saw the lead woman just exiting the small lakeside park, on her way back in, as I was still heading out. Gels are supplied at 17km and 32k-ish. Nice to have a couple. Water stations can be as much as 4km apart, but are well-organized and supported by enthusiastic and efficient volunteers. On a hot day, you might want to carry your own fluids. The last 14k dips several times between lakeshore road and the lake, and is very pleasant and scenic, with pretty residential areas, a (mostly paved) path right along the lakefront, and some minor hills before things flatten out completely at 38k. One thing that was a really pleasant surprise was the amount of spectator support, cheering stations and some musical entertainment. As well, this is the first and only marathon where I've seen the traffic-control police smiling and clapping and cheering as well. Marathoners be aware that you share the first 16k of the course with half-marathoners, plus there is a 5x8km relay for the marathon, so don't let yourself get sucked into racing those who are covering shorter distances. The finish line is at the end of a spit of land that curves out into Lake Ontario. The finishing chute was very efficient. Kudos to the organizers and the city of Mississauga for creating a really pleasant race experience.

This was my 99th full marathon! Last year I felt the race expo was just 'there' and was a bit let down by the overall race experience. This year they had water stations every 4k for the first half and moved to ever 2k. If the race was going to cut the budgets water stations is not a good place to start. Well organized in terms of the buses, etc., but the volunteers at the arena (where I dropped off my car) did not know I would have access to a warm shower after. I live nearby and will continue to support the race but they have to set priorities and runners like access to fluids during a race! Great to see so many local runners at the race though.

This is an excellent, well organized event. The expo is old school with so many interesting booths and products. Package pick up is effortless and The shirts are always nice with a variety of sizes. The marathon course is not as well thought out as the half, and I will admit I enjoyed running the half course more than the full. Also, the full course definitely has more hills going up than the first half of the course. However, overall the medals are beautiful and the course support was great! Big shout out to the enthusiastic announcer at the finish line. This is a must do marathon especially if you are a first timer. They really make you feel special.

I have run races from here since it started in 2004. I felt now as I do now that it is Canada's best kept secret. The expo features plenty of freebies compared to others I have been to this year (including TO Goodlife). That being said the expo seemed a bit of a let down this year. In the past I got a free bag of soil there now I did not. To paraphrase the experience it is like having Mayor McCallion speak prior to the race start and having Mayor Crombie speak. Apologies to US runners. There are aid stations every 2 km. The course features a net downhill with plenty of rolling hills. It was a cold and wet race this year with strong winds near the end. There seemed to be less volunteers and the gels were gone by the time I got the stations. The medal was nice but I had to track it down myself since the volunteers were handing out 2 k medals. I saw some 2k finishers taking the full marathon medals and taking lots of food home leaving less for full marathoners. More volunteers could stop that. The shuttle buses were good and free. Lots of maniacs and fanatics present which is good especially during a Canadian race.

There is a reason I keep coming back to this race. The expo was amazing. Lots of goodies (Cold FX, sunglasses, lots of free food, etc., - even soil!), lots of volunteers and easy bus service from start to parking lot. This is one of the better races in North America and I still shake my head as to why they run it on the same day as the TO marathon. Maybe one should move to the second weekend so we get a marathon every weekend for the first three weekends in May in the GTA? Great to see so many maniacs that run this race.

This is a very well organized course. Porta potties every 2k with water stations, lots of volunteers and an excellent race expo with lots of goodies. I did this race when it started in 2004 and I was impressed then. I think the other race in TO should schedule theirs on a Saturday and do a double in the city. A good race for beginners. The only complaint was the lack of parking at Square One for runners.

Well organized and fun small marathon race. With proper training and weather on your side BQ`s are possible. :) pros -nice t-shirt -plenty of water stations -good post race refreshments (incl. chocolate milk and hamburgers) cons -course has some decent rolling hills (noticeable in the last 15k) :)

My 46th marathon! This was the tenth year of the race and it is easy to see why the race is so popular. It is very well organized and the race kit was filled to rim with goodies including soil! The shirt was nice but I think after running 42.2k I would want everyone to know. The yellow colour begs for Charlie Brown zig zag. Really. The course was pleasant and there were plenty of water stations (every 2k). The station at 6k and 4k had trouble stocking water for the runners which was a bit disappointing. More adult supervision needed is my guess as I didn't see any around. Plenty of power gels and porta toilets as well. My only complaint is the booking on the same day as the Goodlife TO marathon. A week apart would work for me but and even better idea is to have the races a day apart - A Maniac challenge! The coolest part of the race was having the race announcer say that I was the happiest and most charismatic runner on the course. He gave away my secret weapon - JOY!!!

one of the most fun marathons I have run. They had it all. Loved the road runner song at the start. Course is a point to point course with a net downhill. Only beef is that after the race and after you have cooled down, they make you walk 2k UPHILL to get to the cars/busses.

this race is awsome

I ran this race last year and this year and this year watched an a spectator. It was a shame to hear about the course problems such that 2 of the lead runners had to be disqualified and a number of the masses missed a section of the course.

Everyone has been talking about the top 2 finishers being disqualified, and that is indeed tragic. I take it no one has noticed, however, that there is a 16-minute gap between 2nd and 3rd, where other runners were also disqualified for going off-course. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I hope those runners are getting a bit of justice in this whole thing too. To train that hard all winter long and not even post a time because the course is so badly marked is just awful. The organizers have a great course and the volunteers at the water stations were very enthusiastic and helpful. Mississauga could have a great race on its hands, but until the basic organization of the event is under control, they're going to suffer, especially if Toronto continues to run the same weekend.

A very nice course mostly through neighborhoods and along the water (luckily the 30 mph winds were at our backs for the first 16 miles). Definitely more downhills than up. Spectators were pretty much absent, and it was very tough for family and friends to follow us because of all of the road closings. Water stops every 2K were excellent. Enthusiastic and plentiful volunteers. The same old problem with slow half-marathoners blocking the bike paths and pedestrian bridges along the waterfront near the end. Nice finish area: live music, and lots of food and beverages,(unfortunately because of the cold, rainy wind, I think most took off quickly). There were about 1,200 marathon finishers, and when the half marathoners split off at 8 miles or so, you had as much space to yourself as you wanted.

Overall it's an excellent small marathon worth considering if you're in or visiting the Toronto area. I would highly recommend this race. I would highly recommend this race. This is a coarse you can run a fast time. While the scenic course is technically downhill theres just enough geographic diversity to act as a challenge. The only negative related to the coarse is the paths you run along toward the end of the race. As a marathoner you had to keep your head up looking for half marathoners walking home after their race on the course. Those runners should know better. The enthusiastic aid stations were well placed and it was great having 3 Powerbar gel stations. Keeping in mind it was a cool, wet and windy day the crowd support was minimal but on this course it didnt seem to be such a big deal. Being a point-to-point race, I was lucky to have someone drop me at the start and pick me up at the finish but from what I saw Mississauga transit had plenty of nice new comfortable busses to transport runners and spectators to the parking areas so no one was left waiting outside getting cold.

I have run this race in 2009 and 2011. The course was back to its original layout after unsuccessful changes in 2010. However, course problems remained. Top two finishers were DQd this year after their lead cyclist missed a turn, and a lot of GPS devices measured .1 of a mile short (160 to 200 m short). There were not enough marshals and volunteers, and the course was poorly marked on park paths in the second half. Park paths are also narrow, and faster marathon runners run into slower half runners and walkers at approx. 38K, which could cause problems. Due to lack of traffic control, my 3:15 pace group approached the 25K turnaround from the wrong side of the road, and had to cross paths with slower runners to get back on course. The expo was well-organized though fairly small. Aid stations were plentiful, but there were fewer volunteers likely due to rain, so I missed a few cups. Finish area was adequate though far removed from shuttle buses and any local attractions. Generally, I believe this course has a great downhill first half, poorly laid out and marked second half, and a finish area that is too far to be truly welcoming. I will likely not run it again until these problems are resolved.

My 29th Marathon! Here is what I liked: 1. Great Stuff in registration kit - even with the bad economy still lots of goodies 2. Aid stations every 2 km - amazing with porta potties to boot 3. Free parking Dislikes: 1. Parking volunteers didnt know where the start of the race was. Bad. 2. They closed off the parking in front of the Walmart which is more central and close to the start 3. Some of the porta potties ran out of toilet paper 4. Why schedule this event with another great marathon only 30 minutes away? Space it out two weeks away or something. Sheesh. Well worth doing. Sanjay

My main complaint for the 2010 marathon was the lack of public transit (or at least public transit information) in the City of Mississauga! Most if not all people had to take a taxi or - dare I say it - drive, especially when the city has a population of 700,000. After finishing the race none of the volunteers reminded me that I had to take off my chip until I asked them for the area where the food and massage area was. Then I wasn't able to get a leg massage because it closed about an hour after I was done with the race. I know these races last up to 6 hours and I was done at 4:42:58! Imagine not being able to walk or bend down and being told to more or less suck it up because they have to leave early. Remember, I just ran a marathon. I shouldn't have to deal with bad planning afterward. Overall, it could've been a lot better if transit service was shown to be at the port credit location on the map instead of the park near Cawthra and Lakeshore for shuttle buses (which was given to me on expo day and could've been fixed). Volunteers were great at the aid stations but the finish line definitely was crammed at the end, as I was a sprinter. There was even one aid station that was offering up Advil, which helped me through the race!

I really enjoyed this race even though I ran like a dope and crashed and burned after 30K The course is very scenic; those really aren't hills on that course; the water stops seemed to be around every corner; and the spectators were very cheerful and supportive. Mississauga's downtown had this other-worldly Matrix-like look to it in the morning light... very cool. If you go next year, stay at the Waterside Inn. The owners have converted an apartment building into a "boutique hotel," whatever that means. You can get a suite with a separate bedroom, fireplace, 6 appliances in the kitchen, hardwood floors and a balcony for $10 more a night than the Westin, and it overlooks the finish line. There's a posh resto on the first floor, but The Pumphouse Grill across the street made an excellent post-race burger, and the Irish Pub up the street has got a genius in the kitchen - the salmon special with mango salsa was brilliant. Oh yeah, did I mention that the race was fun too?

This was my 22nd marathon. The course was pretty and the spectators were pretty nonexistent. I preferred last year's course. They ran out of Gatorade at 4K, but they did have it at all of the other stations. The three power gel stations were a nice touch, but they need more than one Vaseline station. The final water station could have used more porta-potties (just had one!). Also: More buses for next year, better swag (like in previous years) and less restrictive parking to make it as good as it could be (or once was).

I actually did the half marathon, and I normally do triathlons, so I don't really have much to compare it to. The course was beautiful and mostly downhill, as stated, except for a little hill at 10K, which was fine. My only complaint about the course was that it wasn't very challenging, but I guess that can be good or bad, depending on your personal preference. The neighborhoods were lovely, and the day was beautiful. I would have liked to have seen more spectators, but what can you do? The waterfront section was spectacular and really picked up my mood and pace. I brought my own drinks with me but was running very low around 17K. I had decided to get a drink there but found only two or three people struggling to keep up with the demand for both water and Gatorade, and they had none out at all. Some of the earlier stops had had about 30 people, so that was not so good. I didn't stop, thinking I could get a drink at the finish line. Well that's where the problems really began. The bottleneck at the finish line was fierce. We were crowded together like sardines, on an increasingly warm day, all of us having just completed a long run, and there was no water in sight! Very poor planning there. If we had to wait in that hot throng to get through, then someone should have organized water in that area. Better yet, they should have had it open further to allow people to get out. I'm sure some people must have had a pretty hard time there, physically. It wasn't pleasant. Those conditions could definitely send a dehydrated person over the edge, possibly even into heart failure. Not good. So, having finally gotten through, got some water, found the food and lined up for ages to get it, all was fine until I tried to find my way back to the start line for my car. No one seemed to know where the buses were, and when I finally saw a sign way off beyond the general area and followed it to the bus station, I found a very, very long lineup in the hot sun. Again, no thought to possible dehydration. I don't know exactly how long I waited but it was about an hour. And I was one of the luckier ones. As I got closer to the buses the line seemed to increase exponentially behind me. Apparently the number of buses was cut down this year even though the number of participants went up. Two poor people on my bus had to get the driver to stop and let them out to throw up, and I'm sure the long, long wait in the hot sun did not help them any. So all in all, it was a great day, and I got a good PB (although I take it with a little grain of salt, considering the easy course), but I would have to advise the planning committee to seriously rethink the finish area.

The race itself was fantastic, consisting of a fairly fast course through the urban and city environs of Mississauga and finishing along the waterfront. For those that are used to running in miles, the kilometer postings come a little quicker, thus giving a little mental relief when the wall hits (even if it's just an illusion). The big screen at the start is a great touch, allowing all of the runners to see the start line activities. The expo was fine, and no extra large race merchandise was available, but all in all, I had a great experience. If you are looking for a fast spring race, don't overlook this classy event.

This is a great marathon. It is just the right size and the course is mostly scenic. The water stops are plentiful and well-attended by very enthusiastic volunteers. The only problem was with the expo. I don't know if it was the organizers or the runners who didn't quite get it. The line to get t-shirts was out the door when all that needed to happen was for people to get their bibs/chips and move to the t-shirt table. The problem was exacerbated by this packet pick up/t-shirt area being located in a very long, narrow corridor. There was also a rumor circulating that if you did not scan your chip, it would not work. We all know that scanning the chip is simply to make sure that the chip you were given is the chip you have been assigned. That's it for complaints. If you want to run a fun and fairly easy course, this is the race for you.

My 18th marathon! I high-fived everyone I saw, and the few fans were great. Good volunteers, and lots of porta-potties and aid stations. The final finish area was a bit narrow, but it was still a good experience. Free parking was also nice. Maybe they can start the race at 7:00 next time. The box of chocolates in the race kit was nice as well.

Most of the course was scenic, except for the 5K next to the oil refinery. Most of the organization was very good, except that they ran out of Gatorade at the first two aid stations, and had no clear info on the pasta dinner at the expo (not even 60 minutes before it started at the site of the dinner), so we missed Bill Rodgers speaking and ate elsewhere. Although I was pre-registered, the line for those who were not was very long at the expo, and there seemed to be only one person who could answer questions or register people, creating quite a bottleneck. After the race, the shuttle buses going back to the starting line or finish line parking lots were not marked, so in our post-marathon mental fog, we ended up on the wrong bus. The host hotel was very accommodating of late checkout. The race staff, sponsors, spectators, and community were all very supportive and enthusiastic. Overall, a very good race that I highly recommend.

I have run this race ever since it started. I have done the marathon twice. I love the course; it's very scenic and there's only one hill in the early part of the race. The water stations are plentiful. Great race - I highly recommend this.

This was a nice, small marathon. Good course, good water stations, and the fans, when they were out, were very supportive. The only compliant I had was that some of the kilometer markers were wrong.

This was my first time running Mississauga (my 2nd marathon), and I picked it because I wanted to run a spring race. There were many many positives: - the course was as advertised (fast, with a few rolling hills; I found the incline at the 10KM more challenging than the one at the 31-32KM mark) - water stations were well stocked and consistent (Gatorade first, water second) - the start was very organized and not too crowded - not a ton of spectators, but the ones that we out were great - the after-race snacks were good (bagels, water, Gatorade, granola bars, crackers, fruit) - the hotel was only a 5-minute walk to the start line - shuttle/bus service was decent - the expo was a little cramped but I really liked the race t-shirt; I usually wear a small or extra small, but the medium fit just fine Two negatives: - the path to the finish narrows considerably and while this didn't affect me personally, I can see how racers looking to sprint to the line could be prevented from doing this if there's a crowd heading towards the finish; maybe widen it just a bit? - better spectator control, especially near the beginning of the race; for some reason, the officials/police let spectators dart in between runners and cross the road... runners are going a lot faster than they look, and around the 3KM mark, I nearly slammed into a guy who was trying to cross the street Overall, this was a great race and I'd run it again.

This was my 1st marathon. The start is well organized and it appeared that the runners seeded themselves according to the signs. Nice, wide start area, and overall a good course. Played the national anthem - way to go!!!! Great volunteers; they all cheered and called runners by name (from the bib). Aid stations were plentiful, well stocked, and every 2 KM - as advertised. Gel stations were also as advertised. Course was well marshaled, with police everywhere.... Overall, I would recommend the run. Only 3 negative comments: 1) The pasta dinner is a ripoff - $30 and there were no dinner rolls, no coffee/tea after. Just pasta and salad - not even spoons on the table. Terrible. 2) Not much schwag in the bag - mostly paper. 3) But the worst safety issue to me was the runners on the course with babies in strollers - clearly a no-no according to race rules, but the marshals allowed it to go on. This is wrong. Who is going to look after that child if the runner has a problem and faints? Not to mention the stroller is a hazard to other runners. Enforce your rules - pull them off the course!

Great course, good start time, course has a good variety of scenery, and good timing (i.e. early/mid May). Good post-race snacks. I qualified for Boston on this course in 2007, so I would highly recommend it! I had previously run 2 half marathons on this course, which were great too! Go for it!!! - Marilyn

Overall, it is well organized. The only concern, and granted this applies only to the sub-3 hour runner, is that the last 5 - 8 KM are spent weaving your way through the 1/2 marathon walkers. I'm all for anything that gets people outdoors and active, but the faster runners should not have to navigate around so many people on narrow paths. If the two races were separate, it'd be better; but the course itself is excellent, support is excellent, and overall atmosphere is excellent. There must be a better way to coordinate both events so that the leaders are not affected by the 1/2 walkers.

The course is overall quite fast but the hills in the last 15KM of the full will thwart any late sprint you may have in mind. If you can negative split here, you can do it anywhere. Aid stations were well located and well stocked. Distance markers were easy to spot and seemed accurate. Roads were closed to traffic in both directions and you had to look long and hard just to find a car anywhere. Finish line medical was efficient and professional, with physio and medical tents well staffed. If it's raining at the finish there could be a lot of miserable people, as there is no shelter. Other than that, I have nothing but good things to say about this race. If you're in it to race a marathon, you will not be disappointed. All of the essentials are well taken care of. If you're looking for entertainment, gourmet food, and gadgets, stay at Square One shopping center at the starting line.

The Mississauga Marathon 2007 was my third marathon and now I understand why it's Canada's fastest-growing marathon. The course was spectacular, running along trails and through waterfront parks along Lake Ontario. Having already run the Ottawa Marathon and Athens Classic Marathon, this marathon should not be missed. The finish line in the marina was truly amazing. My goal was to bring 3:30:00 - I brought 3:19:00 and was very satisfied with the course!! I would recommend this to first-time marathoners or those trying to achieve Boston qualifiers.

I was very pleased with the 2007 Mississauga Marathon. The course was attractive and virtually flat. There were plenty of well-stocked aid stations manned by enthusiastic students who cheered me by name. The expo was better than expected. The shirt was nothing special - very large - but at least it's a technical fabric. Race morning was a perfect temperature and the start area was easy to navigate with ample signage and lots of porta-potties, which had hand sanitizer - nice touch. The massage afterwards was very welcome and the bus transport back to the start was efficient. If I was looking for only one race in Ontario, I'd pick Ottawa for the whole race weekend in a smaller city atmosphere but Mississauga is doing a great job with its event. I do not hesitate to recommend it. It's definitely a PR course.

I ran the half-marathon. (+) Nice technical race shirt. (+) Decent number of runners - 1,400 for the full & 3,600 for the half-. (-) Very sparse crowd along the course, probably due to very cold (4C/40F) 7:30 a.m. start. Organizers should recruit more volunteers or cheering squads from Mississauga's schools, civic and ethnic communities. Or at least encourage more people living along the course to bring out their boom boxes (some did, thank you!). (+) Nice half-course, going through the beautiful neighborhoods along Mississauga Road and the Univ. of Toronto Mississauga campus. (-) I remember only one race clock along the half-course. It would be nice to have them every 5K at least. (+) Kilometer markers clearly visible. It would be nice to have occasional mile markers for metric-challenged Americans. (+) The last few kilometers along Lake Ontario were nice too. (+) Adequately manned fluid stations. (-) Race photographers. I didn't see a single Brightroom photographer. (-) The last 3-4K were run along a narrow path. I could picture the full marathoners frustrated with the slower half-runners. (+) But the last hundred meters or so are at least now fenced in, protecting runners from wayward spectators. (-) Post-race area. I had a hard time finding the "Family Reunion" area, which turned out to be a truck. They should post a race volunteer near the finish who can give info/directions. (+) The finisher medals are nice.

Having read the comments for previous years, I must say I was very impressed with this race. The race organization from start to finish is, simply put, excellent. Plenty of parking at the start, porta-johns as far as the eyes could see, well marked baggage vehicles, well marshaled and marked start area, and the list goes on. The route was well marked off and wide enough in the early stages to avoid the inevitable zig-zagging usually experienced when trying to find open running space early in the race. Some comments from previous years had a negative impression of the waterfront park trails in the final kilometers of the course or of the brief stretch near the 25 KM turnaround in an industrial area. I didn't find the trails to be too narrow or congested, and the industrial area was one of the greenest "carbon zones" I've ever been in. The short stretch where we were running along runners who had made the turn and were headed back toward the waterfront was far from demoralizing; I had so many of the faster runners wish me well as they headed past that I took inspiration from that portion. The finish area was well marshaled and organized, with race officials pointing out to the half marathon walkers who were doubled or tripled up on the pathway that there were marathoners coming up from behind. I experienced no slowdowns on my way to posting a time only 33 seconds off my PB. Having my name on my bib was another high point, as was the finish line announcer calling my name and hometown over the PA as I crossed the line. The finish area was well laid out as well with plenty of water, bagels and such to go around. Race results were quickly posted and easy to find. A previous entry had made mention of a poorly controlled baggage area. At this year's event, they again had the bags laid out on the ground in order of bib numbers with plenty of supervision. As I approached to look for my bag, a nice young man approached me with my bag in hand and offered his congratulations on my race. This race was enjoyable from start to finish, good expo, great route, wonderful spectators who made me feel like I had my own fan club out there, and, to top it all off, excellent weather. No complaints whatsoever with this year's edition of the race, I had so much fun and such a wonderful overall experience that I'll put this one in my "Must Do Again" book for the next time I'm looking for a good spring race. BZ to the organizers and volunteers; this is a race which seems much more mature than its four years would indicate.