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Toronto Waterfront Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Toronto Waterfront Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.0 
Organization 4.1 
Spectators 3.4
Number of comments: 228 [displaying comments 181 to 191]
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Robert Morrone from Toronto, Canada
(9/30/2003)
"A great course and day to run in Toronto" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Before the race, I was a little worried about my shoes, since I let them go a little too long (I was expecting blisters!). I decided to hang back and run the race like a distance training run for the first 25km and then see how I felt and kick it up a notch if I felt good. So, I started way in the back of the pack, put my cap low so I wouldn't see all the racers running ahead of me and just strolled along. We headed west along Lake Ontario for about 8km which were nice easy kilometers to do, the wind was at our backs. I felt really good. We turned at about the 9km mark and started headed east back towards downtown Toronto (along the lake again). Around the 12 km mark I started to get a nervous attack (I don't know why) and my legs felt wobbly. In long training runs I don't ever get that kind of feeling so I hunkered down and envisioned being on my training run (where would I be at 12km in my training run). I also popped a gel pack and ran on. There were some great bands playing music, from jazz to calypso, along the route, which was a great distraction from the monotony of running that kind of distance. But ultimately this distance race is about mental training more than physical training - the test was yet to come. At the half way point (21.6km) I was at a good pace 1hr 49 mins and was feeling really great. We continued heading east along the lake front until the 24th kilometer, where we turned around to head back again. I was feeling really good and was passing many runners that had past me before. But the test for me is always between the 28th and 36th kilometer. I ran hard to the 27th kilometer, where this course takes us onto a man made spit that extends into Lake Ontario. This is a pretty isolated part of the course that has in the past brought me to near defeat. It runs for about 9 kilometers. This time I was mentally prepared for it but it was grueling. I was still running strong when I emerged from the spit and was invigorated to see the 36 km milestone. I was still picking up runners along the way. By the time I hit the 37th kilometer I was starting to feel some burning in my thighs but decided to increase my speed rather than decrease it; this may not have been prudent. When I hit the 39th kilometer I slowed down a little to give my burning legs a chance to recuperate and so that I could finish strong. Regardless, I continued to pick up runners and pass them. I was still feeling great and I knew I was going to finish and do fairly well. When I hit the 41st km I turned on the jets and sprinted (as much as you can sprint after running 41 km), to the finish line. I passed 5-6 runners along that last kilometer. I finished with an official time of 3h 36 minutes. I was extremely happy with this finish as I have not done this well since before my knee surgery. It is the best time I have posted in the last 4 marathons. I would definitely recommend this race and will do it again. | |
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J. K. from ontario
(9/29/2003)
"Excellent experience for a 1st-timer" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 So great. Thank you. Just a couple of experiences from a first-time marathoner: early on the gels were not well advertised, so our group running with the 4:15 bunny did not see any gels until after 18 km... apparently they were at 10 km but not obvious. The only other thing was not so much with the race but the hotel, and don't know if you have any control over this, but no breakfast was available until 6:15 am. | |
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V. B. from Toronto, Canada
(9/29/2003)
"I was truly disappointed at my 1st marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 I entered the 1/2 marathon. I can't run, and I walked it. I was told that the course would be open for 5 hours - more than enough time for me to finish. At 3 1/2 hours they opened the road to traffic and took all the markings away. I got LOST. I had to wander around the city asking directions to the finish line. Not a happy experience. There were no spectators to speak of. The only post-race food offered were plain bagels and fruit. The only good thing about it was that the route was flat. | |
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S. H. from Ontario, Canada
(9/29/2003)
"Fast, flat course with no traffic" (General Comments)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 The Waterfront Marathon was great in 2003. Weather was perfect, great organization, lots of equally-spaced water stations with very energetic helpers. Course is flat with no traffic issues. It was a small marathon with about a 1,000 runners, much larger half with 4,000+. Spectators are sparse on course but fantastic in the finish area. Pasta dinner was held in race hotel. it was a low-key aFfair, but was well done with the Canadian female record-holder for the marathon as the guest speaker. The Jays and Indians were playing Saturday night as the Skydome, so you could take in a ball game if you wished! Lots of hotels within easy walking distance. Overall, a great event, and I got my Boston qualifying time to boot! | |
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Karyn Holowaty from Oshawa, ON
(9/29/2003)
"Excellent Race!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my second 5K race since I first started running in July. I thought the race was very well organized, and everyone was very helpful and supportive! I can't wait to run again! Maybe next year I'll try the half!!! | |
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L. M. from Toronto, Ontario
(9/29/2003)
"Great day!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The volunteers were great! The Leslie Street Spit was hot! Otherwise, it was a fantastic day and a great race. | |
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P. F. from Toronto
(9/29/2003)
"Time" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Better time and distance information on the half-marathon course would have been better. Otherwise excellent! | |
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D. H. from toronto
(9/29/2003)
"Obvious focus on runners, not walkers!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 What began as a lovely experience ended in great frustration (and discomfort) for several of us 1/2 marathon walkers: 1. Your website says that the course would be reopened to vehicular traffic at 1:00 pm. Can someone explain why police told us, then forced us, to use the bicycle path at 10:40 am, which was a good 9 kms from the finish line?? 2. Doesn't it make sense that WALKING 1/2 marathoners might be out there a lot longer than runners? So, whose ill-thought decision was it to pack up ALL of the water stations on the return half, leaving a bunch of dehydrating participants far from any source of liquid?? 3. It was a nice touch to remove the orange pylons AND any marathon personnel after marker 15 kms. This left a bunch of us with absolutely no clue about finding the rest of the course (especially since all pylons, markers, personnel had now disappeared). We had no choice but to depend on bad advice from either police or Sunday strollers. So, in the 3 areas noted above, the organizers/promoters of this marathon have misrepresented the event. Those of us who were adversely affected by either thoughtlessness or negligence on the part of the marathon organizers should be getting much more than a medal - we should be getting apologies AND our registration fees back!! On the plus side, however, I thank the expo people who were SUPER-organized and pleasant when I picked up my race package - they made me feel very special about my first-ever race! | |
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K. B. from Canada
(9/29/2003)
"Good fast race, well organized!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Very fast and fun course that lacked spectators in certain parts. Otherwise, was fun and well organized. | |
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M. R. from Toronto
(9/29/2003)
"Toronto's Best Marathon/Half" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 Of the two races in Toronto, the CIM (Toronto Marathon) and the Waterfront, this is the better race. Neither are really visually stunning. The spectators are very sparse at both. However, the end of the CIM is very discouraging. Starting with the turn of Bayview into a desolate industrial area and the nasty (small but long) hill up to the finished line really make me prefer this Waterfront Marathon. |
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