Toronto Marathon [the spring one] - Does it suck? Why should I not run it?

I've run it a couple of times and enjoyed the course but mostly enjoyed the smaller field.

Cool, thanks for the reply. I do like "mid-size" field too.

It's the absolute worst. Poorly organized, volunteers don't show up, run on the cheap. Find literally any other race.

Yep. There are two Toronto marathons. Waterfront is in the fall, and it features excellent organization, good on-course amenities, big pro fields, and fast times. The spring one basically exists because people don't realize they're signing up for the crap one. Poorly organized cash grab.

Got it! Well thanks for the replies. I guess I'll rule this one out!

Ottawa is a couple of weeks later. Excellent course, organization, large top-flight field. It’s become a big deal now, though, and can be hot and/or humid.

The Toronto GoodLife has been around longer and has a far more interesting course. You are not going to get to run on those streets at any other time which is pretty cool.

The first half has a lot of downhill which will trash your quads and can make for a pretty brutal second half.

It’s a bit more fun if you want to see the city but might not be the best if you’re looking to put in a good time.

The Waterfront marathon is newer, flatter, and you don’t need to put in as many training miles in the winter to prepare.

Some good input above

I’ll add, it is a good course, it’s fast, and you can PR, it’s just not a major field with a lot of depth.

Due to some negative reviews last year maybe they will really make an effort to improve in 2024. (The last 6k was on a paved trail beside the main road, and wasn’t properly closed off to the public - also had half marathoners and full marathoners all piling into the same finish chute together…chaotic)

the fall one is a world class event. Very well run.

Think the spring marathon gets more negative reviews than it deserves. It is definitely rough around the edges but in my view gets the job done.
I would rank the course as more interesting and better than the waterfront which is basically just an out and back on lakeshore. As someone mentioned above the spring marathon has a downhill first half and if you don’t manage it you will pay the price, but conversely if you play it smart it can set you up nicely.
Finish line was a mess at the Goodlife this year which they at least acknowledged. Finish at the waterfront wasnt great either with crowds causing delays getting into the post race area.
Goodlife always seems to have some self inflicted issues like volunteers not showing up for water stations or storing bags outdoors and letting them get wet in the rain. If a missing aid station is the make or break for someone’s run then that person has bigger issues to deal with.
It wouldn’t be top of my list for spring race but I certainly wouldn’t rule it out completely.

The Mississauga marathon is coming back in 2024 after a one year hiatus. It’s one week earlier than Toronto and much better organized. Mississauga is part of the Greater Toronto Area and very close to Toronto. It’s flat and fast. Note, they just announced the marathon discs back in the last week and not yet fully added to the website.

If you’re looking for a good one during spring, I’d pick Ottawa, and save Toronto for October.

I’ve ran both Toronto marathons a couple of times, and the spring one isn’t very exciting. Plus the organization was a nightmare last a year, with runners even having to stop for cars crossing the streets. Yeah that happened, a lot, last year.

Thanks, this is great info!

Toronto Goodlife IS the crappy one we're talking about. It's not interesting at all.

the only thing more "interersting" about the spring race is it runs down Yonge Street in front of tens of spectators*, instead of on Lakeshore.

*people going to church or Starbucks, and cars intermittently cutting across the course.

This is mostly true. Mississauga also spends the last 5-6k on and off a bike path, so if you're going for a PB, you might end up dodging strollers and poodles.

I just finished the 10k as part of the Toronto Marathon this morning. This was the worst organized running event I've participated in, and I won't do it again. It's too bad because I was planning to sign up for the half next year; the route seems fun, but it's a really poorly organized event so I'll avoid it. Chaotic, confusing, and dangerous. The Waterfront marathon in the fall is much better, by far.

"This year, the chaos appeared to reach unprecedented levels. According to participant comments online, not only were bathrooms scarce, but the bag drop was chaotic, the course was inconsistently marked, post-race conditions were poor, and co-ordination with the city seemed lacking. At the finish, some runners had to wait well over 60 minutes before receiving water, while others waited up to two hours before they could retrieve their bags."

runningmagazine.ca

The Toronto Marathon: a series of unfortunate events - Canadian Running Magazine

Katrianna DeSante

How I and thousands of runners managed to survive the Toronto Marathon

Link:runningmagazine.ca/the-scene/the-toron...