Scotia Toronto Marathon-New Marathon Course

[rambo999]

What does everyone think about the new marathon course this year?

http://www.torontowaterfrontmarathon.co ... emap13.pdf

Faster course? Slower? Same?

Church St, parts of the West end of Lakeshore, parts of Cherry St, and Leslie St are eliminated from the course this year.
New parts are more of Bathurst St and the most significant change is the long out-and-back on Bayview Avenue.

Will a new record be broken on this new course?

[purdy65]

Oh yuck!

What is that mess they have going on around 37K at Bayview. Guess they had to make up for not being able to run down Cherry street. I made a vow not to do the full in this one again. I just don't like most of the course. Queen street is OK, but the rest. Ugh.. To many demoralizing switchbacks, and that Bayview mess doesn't make it look any better.

The half course is OK. Straight shot up university - Bloor - Bathurst then the Lakeshore. Kinda boring though.

[La]

That out-and-back on Bayview, so close to the end, is going to be mentally tough. If I'm going to do weird extra loops to add on distance I'd rather do it in the first half of the race, not right at the end.

ETA: The enemy of all the running routes in the city is construction. The downtown core is an absolute mess right now.

[jonovision_man]

That out-and-back on Bayview, so close to the end, is going to be mentally tough. If I'm going to do weird extra loops to add on distance I'd rather do it in the first half of the race, not right at the end.

ETA: The enemy of all the running routes in the city is construction. The downtown core is an absolute mess right now.

The 2012 route looks really nice, was construction why they got rid of Welsely and Church?

Every time they change it they get a little closer to not running in the eyesore that is Commissioners / Cherry / Leslie spit. Someday it will be a true showcase of the city! Someday.....

jono

[Robinandamelia]

Oh yuck!

What is that mess they have going on around 37K at Bayview. Guess they had to make up for not being able to run down Cherry street. I made a vow not to do the full in this one again. I just don't like most of the course. Queen street is OK, but the rest. Ugh.. To many demoralizing switchbacks, and that Bayview mess doesn't make it look any better.

The half course is OK. Straight shot up university - Bloor - Bathurst then the Lakeshore. Kinda boring though.

I agree, the course at the best of times is very hard for me (but I keep going back). Thankfully I'm missing it this year so won't have to deal with that out and back so close to the finish....

[canalrunner]

This is my 7th consecutive year pacing at Scotia (also ran it in 2004). I feel sorry for organizers with the construction issues. Obviously there is major stuff going on on Leslie etc.. leading into the Pan Am games. The challenge for Scotia is that with a combined half and full start, they can't add distance in the first half easily so they are stuck with fixing in the back half. Found it strange that part of the solution wasn't extending it back out to the end of Queen Street again(insert negative comment about the hill at the end of Queen street here...) Share some worry about the Bayview piece. Looks like 3k total. Would love a Toronto course that used more of Bloor and Danforth along with Yonge street. I liked the improvements to the front half last year..at least we get to by Honest Ed's this year.

It remains however a fast course.

[ratherawkward]

This will be my first full, and I share the worry about the Bayview thing being demoralizing near the end. Going up to Danforth or something would be much more interesting, but then I guess that would take away some of their "flat and fast" thing, so with all the construction I do understand what they've had to do... doesn't mean I have to like it.

[Dstew]

The "new" Calgary marathon course I ran last year had a 7 k in total out and back. So at the 31 K mark, oh so close but oh so far was the 36 K marker on the other side of the street. For whatever reason, it felt like every kilometer was 2 as if I was running the out and back and back and out at the same time. To be fair I could not see them do anything different and that mental test near the end from 30 to 37 K was tough and yet very rewarding. When I hit the turn around point and started to watch the runners going towards that. I had a chuckle to myself for my shoulders must have slumped and I must have signed the same way that I had observed the other runners.

[rambo999]

Start time this year is 8:30. Isn't this kind of late?

[purdy65]

Start time this year is 8:30. Isn't this kind of late?

They made it later when they moved to Oct. Too bad I say. I liked it when it started at 7:30

[purdy65]

Next Wed, I will be supervising a group of high school students stuffing kits.

I just got my instructions today! Must say they are organized!

[La]

Next Wed, I will be supervising a group of high school students stuffing kits.

I just got my instructions today! Must say they are organized!

Having worked at some of their races in the past, I can say that they have a very good "play book" that details everything that needs to happend, when, and by whom.

[ratherawkward]

Start time this year is 8:30. Isn't this kind of late?

It's actually 8:45 now.

[fingerboy]

Geez, don't complain... I have a 5:45 ferry time for NYC with a 9:40 start... NO complaints about 8:45. Boston was just as bad - 6:20 at the busses, 7:15 @ AV, and 10am race time. At least they let us go to the corrals around 9:20. Hopefully I can do something similar to occupy my time.


8:45 sounds perfect.

[ratherawkward]

I've got no issues with 8:45! I appreciate not having to wake up at 4am to get there, and also being able to start in daylight.

[rambo999]

Next Wed, I will be supervising a group of high school students stuffing kits.

I just got my instructions today! Must say they are organized!

There are kits this year? I thought their website says they are having 'virtual kits' this year where promotion stuff & coupons and other race brochures would be emailed to registrants.
What does your instructions say that is going to be in the kits?

[purdy65]

Next Wed, I will be supervising a group of high school students stuffing kits.

I just got my instructions today! Must say they are organized!

There are kits this year? I thought their website says they are having 'virtual kits' this year where promotion stuff & coupons and other race brochures would be emailed to registrants.
What does your instructions say that is going to be in the kits?

Yes, there are bags with some goodies. Trident, Oasis, Deep relief, Get out there Magazine, and a few flyers. You get the virtual race kit too I think, and the bag that you get is the bag that you MUST use for your baggage check.