Road2Hope Hamilton Marathon

The race is well organized with runners getting access to a nearby community centre prior the race start. you park at the finish line and shuttles take you to the start. lots of food at the end of the race and water stations every 3 km. It started raining hard right at the start. The 10km of downhill after the half way point was welcome. More hills than I remembered in the first half but pretty flat the last 10 km. The scenery along the waterfront is nice at the end as well.

The views from the escarpment and along the waterfront are superb. I actually liked the cold, rainy weather. My only negative comment concerns the course changes which I was told happened about 2 years, adding significant hills in the first half, which is not what is advertised.

This was my 33rd overall Marathon, and I truly enjoyed it. I decided to complete the 'Hammer the Hammer' Challenge (5K and 10K on Saturday and Marathon on Sunday). I won the event, and brought my best 5K, 10K and Marathon times in over 5 years. The Race pick-up was small, but very quick and well organized. You can really tell how the volunteers really love the event. This is an awesome race if you want a well-organized, small-town feel for a Marathon. The medal and shirt were very nice, with a unique 10th Anniversary logo. The course was very well marked, with lots of support from the volunteers and fans near the finish. The weather didn't co-operate this year, but it wasn't a big problem to battle through. I loved running on the Red Hill Expressway and the last 10K of the Marathon is truly amazing with views of Lake Ontario and lots of green space. The Finish line was well supported with hot soup and lots of nutrition and drinks. Excellent job to the Organizing Committee and the City of Hamilton. Truly a gem!!