This is the second year in a row I've participated in this event. Last year the half, this year the full marathon. It's a beautiful course with an amazing bridge start before you wind your way through the city. Absolutely love the scenery. Few things about this experience.
Pre race:
I had a friend that waited over an hour to get her bib. It's a big race so this is to be expected, especially if you go first thing. Both years, I went to the expo Saturday afternoon and there's no wait. That being said, once you make your way into the vendors area, it's so full and crowded. They need to make more space. Not any fun or worth my time sticking around. Can't imagine what it's like when it's super busy. Picked up my race kit and loved the shirt. Thought it was so much better than last year. Good job!
Race Day:
I love that they give you a pass for the subway for the day. It gets a little crowded funnelling into the cars, but better than looking and paying for parking. This is a perfect time of year for a race in Montreal. Temperatures have dropped but not too cold. Found there to be plenty of aid stations with tons of volunteers, even after we left the half marathoners behind. I can't explain how many spectators there are too. So many people lined the streets and are yelling and cheering. So much fun and helps to encourage you along the way.
Post Race: Such a festive atmosphere and the concert was great. Also cool to get a finisher's jacket this year. The medal is cool, but seems a bit small for the marathon compared to other races I've seen. I like the way it looks, but doesn't seem to have much to do with Montreal, more rock n roll. Would be cool to have a local theme to it like some other Rock N Roll races. My only post race beef though is the bag check. When you finish a marathon, you don't want to have to walk more than a kilometer to find your bag. Then when you get to your bag, have the volunteers acting completely clueless as to what's going on. It would be great if the bags could be closer.
All in all, there was no let down coming back to do this a second year. If anything, it was better. Love the race, the organization, the scenery and the atmosphere. It's a challenging course, bit more hills than most, but not too bad. If you're looking for a great destination race in a unique city, I highly recommend this race.