Blue Nose Marathon - Race Reviews

A very well organized marathon, in my opinion. This year (as in some years past) some folks got off course for the full marathon. It was amplified this year as it occurred to the 2nd through 5th place finishers. I guess they need to work on course markings, but I had absolutely no trouble following the route. The start/finish area in the Metro Centre is ideal, with shelter and lots of nearby parking. The course is not easy, with the last third through Dartmouth having some tough spots. I think the organizers should take a page from the Mount Desert Island marathon and market it as such - letting people know it is challenging will attract a certain crowd, and people will carry pride in knowing they completed a tough course. You get to see much of Halifax and Dartmouth, with a mix of packed trails and paved roads. I, for one, enjoyed the variety of streets and neighborhoods, and prefer this type of route over a few long stretches of a handful of roads. For the challenge and the variety, I give the course 5-stars. We were lucky this year and had good weather, cool with negligible wind and no rain. Also, although we didn't attend, the kids run the day prior to the marathon seemed to be very well attended, and received good reviews. There is also a good atmosphere in the city for marathon weekend.

An extremely well-organized and friendly event. The pre- and post-race event in Metro Center was great. The volunteers on the course were excellent, and the spectators were friendly and enthusiastic. I have no issue with the course being difficult. (And it is extremely difficult.) However, there were insufficient markings on the course. I (and several other runners) missed a turnoff in Point Pleasant Park, and only ended up on the right path because another runner shouted that we had turned the wrong way. On many of the trails, the only indicators were arrows scratched in the gravel. On more than one occasion (particularly in Dartmouth), I wondered if I was still on the course. That being said, I'm really glad that I did this event. Although my time was much slower than previous races, I still ended up in the same percentile in my division as my previous few races. If you want to really challenge yourself, this is the race for you.

The Blue Nose Marathon is not an easy course because Halifax/Dartmouth are not flat; however, they are friendly, and have some great scenery and running trails and roads. The Blue Nose Marathon takes advantage of these and the wonderful MacDonald Bridge spanning the harbor between Halifax and Dartmouth. It was a wee bit foggy this year (2009) so we didn't get to see much out at Point Pleasant Park (lovely trails though!) or crossing the bridge. This was one of the tougher courses I've run in 25 years of marathon running, but I'm very very glad that I've added it to my list of marathons and highly recommend the race and the Halifax/Dartmouth areas for people from outside Nova Scotia who want a challenging course and a wonderful, grand vacation spot! It's great that the organizers have the Kids' Run on the Saturday before the marathon and then a 5K, 10K, and half-marathon on race-day. There were over 8,000 runners in all of the events combined, but only something like 285 in the actual marathon. It's a good "festival of running," and I really liked watching the kids, including my niece and nephew! The spectators that came out were enthusiastic and welcoming, despite the fact that it was a foggy and cool morning. All in all, it was an excellent experience, a good course and route, and a very satisfying marathon. What more can you ask for? Highly recommended!

The marathon is a small event - fewer than 300 people ran it (not counting the relay). It is consequently run with the half-marathon. Marathoners were invited to join the front of line, though. This allowed marathoners to pick the pace of their choice. Being passed by fast half-marathoners didn't bother me. I most likely ran too fast at the beginning (the crowd normally controls me better) but I am the only one to blame for this. The first part of the marathon is run in Halifax: the substantial size of the participants is good for the atmosphere. The route is scenic, highlighting key Halifax points of interest. In particular, Point Pleasant Park provides beautiful sea sights. Of course the hill is challenging, but runners are well informed (the course profile is provided). The second part of the marathon is a bit lonely, moving to Darmouth. Crossing the McDonald Bridge is great, as the views of the harbour are beautiful. The Darmouth side of the marathon is mostly open to traffic, but main intersections were well attended by police officers. Course was well marked and volunteers ensured that I was going in the right direction. Not many spectators in that part, but this is understandable. Even if marathoners were among the last to finish, there was enough food and waters for the finishers. Medals were the same for all events, but ribbon color distinguished the events; this is good enough for me. A very well run event. The kids' run was well attended on the Saturday despite the atrocious weather. Well done!

I really trained hard for this marathon. I have never committed to anything like the preparation I put in to get ready for this race. Everything went perfectly and my race day unfolded beautifully. I was totally ready, totally prepared and focused. The first half of the race with half marathoners was great and ticked off PB half marathon time - then we all slid down the rabbit hole! I knew I was in 2nd place, but when I got across the bridge for the Dartmouth loop I started passing people who were WAY slower than me. Men, women, children I had never seen before - and certainly hadn't seen pass me - were ahead of me and being passed at 32, 34, 39 KM in. It was a bit twilight zone for race strategy. As it turned out, a good many runners had turned off-course and cut a huge loop off the race. Only the unsuspecting women who crossed the line first ahead of 99.9% of men was DQ'd because it was ridiculous. I'm not quite sure how you pull in a PB 40 min faster than anticipated, cut 8 KM off course and not realize it! Anyway, none of the runners off the course were DQ'd (except the one girl), but there were many. I arrived at the finish line knowing there was only one girl in front of me, but I had to wait as they spent an hour trying to figure out what happened. In the end I came in second. No prize - not even a water bottle. Just a medal like the ones my three kids won on Sat. The girl who came first got a gorgeous hand-cut crystal trophy. I got a buh-bye - don't let the door hit you on the way out! I'm glad I trained all winter, took Sunday morning off to run, gut-checked and raced my heart out for that! Petty? To some maybe. But I am a 34-year-old mother of three kids. I have no running experience other than three years of teaching myself how to run. I am no elite runner. This is it for me. This WAS my moment. I have worked really hard this winter and I am really proud of myself for my marathon achievement. Imagine a 34-year-old, stay-at-home mom with three little kids can try hard enough and to come second in a wickedly tough marathon. I'm proud of that even if the door did hit me on the way out!

Bluenose 2007. Having being felt cheated by "the hill" in Point Pleasant Park in 2006, I wanted to return for 2007. "The hill" won again. I was well prepared for the marathon and traveled early to Halifax to be greeted with two days of heavy rain before the marathon. God bless the kids for their run on Saturday. Someone is doing something right to have the participation that you had in that event in spite of the rain. Good location and route for the kids run. Happy faces everywhere. The weather on Sunday was perfect for the marathon. Light drizzle and temperature perfect. The start was a bit disorganized with staging signs completely out of order and the faster marathoners positioned well back behind the crowded slower half marathoners, as determined by the staging times. A minor concern as the field spread out very early. It was really good that the Halifax route was the front end of the marathon this year, with lots of support from the spectators along the whole city route. I developed a leg cramp just after "the hill" in Point Pleasant Park, which I discovered was a torn calf muscle the next day. "The Hill" won again. Sucked up the discomfort as I had traveled from Virginia and was running the marathon in support of my son and all his fellow students at Virginia Tech. The view from the bridge was better this year as the fog had cleared and the welcome to Dartmouth was just as enthusiastic as along the route in Halifax. Support from spectators great all throughout with one glitch. An unmarked intersection right before Maple Street ("Giver Hill") saw some runners get off the race route. Back into Halifax for a slower than anticipated finish and a hobble to the Armory for a massage. Would like to see 5-year spreads on the age group finishers. The small field of runners in the marathon should make that easy. An enjoyable day overall and a great weekend in a wonderful city. Accolades to the organizers for a well run event and weekend. Would like to invite runners from Halifax to come to Richmond, Virginia to run in America's Friendliest Marathon in November. Halifax could easily be called Canada's Friendliest Marathon as the support and enthusiasm of the spectators is on par in both events. The organizers of both should explore sister city marathons. Hope to see the Metro Center back in use next year and a flatter hill in Point Pleasant. It is a very challenging course without that hill and after suffering my first running injury in over 30 years would like to see a way around it. All hills are flat if you just look down. Congratulations on a job well done. Thank you. I will be back.

I ran this race in 2006. I have run Baltimore and Boston. Halifax was much tougher, and not nearly as much fun for a lot of reasons: only 300 or so runners in the marathon and several thousand or so in the half? The day was clearly designed for the half-marathoners. For the full marathon, we were dodging traffic in the second half, course support (liquids, gels) was extremely sparse, my friend took a wrong turn because the course was so poorly marked and there were not enough volunteers. And the run up the hill in Point Pleasant Park was ridiculous. Not to be picky, but they gave the same medal to the kids doing the fun run as they did the marathoners. By the time most of the the marathoners finished, there was no one left at the finish line. I placed in my age group and got... a water bottle. When I asked one of the volunteers why there wasn't more emphasis on the marathon, he said they didn't want to attract any "big-name runners." Not sure why; they could inspire some of those half-marathoners to try the marathon. It's a shame... the marathon seemed like such an afterthought. It's really more of an international half-marathon. I grew up in Nova Scotia and was excited to come back to run the marathon, but I was so disappointed. I won't be back.

I have run my first ever 10 KM race at age 48. I have to say it was a wonderful experience. I was well informed by emails of the details of the event. I was amazed at the number of people taking part. It is heart-warming to see the age span of the participants. The weather wasn't great but wasn't bad for running. It would have been nice to have a warm venue for after the run that was large enough to house all participants. I didn't have the experience after the run that others experienced in previous years - food treats and massages. I thank all of the volunteers for their hard work.

A great course, small-town feel to what should be a major running event. The course was challenging and the Point Pleasant Park hill was a bit of a killer for me but after surviving the 2005 event, I found this year a real pleasure. The organization and supporters were fantastic and I would think anyone who wants to run a marathon with great beauty and have a bit of a challenge should check out the Blue Nose.

After difficult air connections to get to Halifax, it was worth the full weekend experience. First full marathon in 14 years and glad I picked Halifax to get back into distance running. The people of the city are to be commended for their volunteerism and support all along the course. Absolutely superb. Course was challenging. Going past the finish line at the half and starting the second half was tough. The hill in Point Pleasant Park would be better run in reverse. Like all marathons the desire to return and do better is there. Hope to be back for another. Have recommended it to many others as a great race at a great destination. Runner support from the expo to the on-course water stations and finish area was second to none. Doctors Kids Run was a great idea and what an exciting way to get schoolchildren up and running. Great job and best of luck for the future. Thanks for a great weekend.

This is indeed a challenging marathon with pretty much constant rolling hills. The organization was outstanding and the spectators were great. Lots of crowd support and the volunteers were amazing.

Challenging hilly course, not ideally suited for a personal best, but a really great course overall. Volunteers were committed and well located throughout the race. Race organizers did a very good job. Could have had more distance markers on course. Halifax and Darmouth fan support was great. I have run Ottawa and the Valley events, but would recommend Bluenose and PEI marathons as must events. Thanks for a great run - off to Boston. PB

Regardless of the weather, the 1/2 Marathon race route was a scenic tour of Halifax, and a nice challenge. The organization was second to none, and despite the 60 mile an hour winds, not to mention 'Hail' the spectators were so motivating with such great Spirit !

Cannot say enough about the folks that organized this run. Weather was unbelievable, with delays and course changes, but the organizers rolled with the waves and wind to pull this off. Would have like to have seen the Dartmouth side of the course; maybe next year.

This was my first marathon and was tougher than anticipated. Everything was very well organized except for the food at the finish. My husband and I share a lowly granola bar, friends of ours shared an orange. There was nothing to drink and we were very cold ( they need a bag check...). Otherwise it was fabulous and I am returning this year to do it again.

I ran in the Team Relay, and have to say I was quite impressed. This is my first time running in a team relay and found it very rewarding. The path was well marked, and the volunteer and spectators very supportive, even in the rain. My only suggestion would be have a bag check. Running with a backpack is not fun.

I was very pleased with the Pasta Fest the night before the marathon. Meeting some first time marathoners and sharing stories. Great motivation talk from John Stanton and very good entertainment. The marathon itself was very scenic and hilly, it could have been marked better with larger kilometer signs and add mile markers. I was happy with my time. Very nice finisher's medal and post-race treats! I was happy to get some good pictures along the course. Unfortunate about the rain showers, otherwise I am sure there would have been more spectators. I applaude the city, spectators and organizers! I would run this marathon again.

I entered the 20k and was happy to finish under my estimated time of 1 hour and 40 minutes. In the paper the results (first 50) cut off at 1 hour and 33 minutes. I would like to have seen all the finishers in this event listed. Admittedly the marathon is the big thing but we put a lot of prep into getting ready to do our best too. I'm still not too sure what my time and place was. I think it was 1 hour, 37 minutes and 30 seconds; but I would like to confirm my chip time. - Harry Adams Bib #2002

I was invited to run the Blue Nose Marathon by a friend from Halifax and was one of just a few runners from the U.S. in the race. The course was hillier than I expected and because of the cool temperatures (44 deg. F) and the rain the spectators weren't as numerous as they otherwise would have been, but I enjoyed the course and the people who were out were incredibly enthusiastic. I heard they expected some 2000 runners total (between all their races) and ended up with over 3500, and they handled it beautifully. I was satisfied with my results and impressed with the organization. These people deserve a great round of applause.

Great inaugural race! Course very hilly and challenging, but beautiful, through city, park, bridge. Spectators supportive, though scarce for the second half and even absent for a few kilometres. Organization great even though registration was higher than anticipated, volunteers helpful and cheery despite rain, good number of water stations & Gatorade, decent lineups at port-a-potties. A few good bands along the way (would have like more bands on the second half for the other hills). Will do it again.

The course is a 5 if you like challenge of hills plus city streets, a park trail, a board walk, a run around a lake as well as running a bridge across the harbour. The volunteers were great and responded well to my excessive criticism of them for running out of shirts and then saying there would be none for late registrants. (The organizers later arranged to mail out shirts to those who didn't get them.) The fans were sparse in places but enthusiastic and this on a windy rainy day with the temperature in the low 40's F.

Tough course, excellent temperature, great volunteers.