Latest reviews by Rachel

(2016)
"Hamilton Marathon Review "
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This was my second year running the Road 2 Hope Half Marathon. This is such a great race, that offers great views of seasonal colours, and a run along side the lake shore, you can even spot the CN tower across the lake on a clear day. The weather luckily both years was great, I know that it is not a guarantee but it has its perks. The race is mostly on road, with a large, gentle down hill section, there is a few km on a groomed trail.
Hydration stations were about ever 3km, this year featuring NUUN, which is always an extra win in my books. Cliff gels and shot blocks were also offered around the half way point.
While there is not an abundance of spectators, I found there was just enough to keep you going. The volunteers at the aid stations were also very kind and encouraging.
Finish line was filled with people to give you the last bit of encouragement to get you across the finish line.
There is not an overwhelming amount of people, so you don't always have to worry about tripping over, or bumping into people, its wide open roads, to share with under 5,000 racers.
Parking was done at the finish line, and there were ample amounts of busses to shuttle everyone to the starting line. There was next to no traffic to get to the parking lot, which again is great when you have pre race nerves.
Short bus trip to the start, where there was a heated area to stay warm until the start. There were both bathrooms in side as well as port-a-potties outside, but they could have used a couple extra.
I received a long-sleeved technical shirt on expo day, a couple of mini cliff bars, a magazine and a couple coupons. Underwhelming for the most part. The expo had a handful of vendors, runners den, nuun, a few nutrition vendors and a lot of charities, sharing their cause.
This race is one of the top Boston Qualifiers in Canada, with somewhere near 25% of marathoners qualifying. This is always a good perk to any marathon.
Overall I love this race, from the management to the course to the volunteers. It is a must on my race calendar.

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(2016)
"Moon In June"
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Moon in June is a evening race, that is hosted downtown Burlington. You run towards the lakeshore, and around a flat and fast course. There was lots of community support, part of the run is through a subdivision, and it was so fun to see people sitting on lawn chairs cheering all the runners on. The sense of community around runners in Burlington is phenomenal.
The start of the race, you are to self-seed, which isn't always fun, however, it wasn't too crowded that faster runners couldn't make their way through.
Post race, there was ample amounts of post race food, pizza, apples, bananas, cookies ect. and you even got a "beer ticket" with entry.
During the race, spectators could enjoy the live band, and there was a post party in the square after the race was over.
Age group winners received a large beach towel as well as a gift card to a local running store.
Overall the value of this race was well worth it.

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(2016)
"Waterloo Marathon"
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Waterloo Marathon boasts that it holds "small town charm with the perks of a big city race", a race "that offers something for all runners" could not be farther from the truth. As a mid-pack runner, nothing is more disheartening than finishing a marathon and having the expo already being 90% packed up. Crossing the finish line and receiving your hard earned medal (clay medallion, best part of the race) by someone who doesn't even congratulate you, or smile.
This run had rolling hills, and flat sections that were challenging at times. Aid stations were every 3km or so, hosted by volunteers who tried their best to keep their excitement. Aside from those aid stations, the only other people cheering you on were your family waiting at the finish line.
There are a limited amount of people in the race, which could fair well for you, if you are looking to place in your age group. This race will challenge you mentally, especially for mid-packers, as the field thins out pretty quick, and you may find yourself running alone for most miles.
Scenery is wonderful, as it goes through rural areas, and mennonite country.
Overall, this is not a marathon I would be racing to get into again, or be recommending to others.

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(2016)
"Phoenix Marathon"
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T-Shirts/SWAG
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Phoenix was my first international race. I often visit Arizona, and dreamt of running in this race. It did not disappoint.
The race expo was well organized, I was able to quickly get my bib, and visit all the vendors without being to overwhelmed. The tank-top that came in the race pack is super comfortable, and one I often use now for training, also received socks (that I love) and arm warmers, as well as coupons and samples.
The weather in Arizona in feb was perfect for running in. The course had lots of community support, as well as great scenery.
Aid stations were well stocked, and easy to get through.
Post race there was an ample amount of food choices. Anything you could think of, they had it. I always enjoy when races provide a bag to put your goodies in, helps with the post race jitters. The medal was great, and is part of a 5 year series, I will be going back for the other 4!
Down side to the race, was the traffic to the busses was backed up from the hwy cutoff. There was a point when I thought I would miss my time cutoff to get on. Luckily race management saw the issue and held some busses back, and I made it to the start on time.

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