How much of a factor is wind along the course (forecast right now is for winds between 10-20mph)? For someone shooting for sub3 it seems like there is usually a group finishing right around there so I'm there will be a pack to run with. Any other advice on running this race? It seems really flat however I've read it's rolling at the end? Is that accurate?
Toronto Waterfront Marathon
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What does the course lay out look like?
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There are some fairly exposed sections along the lakeshore so high winds could be an issue. The first half is quite flat, second half is a bit hillier but the largest "hill" is probably the bridge over the Don River which you cross twice in the last 15km and then there is an uphill to the turnaround point at 32 or 34k. I would still say that even with the "hills" it is still quite flat.
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Awesome thanks! I am a bit concerned about wind coming off the lake and how much that may slow ppl down. Thanks for the info.
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It is flat but as windy as Boston is hilly
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The wind can be a factor along Lakeshore Boulevard. However, it is usually from the south-west so you could be running into it from Km 8 to Km 12 but then it should be behind you from Km 12 to Km 18. After Km 18 you are in the middle of high rises so you may or may not get a wind tunnel effect depending on the strength of the wind. If you do it will be behind you. I'm not sure what it is like after Km 20 as I only do the 1/2.
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Also, the first 2 Km are slightly up hill but once you get to Bathurst you have a long gentle down hill from Km 2.5 to 7. The gradient is slight, but enough to make those kilometres really easy. So by the 10 Km point you should easily be on schedule but not feel life you have put in any real effort yet.
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Managed a sub-3 at this race, but it is windy near the lake.
I don't remember any significant hills and would categorize this course as flat. -
DGL54 wrote:
Managed a sub-3 at this race, but it is windy near the lake.
I don't remember any significant hills and would categorize this course as flat.
You need to run some record class marathon courses.
Toronto is flat-ish. The 2nd half has an annoying out and back along a rolling stretch of the Don Valley. Heading to The Beach, there are a few rises, which suck at 30-35km. The last 200-300m is straight uphill to the finish. This *really* blows. -
Thanks for all the replies!
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It's useless to worry about the weather forecast until 48-24 hours before the race. However, I would adjust my goal if the winds reach 20 mph.
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Oh yeah, the fastest pace bunnies will run 3:10, if you;re shooting for a sub-3 then you need to team up with other runners.
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skinnyguy wrote:
Oh yeah, the fastest pace bunnies will run 3:10, if you;re shooting for a sub-3 then you need to team up with other runners.
I was about to reply excoriating you for not looking anything up, because as of two days ago they had a 2:54 Whitlock pacer. But now that seems to be gone. I wasn't going to run with them but if I were and relied on it in signing up I'd be annoyed. Apologies if they still are but Im missing something -
That list was for 2017.
I wasn't sure until I sent them a message and they confirmed that they won't have a 3:05 pacer. I'm a little bit disappointed but they will still have 1:30 pacer for the half. -
skinnyguy wrote:
That list was for 2017.
I wasn't sure until I sent them a message and they confirmed that they won't have a 3:05 pacer. I'm a little bit disappointed but they will still have 1:30 pacer for the half.
Ah, interesting, thanks.
Word re 1:30 pacer. I'm doing the half and probably aiming for a shade over 1:30, so may see you out there. I wish my body fat was low enough to qualify for a SkinnyGuy handle! If it were I'd be a few minutes faster! -
Zee wrote:
Thanks for all the replies!
I'll need to respect the experience of others who have actually run the race, but I run along lakeshore occasionally (maybe 20-30 times) otherwise and the wind has never been noticeable. -
I'm thinking of doing this race in the future. It seems like a pretty fast, nearly flat course that has predictably better temperatures than other October races further south. However, I've also heard it is often windy, which seems like it could make it much less suitable for trying to run a fast time (especially if the sections prone to wind are in the last 1/3 of the race, when there are no half marathoners to work with). Anyone else who has run it before, I'm also interested in how bad the wind is on course in a "typical" year.
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I've ran the full twice.
It was slightly wet in 2016, and it was a little bit warm in 2017. I never noticed strong winds. I still think both were pleasant and I would consider them as PR conditions.
I remind you that GPS would be off because of tall buildings.
There's a small climb at ~19km , an uphill before the turnaround at 32km, an overpass at~40km , and the last 1-2km is a gentle uphill. These climbs are not scary if you're prepared and I still would consider the course as "very flat".
A significant amount of the course is in Lakeshore Blvd that is open and no tall buildings.
The part from km 35 to km 38 is exposed so I can see strong winds would knock you off, but the last 4 km is more protected from winds as you begin to enter the city. -
Another question. I ran the half here and of course my GPS was inaccurate because of the tall buildings downtown. I'm running the full this year and am planning to do manual KM splits on my watch. This may be a dumb question -- if I were to display my total avg pace, will that be inaccurate as well or will it even out and become accurate over time?
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Why not just take your splits based on the actual course markings?
