This was my first time completing this race and my first half marathon in Canada.
I was really excited for this race, and had really high expectations based on my experiences of other half marathons in the UK and hearing good things from various sources about this event.
The weekend started by attending the race expo, where you had to collect your number. This was new to me as in my experience, most race numbers are mailed to you. The expo was smaller than I expected, and a bit of a pain to attend if you are from out of town as I am. I did find it different that you collected your race t-shirt, and goody bag at the expo and did not receive them at the finish line.
The race started at 7:30am and shuttles run from a community centre from 5:30 - 6:30. There were plenty of buses, and spaces for parking when I arrived and was really easy to navigate.
The start area was well equipped with toilets, and city hall was open for additional toilets/warming area. Tim Hortons was also handing out free coffee/hot chocolate at the start/finish which is a real bonus for any spectators who were coming to support their family/friends.
The start of the race was very energectic, including a confetti cannon. While the confetti did provide some atmosphere, trying to breathe and run through it was a bit tricky. And I do question how environmentally friendly that was.
While there was decent support at the start and finish, that is pretty much where the support ended. I guess I was spoiled in the UK, with local support out on the course cheering runners on, and handing out sweets, chips, water etc. In Mississauga the local support was minimal, I expected a lot more from this race, and I was really shocked at how few people were on the course. That being said what support there was from marshalls and the few locals that made it out, was AMAZING. Especially one family who decked their lawn out in Canadian flags and cheered as we ran past.
There also felt like very long stretches between marshalls, or first aiders. I would be concerned about anybody who ran into trouble along the way and needed medical attention, as there were large gaps and would be largely relient on other runners calling for assistance from their phones. There was also a real issue within the first few miles of people crossing the road infront of a large number of runners. Crosswalks should be marshalled, and controlled to avoid any accidents.
There were water/gatorade stations every 2km which was great, especially considering how hot it can be this time of year it was very much welcome. The stations themselves got felt a bit crowded/chaotic at times as there were not enough marshalls and runners were stopping to grab/drink their water.
The course itself is scenic, you do run through some residential estates but, they are pretty and running along the lakeshore is GORGEOUS. I cannot explain how amazing it was to see the CN Tower across the lake as I neared the finish line. The CN Tower has represented *home* for me since I moved away from Ontario and flew back into Pearson Airport.
The finish was well supported, and runners were given a good amount of food/water/gatorade. The free Timmies was a nice touch, but I was feeling so rough at the end I couldn't get any. The medal is huge, and really beautiful and a real plus of the race.
Overall, I really expected more from this race. The level of support was minimal, but what support was there was great. I had hoped that locals would get out more, but maybe it isn't as much of a thing here as it is in the UK. I do have concerns about safety, cross walks being open and large gaps between marshalls/first aid stations. While there did appear to be more marshalls in the later stages of the race, when I ran into trouble at 5 and 8 miles, there were not many marshalls and had I needed medical attention I would have tried to get to the next water station which were 2km between. The course is beautiful, and medal is great.
I do hope that the race directors learn from feedback they receive, as I do think this has the potential to be a really great race. Perhaps they should reach out to race directors from other cities (Manchester Marathon and Manchester Half Marathon have amazing support) and see what they do. When there is another big race taking place on the same day, close by (Toronto Goodlife Marathon), they need to make themselves that much better to rival that race.
I would reccomend the race, but would urge you to book early so you don't have the excessive late booking charge.