I have always had my eye on running the Mercy Health Glass City Marathon after meeting with the race promoters at various expo's. Well I had my chance in 2017 at to say the hype hype for the bill would be an understatement.

Leading up to the event the communication about various promotions, race notification and overall instructions was fantastic. The buzz about the event was evident across all social media outlets by the event organizers.

I was not able to attend the Expo due to family obligations, but know from word of mouth that it Expo was a hit. The number of brands in attendance was great and the set up made bib packet pick up seamless. In addition to the various brands, The University of Toledo put on various events for the little ones! The turnout for the Kids Mini Marathon was great to see.

Race Day: Bib pick was available race day morning and allowed for enough time to make it to the start line. The race started at 7am and the runners were buzzing around the start line. Plenty of porta-potty's were available near the start line. Music bumping and racers intermingled with one another. Announcements were timely and on point to get the race started. A special flyover was provided by the Mercy Children's lifeflight filming from high above.

Course: The Course was set up to take you around the campus for the first few miles then head into a residential area. The first few miles were very congested with the number of races, which prevented those overly fast starts. Around mile 3 the street started to thin out. I was very surprised by the spectators out on the course cheering on runners. This carried through until the half marathon / full marathon split. The first half of the course was very flat, with the latter half being mainly up hill. Total elevation gain from the course was only 211 ft and that made for a fast course...as advertised. Around mile 12.5 you entered back onto the campus and made your way to the Glass Bowl, where you finished on the 50 yard line! The announcers did a great job with announcing each finisher by name and location when they came into the stadium.

Aid Stations: The aid stations were abundant and well stocked with volunteers announcing the choice of drink they were passing out. Both water and Gatorade were provided. Thank you volunteers!!!

Swag: If this was your first marathon GCM rolled out the red carpet treatment for you. VIP packet pick up, extra shirt calling out your first marathon, and extra medal and additional goodies! The finisher medal was by huge for a half marathon and fantastic looking. Additionally each finisher received a Owens-Corning beer mug and tech race shirt.

The after party provided various craft beer, food, water and music. For those wanting a massage those were offered complimentary. How do I always forget about these? The atmosphere was energetic and racers could be found mingling!

Overall the race was well managed and offered many perks for runners. The course was well laid out and finishing on the 50' yard line added an extra bonus. This is definitely a race I will look forward to running again and would offer to a friend or another runner! Well done Glass City Marathon and see you next year!