Event and Race Reviews This is a growing collection of Race and Event Reviews. All of these reviews were written by our members and represent each author's experiences and opinions only. Back to Events Listing
Angus Glen Half Marathon & 10k
(Markham, Ontario)
Author: DG
Date: 2006-11-06
I agree with most points raised by Dave & Lesley. the 10 k race was a bit dull after the midway point. Enjoyed the first 3k running through the townhome neighbourhoods.I suppose the location is what is it. However the race itself was a blast.I like that the two races went out seperately, each was a race in unto itself. The 10k 'ers didn't feel like 2nd class racers, and it was great for watching your friends start & finish the 1/2. Facilities were excellent, except, as Dave mentioned for tables and the lineups. Although having access to lockers, showers and enough room inside for pretty well everyone more than made up for those minor points. Great to be able to get changed & cleaned up in comfort after.Paper cups...very good point Dave
Volunteers, very friendly & helpful. High marks.
Appreciated all the email updates.
Loved that inside the clubhouse we could watch on video the finish line, and they had James Duthie of TSN announce the names of many finishers.That was a nice touch.
Price was under $50 for the 10k, no complaints. Got a nice deep red Nike running shirt included & a cool water bottle.
Definite repeat for me. Author: dgrant
Date: 2006-11-06
Comments for the 2006 event:
I pretty much agree with La's comments from 2005...
The good:
- easy kit pickup the morning of the event
- interesting enough course... lots of gentle inclines, but nothing that would prevent you from having a great result
- great volunteers
- nice to have an indoor venue for post-race stuff
Room for improvement (very minor gripes):
- there were no tables inside the clubhouse, so people had to just sit on the floor to eat... which made trying to walk around anywhere that much tougher
- although the post-race food was much better than average, the line-up to get anything was crazy long... I'd recommend they at least have some bagels and bananas right at the finish line so you don't have to wait 25 minutes to get any calories at all
- styrofoam cups at the aid stations not only make Mother Nature sad, but because you can't just crumple them before dropping them like paper cups, they end up rolling all over the racecourse
Overall, I'd put this race somewhere in the middle of the pack for Ontario half marathons. There's nothing that jumps out at me to call this a "must-do" event, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with it either. A good, solid event...
EDIT TO ADD: This year they had James Duthie (TSN TV Peronality) doing the race finish announcing. He was very personable and added a bit of "big race" grandeur... Author: LaDeChat
Date: 2005-11-08
Distances: 21K or 10K
Venue: Angus Glen Golf Club, Markham, ON (Kennedy & Major Mac)
The 21K route: Partly through a subdivision but mostly on quiet country roads. The first 4K is pretty much flat, then there's a bit of a climb up to the 6K point (gradual ascent, not a "hill" really). After turning onto Elgin Mills it starts to roll a bit up and down (mostly up it seems). There's a big downhill after the 17K mark followed by more uphill. After the final turn back onto Kennedy (18.5K) it's flat to slightly uphill until the 19.5K mark, then it's a nice gradual downhill until the turn back into the golf club.
The 10K route: followed the same path as the 21K up until the 6.5K point where they turned around and ran back down Kennedy (I think).
Volunteers & Aid: Outstanding! They did run out of water at one of the water stations as they were using small bottles of Dasani to fill the cups. Powerade was the sports drink (also filled from small bottles). The volunteers directing traffic in the parking lot were great. Parking was only a challenge because of the weather and the mucky terrain.
Facilities: Outstanding! We had full use of the Angus Glen club house, so there were toilets, showers, lockers, towels, etc. The post-race food was great (chicken salad, tuna salad, bread, cold cuts, fruit, salad). It was packed in there, so good thing they capped entries at 1,000 runners.
Cost: $65, which is a bit steep, but it was to raise money for the Markham-Stouffville Hospital, so I guess that's why.
Registration: On-line through the RR web site. The race sold out at 1,000 runners in its first year, so be sure to register early next year. The pre-race e-mails were very helpful and informative about directions and parking.
In my opinion, the race was flawlessly executed, which is even more remarkable considering the stormy conditions.
I'll be back next year!
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