Calgary Marathon

Calgary is one of my favorite cities, with the lovely Bow River through town and views of the Rockies. This marathon sells out because it is well organized and responsive to participant needs, with more than 1,000 volunteers helping. For example, the full marathon has pacers from three hours down to 4:30 at five-minute increments. (I led the three-hour group.) Further, the Calgary Stampede grounds have a lot of room for hosting a good crowd. The course has a few rolling hills and a couple of hairpin turns, but it is not bad for speed. This year there was wind and rain, so that made it a bit tougher. There is a slight downward gradient for the second half of the course, which helps you come home strong. As far as crowds go, they were a touch light, at least when you consider there were 10,000 participants (1,000 in the full marathon). However, they might also have been low on account of the weather. I would love to run this one again, primarily for the location and positive atmosphere among the runners.