Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon
Event Rating
| Location: | Toronto, Ontario Canada |
Event Description
The flat and fast features of this event (includes the marathon, half and 5k) have consistently been the reason for so many people reaching a personal best, qualifying for Boston, having a memorable but good first marathon or an outstanding one. Even power walkers or slower runners love this course because of its 6 hour time limit.
There are bands and Neighbourhood Entertainment Centres every 2 kilometres, cheerleaders, and numerous aid stations. Overall, there's a great, festive atmosphere.
Race Options
| Dis. | Date | Start Time | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Running
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5K | Oct 14, 2012 | 12:00 pm |
180 University Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M5H 3B3, Canada
View on Map
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Running
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Marathon | Oct 14, 2012 | 9:00 am |
210 Princes' Boulevard
Toronto, Ontario
M6K 3C3, Canada
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|
Running
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Half Marathon | Oct 14, 2012 | 9:00 am |
180 University Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M5H 3B3, Canada
View on Map
|
Peter Donato
The size and scope of this event makes for a high-energy morning for all runners and walkers, and the scenery along the waterfront makes the pain of running a full marathon somehow a little easier.
Alfie Shrubb
I really like the fact I can run for one of over 120 charities….
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
David Hiddleston
Toronto No 1 running event in my opinion. Have run the half and the full. Incredibly well organized. Marathon has a great route and fantastic finishing area. Hope this event continues to grow and grow and raise even more money for all the charities it supports.
Graham ross
Toronto’s biggest and best organized marathon for sure, i had a great time doing the 5k! they have a race for everyone, great expirience
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
David Reyes
One of the Best races in all of North America. This race is well organized. The track is flat and fast. I did my first Marathon at Scotia Bank and it gave me the opportunity to comfort and assist a tired walker to complete the race. I have never set my face on that person again, but it was well worth it. I only pass this way just once so if I can be a help to someone but once,so be it for I may never pass this way again.Best of luck and wishes to all at this year’s race.
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
Sandy stewart
Lots of running friends count this as one of their favorite events. May have to try it myself.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
Stuart Solway
Flat, fast and familiar. Have run both the full and the half and really like all the recent changes; especially the removal of the Leslie Spit portion and the new finish, where you aim for Old City Hall and let loose all you’ve got left.
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
Monique Murphy
2010 – STWM: A very well organized and run event. The only issue being being able to get around (especially south) after the event.
Great food after the runs. Nice medals.
This is my 4th in a row.
Monique
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
Ronald Irwin
Thanks to my STWM BQ I celebrated my 50th birthday in Boston this year! Nothing but good to say about this race. It truly is a World class event that I am sure will grow to be Canada’s premier Marathon. I consider myself to be a Trail Runner but I opted to run STWM instead of the last OUS Vulture Bait Race this year… one can only spend so much time in the Forest alone! The course is truly flat , festive and fast … not quite up to Boston when it comes to crowds but they are there when you need them most! This year I expect that I will knock 4-5 minutes off last year’s time with the goal of getting back to Boston in 2013.
Last year’s race report … http://westgreyrunner.blogspot.com/2010/09/stwm-sept-262010.html
Ron.
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
James Campbell
I ran in 2005. Very well organized. Fast, flat, scenic course. I’m looking forward to the new course, 2005 we went all the waaaay out the Spit and back. Neighbourhood cheer areas are great. Looking forward to getting past by Ed Whitlock yet again.
good job Toronto
james
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
Chris Boswell
The worst organized run I’ve ever been involved with.I completed the half marathon.
I’ve previously completed 4 marathons & 9 half marathons and never encountered such poor organization. A 10 year old could have done a better job!
The fiasco involved with picking up ones bag at end of race was pathetic and there is no reason for such poor planning.It was taking people in excess of 1 hour to get their bags.This is not only irritating but unhealthy.I witnessed an older gentleman go very white and then almost pass out while waiting for 30 minutes, & only moving 5 metres.
I gave up after 40 minutes and hardly moving.Luckily, I was able to take the subway with 2 friends of mine from Ottawa to my mother’s house where we showered & had lunch.I then drove back downtown to get my bag.I will now courier my friends clothes to them in Ottawa.
I will never enter this race again, and neither will my friends from Ottawa.
Jefferson the Dog
Woof Woof! Yes it is Jefferson the Dog posting a review on the STWM. This is the second time I have run this race. I ran it last year when I completed the marathon and actually broke a world record! This year I again broke a record – the Half Marathon World Record for Mascots!
I actually had a different person in me this year but the less said about that the better because I think the previous person is jealous!
Anyway to the race – as with last year an incredibly well organized race and the buzz and the support from the ‘fellow’ runners and the spectators was amazing. I quickly got presented with my medal after the race (although one over zealous volunteer then took it off me because I never had the correct bib on – I barked at her!) and the water and food was then readily available but I couldn’t see any dog food which was a bit upsetting.
Toronto should be very proud of this race.
PS. Thankfully dog don’t wear any clothes so I didn’t have to go and reclaim my baggage!
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
Andrew Lahay
Awesome! My first Half Marathon experience and it was a great, well organized event. I had a great time, everyone was pumped and upbeat, until halfway through the race lol. The only complaint that I have is the race kit pick up. It was kind of a pain for the out-of-towners to pick up the kit and the STWM website said free parking, there was cheap ($5.00 for race kit pick up), but it was not free. It would be great if race kits could be picked up at certain running store locations.
Other than that, I really enjoyed it an WILL return for either the full or half marathon.
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
Maureen Buckley
This was my first half marathon and baggage claim fiasco aside I thought it was an awesome event. The course is great, the crowds were supportive and the volunteers really were the best. Now if mother nature had just co-operated I may have run that sub 2:00 I was after!
Would definitely recommend this race to a friend and will probably be back next year but will have to think twice before I check my bag again.
Congrats to Jefferson on another record run!
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
Jim Telie
I watched this race from the sidelines for the first time, it was incredible to see the Elite athletes whizz by, followed by so many varied and different runners especially charity types. It inspired me to consider trying this myself, going from jogger to runner one day. Thanks to the City of Toronto for allowing the roads to close as these events are much needed.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
dilia medeiros
I run the race on October 16th and it was a lot of fun – I like the fact that it was flat – I was confused at one point when all I saw around me were people who were doing the half marathon and thought I was in the wrong group. I traveled from Rhode Island to do the race – two of my friends also traveled to Toronto for the race and they enjoyed the race.
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
Cathy A
It was my third year at the beaches water station so my technique of handing off water to moving runners continues to improve. I brought my scotia bank cow bell . Met some other adults who did most of the tear down.Girls from a local figure skating team volunteered too.
Great organization although we missed the local Starbucks donating coffee this year!
THe noise as Reid passed back westbound in first place, was deafening.
It is always exciting to see these incredible runners pass through my neighbourhood.
Lots of road closure signs throughout the east end adn no complaints heard.
One big problem was lack of porta potties for the runners.Some had to go into the starbucks.
How about reversing the direction next year so we get to see the halfers as well!!
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
Ben de Groot
I ran the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront 1/2 Marathon for first time this year and despite a great race, the experience as a whole was a complete disaster.
Below is my experience of the race.
Pre-race:
-Registration was simple and straightforward.
-Race kit pick-up was smooth and the shuttle made it easy to get to the exhibition.
-The expo had a lot of vendors, but was expecting prices to be a little better. (Not a big deal though)
Race itself:
-Lots of porta-potties pre race
-Bag drop off was easy enough (more on this later)
-Corrals were well organized and respected by runners
-The course itself is very fast and flat. (This is the best part of the race). The only down side with the course is that there is a lot of turning early on when the crowds are thick and of course everyone wants the inside. But that isn’t really a big deal.
-Water stations were great with a good number of stations and volunteers
-Cheering stations were great.
Post race:
-The medals were nice.
-The medical people there were fantastic. I thought I was about to throw up after the race and a volunteer stayed with me until that feeling passed.
-Food seemed OK but I was in no state to eat anything after running such a tough pace for me.
-The bag check was a complete disaster though and ruined the whole day for me. Without getting into too much detail it took over 2 hours to get my bag which is completely unacceptable. It wasn’t just the inconvenience but the fact that this was a major safety risk. I had just ran a very tough race (for me) and beat my PB by 8 minutes, and my body was quickly shutting down. I thought I was going to pass out in the line or throw-up. In addition it was quite a cold day and I was only wearing shorts and a tee-shirt that were very damp at that point. Luckily my wife found me in line and waited to get my bag for me. If I had to wait to get my bag myself I think I would have passed out and required medical attention.
I want to rate this event higher but because of the bag check the best race of my life was turned into one of the worst days of my life. I’m sure they will fix this in the future, but I don’t think I would return until I know for sure they can handle 20,000 plus runners.
Laura G
I had an awesome time at this race. It was my first full marathon so I liked that it was nice and flat. I was running with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training so it was great that we had lots of people cheering us on when they saw our purple jerseys. I’ll be back next year for sure!
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
Margot
My first marathon! I thought it was well organized (I didn’t check a bag) and the crowds were great. Really good water/aid stations and cheering stages. This race has a great atmosphere.
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
patrick voo
an exciting race to be a part of! the on-course entertainment and encouragement did not disappoint, and the volunteers were first class. i enjoyed the expo as well (staying longer than i had originally intended), and did not have to use the bag check which apparently saved me some headache this year.
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
Emma
This race is where I got my most recent best time for 5k, even though I never thought it would happen! I had a great time, and I did NOT check a bag, which turned out to be a wise decision on my part. The course was fast and flat, and the corrals were well-organized. Even though I was about to die on the line, I still had a great day, and I loved the medals and space blanket! I could see this becoming the featured marathon in Canada. Hoping to do the half this year!
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
Monica Black
Fantastic event. In my opinion, best in the country.
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
Krista Rogers
It was an amazing experience and I would recommend this race to anyone who loves to run!
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
ramon
Great experience. Very festive and well organized except the baggage claim area. That was a bit chaotic. Otherwise its all good.
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Laura Lipcsei
Let me start by saying I ran this course (the half marathon course) maybe 5 years ago.. Back then, the course was incredibly boring! It started in the city but most of the course was on the Gardiner Expressway! SO BORING!!!!! and there were NO spectators – they weren’t allowed on the highway! I hear the full marathon is a little more interesting.. but never again will I do the half!!!!!! Sorry.. don’t do it!
It had decent “after party” of sorts.. so not all bad.
Monique
I’ve done the 5km for this event 5 years now. Great race event. This past year they even had online access to all the finishing times available almost immediately. The only problem they have is baggage check nightmare! It still needs refining BIG TIME!
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
Andrew Chak
Very well organized race. Crowded start and it was hard to get into the proper corral. Great crowd support within the designated cheering areas – loved the way that some streets were decorated. Very nice flat course but crowd support was light in some areas. Thoroughly enjoyed the finish chute as it was packed with people in stands to cheer us on. Only area of problem was in getting our bag check at the end – took much longer than it should have!
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
Dan Way
My first marathon. Generally a good experience. Enjoyed the expo/ kit pick-up (easy process and lots of free stuff). Getting to the start is easy (right downtown). Corral system was difficult to navigate (I need to be near the front but was forced to go all the way around and ended up just jumping over some barricades). Course itself is quite good and enjoyable. Didn’t like the headwind on the last 8k but not anyone’s fault! Plenty of fan support on route but could be better at the end. Didn;t use it, but heard baggage check was a nightmare. Wasn’t in any condition to eat so won’t comment on the post-race food. Was really happy to see the elite Canadian guys go for the standard. Not happy that money is being spent on Africans to win the event or pace it. Not happy about the hype around the old guy (not Ed Whitlock, that guys’ a champ…the 100yr old Brit. Gimmicks are weak). Same goes for the costume and Guinness World record business. All in all, organization is good and I would consider doing it again, but please Mr Brookes, stop profiting off of us and focus on the participants!
Yes, I would recommend this race to a friend.
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.
Andrew from Etobicoke
I ran the 5K in 2011. There were a couple of things that annoyed me. First, despite registering EARLY, when I went to pick up my kit first thing the second day they allowed runners to do so, they didn’t have my shirt size. Why ask me what size I want when I register? Second, the 5K has a U-turn on Lakeshore less than 1 kilometre into the race. The runners have not spread out so it’s an unseemly mess at that point switching from west to east.
I would suggest running something other than the 5K if you wanted to run in this event.
JJ!
Bag pickup! Ugh! They have promised to address!
Yes, I would consider attending this race/event next year.