One thing I really liked about this race was that the start line was relatively close to where I lived in north Toronto at the time. I got a drive close to the start line, because the subway does not open on Sundays until 9:00 am. This is very important to remember for races that start earlier! The buses are running, but of course you have to plan for more time if you are using this option.

I was able to find the start line near Mel Lastman Square easily, but before taking off I did spend about a half an hour waiting inside the North York Centre for the washroom. The timing actually worked out really well for me, but I couldn’t believe how crazy the lines for the inside washrooms were. (I have no idea how the lines were for the outdoor porta potties) I used this time in the washroom line to get pumped up and chat with other runners who were a little nervous about the race.

Taking off at the start was really easy and relaxed and I even ran into some runner friends, which was just the extra push I needed before the race. I wasn’t too far back at the start, so I was off and running pretty quickly.

Overall, I love the course for this race. I was ecstatic about running down Yonge Street and even kicked butt running up the hill right after York Mills Road (Hoggs Hollow Hill). I managed to tag along behind a 2:00 hour pace bunny group because I was starting out the race optimistic and feeling good. I was able to stay with this group for pretty much the whole race until I took off from them around 19K. At that point I was feeling tired, but I felt good and knew I could get to the finish line under 2 hours. With that last push to the finish line I finished in 1:59:28 (a PB) and I couldn’t be happier!

The Half course did have a good amount of entertainment & cheer squads to motivate us along the way. The Briar Hill Lululemon crowd was especially entertaining! I also found that there was an adequate amount of water, which was good considering how this race was a little warm (and I don’t carry any water on me). I was a little disappointed that at the end there weren’t any bottles of water (unless I couldn’t find them) and there were only tiny cups of Brita filtered water available. Run 21K and you get pretty thirsty! I did like how there was a gluten free bun (Udi’s) option available though! That’s definitely a nice addition to the post-race food for those of us who can’t have gluten but still want ALL THE CARBS.

As you can probably guess, I really liked this race. I had a fun morning (yes, fun!) running the Half Marathon with all those other “crazy” people and earning my shiny, cool medal. The 2:00 hour run/walk pace bunny was very nice and encouraging. I’m not sure I could have kept up the pace without his encouragement and conversation. I had a fun time at the 5K last year, a great time running the Half this year.

Pros
- Great course in my opinion - loved running down iconic Yonge Street
- Good atmosphere
- Indoor washroom options
- Pretty good race entry prices
- Good bling (the marathon medal is HUGE)
- Gluten free bun option (I hope they kept this!)
- Pace bunnies to run with

Cons
- Long lines for indoor washrooms
- No train access for early start (not the races fault, but worth noting)
- Expo is just ok
- Not enough water at end of race (maybe they fixed this for 2016)
- Early May weather can be tricky, bring layers

Link to this review