One of the fastest marathon courses in the Midwest, regularly boasting Boston Qualifying times for a third of the field, the Mercy Health Glass City Marathon (GCM) 26.2 mile, one loop course will take you on a tour from the University of Toledo, through historic surrounding suburbs, the award winning …
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One of the fastest marathon courses in the Midwest, regularly boasting Boston Qualifying times for a third of the field, the Mercy Health Glass City Marathon (GCM) 26.2 mile, one loop course will take you on a tour from the University of Toledo, through historic surrounding suburbs, the award winning Wildwood Metropark and University Parks Trail to a grand finish inside the Glass Bowl Stadium in the heart of campus.
Marathoners, half marathoners and relay teams (leg 1) will all begin together at the West edge of campus on Secor Rd. at W. Towerview, circle campus on renovated Dorr St. to Parkside, before heading West into beautiful Ottawa Hills. The course then leads you to the area’s finest Metropark system, on to Sylvania past beautiful Olander Park (home of Sy Mah’s commemorative statue), then back into the Metropark toward a reflective stretch down the paved trail to, Rally Row, the big finish, and post-race party in Celebration Village with family and fans.
GCM is held in Toledo, Ohio — but why is it called the Glass City Marathon? GCM is so called because the City of Toledo’s nickname is the Glass City. Toledo took on this nickname long ago because of its storied history and influential role in the American glass industry. As the 4th largest city in Ohio, Toledo is in the northwest corner of the state.
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Well-organized but unremarkable
It's a fast course, mostly flat with no punchy climbs. We got lucky in 2025 with PERFECT marathon weather (40F, clear skies, no wind). It started at 6:30AM in 2025 … MORE
It’s a fast course, mostly flat with no punchy climbs. We got lucky in 2025 with PERFECT marathon weather (40F, clear skies, no wind). It started at 6:30AM in 2025 which I think affected crowd turnout–support was pretty sparse and energy was pretty low. The highlight of the course is the stadium finish, otherwise the scenery is unremarkable (residential streets, metropark paths, rail trail.). The stretch from mile 20-25 could be brutal if you’re beginning to struggle. It’s a straight line for 5 miles on a rail trail, no crowd support, no scenery, just you and the home stretch.
Logistics were great. I was a late sign-up after my original race was cancelled, the organizers accommodated me to do a race day bib pickup after my travel plans changed. Easy to manage crowd size at the start, shuttles to/from some hotels. I wasn’t able to attend the expo, signed up too late to get any swag, and I skipped the post-race celebration area, but I know there was a free beer waiting for me if I did.
Just pray for normal weather :)
If you are looking to PR and/or BQ, are a seasoned marathoner that doesn’t require a pep rally and motivation, and you can count on mother nature not totally f-ing … MORE
If you are looking to PR and/or BQ, are a seasoned marathoner that doesn’t require a pep rally and motivation, and you can count on mother nature not totally f-ing you then you should definitely run the Glass City Marathon in Toledo, OH.
Full race review at link below:
https://nowenthomas5.wixsite.com/website/post/2022-glass-city-marathon
IF YOU RUN SLOWER THAN 5H - PLEASE READ
I live in Columbus OH and have ran almost every marathon in the state except this one. This was my 1st time running Glass City & I had heard mixed … MORE
I live in Columbus OH and have ran almost every marathon in the state except this one. This was my 1st time running Glass City & I had heard mixed reviews so I planned this very diligently. There is a reason it isn’t called the Toledo marathon for it takes you through the only few desirable areas worth while (Ottawa Hills & University of Toledo). That being said, for the amount of emails we received as participants from the day we sign up to race day, you would think this race is perfectly planned to a T….far from it.
Where do I begin? If you are a back of the pack runner, I recommend a different marathon. They advertise a 6h cut off but the runsignup page states a begin time of 6:30a and finish line tear down at 1:30pm (7h). I thought I would be ok as I was averaging between those two times going into yesterday’s event. The weather in Ohio is unpredictable but going into race week, if I knew to plan accordingly for the heat, WHY DID THE RACE FAIL TO DO SO?! My friends counted 8 total ppl that passed out along the course that in itself is the most I have heard of and this was my 197th marathon ever. The majority of the marathon course is on a trail and it isn’t very scenic and goes under the free way twice. There was no food at any of the aid stations other than gatorade and water, with no ice…a big no no if it was 85 degrees felt like 90 outside. There were 3 stations with gels for the marathon but that was the only substance and with the heat you’re burning more calories than normal. & drinking hot water doesn’t cool you. Had it not been for one officer with an ice box at mile 15 and the neighborhood at mile 16 that actually were handing out snacks for runners, ice cold towels, had sprinklers on for us, I too would’ve passed out from the heat.
The race had very little port-a-potties at the start, like 4 for everyone there. 1-2 at the stations so there was always a line if you had to go and by mile 16 if you are slow, they were gone. The race swag in our packets was alright, we got a jacket for it was the 45th anniversary of the race. The 6h cut off is actually for the city of Toledo, that has to open back up the roads to traffic at that time. Mind you, there are only 2 major roads on the course we go on (miles 18-20) that belong to the city of Toledo. They had a sweeper pacer that somehow HAD NO CLUE that there were people behind him as I passed him at mile 21. Where did he come from idk because I never saw him pass me to begin with. By mile 24.5 I knew I would finish under 7h yet somehow two ladies in a golf cart felt the need to inform me that the course was shutting down and that I would be on my own (wowwwww so you’re tearing down one shitty aid station ahead of me). I said to them I’m good to finish the last 1.5 miles without said station and informed them of the 7h cut off their runsignup page states, they had no clue. Later about a few minutes after the first discussion, they came back and now offered me a ride to mile 25. I told them they have to be kidding me as mile 25 was close by and that I didn’t come this far to CUT THE COURSE AND CHEAT!
Had my friends not thrown a stink at the finish line, an entire box of medals would’ve been trashed and none of us late finishers would’ve gotten a medal. Mind you, they had a 10% drop off because people chose to NOT participate due to the heat. I finished under the 7h cut off only to receive a medal that was basically the logo of the event. The half marathon medal was cooler looking as one of my friends did the half. They did feel bad that we were mad at the end and gave me an extra pint glass for my troubles but the mere fact that I felt nauseous the rest of the day made me want to tell the story and I usually don’t review my races but had I not read someone else’s review on here I would’ve been ill prepared and probably passed out. If it is going to be this hot outside, snacks and ice at each station is a must. I have had other marathons that were way better prepared than this. Very disappointing. I will not be running this marathon again.
You'll run faster in Toledo!
As the slogan says, "You'll run faster in Toledo!" They claimed it, and I did it, so it's gotta be true! For me, coming back to Toledo where I had … MORE
As the slogan says, “You’ll run faster in Toledo!” They claimed it, and I did it, so it’s gotta be true! For me, coming back to Toledo where I had lived during my high school years was literally a jog down memory lane. Going through the UT campus, winding through beautiful neighborhoods in the peak of Spring, cutting through a favorite Metropark (twice), and passing landmarks that were part of my life a couple decades ago gave an extra motivation to press on. It was also nice to have a pace group going the exact pace I wanted. Not all races have a 3:00 pacer (and this guy was on the fast side), so I was thrilled to cruise through about a minute under my goal for my first-ever sub-3 marathon!
It was the first big event in-person I have done in over a year. Logistically the race director had to think of everything. They required everyone to have proof of full vaccination or present a recent covid-negative test before picking up the packet. In case folks needed one, they had volunteers at the expo passing out rapid test kits. I used one since my results from a test back home a couple days prior hadn’t yet cleared, so it was a relief that everything worked out in the end. All-in-all, I think this is a great example of a large-scale race doing what needed to be done to conduct a fabulous–and safe–race.
Good Production
The signup went well, packet pickup, race expo, pre race events all well planned. Race day parking no hassle, corrals, warmup, starting time, staging area good with porta john access. … MORE
The signup went well, packet pickup, race expo, pre race events all well planned. Race day parking no hassle, corrals, warmup, starting time, staging area good with porta john access. Course well marked, plenty of water stops, miles well marked, nice finish area and a post race refreshment area.
Fun race on flat course
This was my first time in Toledo. Packet pickup is smooth with a decent sized expo, race swag included a thin quarter zip jacket, a glass beer mug and large … MORE
This was my first time in Toledo. Packet pickup is smooth with a decent sized expo, race swag included a thin quarter zip jacket, a glass beer mug and large medal. Post race food included pizza and 2 beers. Quite a few people stayed for the after-party which featured a live band.
Race day was a bit rainy and chilly with temps in the upper 30’s. I did not know it at the time, but the indoor arena where packet pickup was staged was open for people to stay warm and to use restrooms. The race start is a short walk from the arena. Parking is a bit confusing and traffic is congested about an hour before race start. I would recommend going early, parking near the arena and waiting inside until closer to race start.
The full and half marathons start at the same time and there is also a marathon relay. There are about 5000 total runners. There is a wave start, but there are only 3 corrals. The full and half split off at about 9 miles. Since the half course is shared with the full marathon, there are plenty of water stops, with tables set up on both sides of the road.
There were a fair number of spectators on the course and the volunteers were very enthusiastic. The race finishes on the university football field. Race photos are available for purchase and there are plenty of finish line photos. For the half I only noticed one photographer on the course.
The course stays away from “downtown” Toledo and winds through the university and some nice neighborhoods. There are no significant hills on the course.
Overall this was a fun race in a mid-sized town and worth checking out if you are close by and want a fast, flat course. Check out the race maps though if you are close to a BQ, if may be a bit difficult to run the tangents due to the turns and the number of runners. I was with a group of 11 runners, one of whom was attempting to qualify for Boston (she made it by 8 minutes!) and we all ran long. 🙂
BQ on a solid course with good support
The expo and pre-race was smooth if not extravagant. The race day went as well as it could have with great weather, a fast course, and great on-course fan and … MORE
The expo and pre-race was smooth if not extravagant. The race day went as well as it could have with great weather, a fast course, and great on-course fan and volunteer support. Post-race was nice with efficient lines for racer food and a nice medal and Glass City mug
Decent Spring Race
Adequate communication Decent pre-race expo. Rolling little hills, but nothing horrible. Fun to finish in the football stadium and see yourself on the big screen. The post-race bus situation seemed … MORE
Adequate communication
Decent pre-race expo.
Rolling little hills, but nothing horrible.
Fun to finish in the football stadium and see yourself on the big screen.
The post-race bus situation seemed to be a source of confusion for bus drivers and runners.
Nice fast flat course
Race is well put on from the kids run (one of the best I’ve been to) all the way to the marathon. After party is nice. Scenery is less then … MORE
Race is well put on from the kids run (one of the best I’ve been to) all the way to the marathon. After party is nice. Scenery is less then desirable and stretches with no spectators. Overall a fun event
Shows the best side of Toledo!
Great course... great food and 2 beers at finish. Nice new balance shirt (nothing special about logo or advertising). Huge medal (nothing special other than size) MORE
Great course… great food and 2 beers at finish.
Nice new balance shirt (nothing special about logo or advertising). Huge medal (nothing special other than size)
Nice course, not BOTP friendly.
This is not a race for slower runners. It had a 6hr time limit but I watched lots of runners finish after 6 hours last year, so I thought it … MORE
This is not a race for slower runners. It had a 6hr time limit but I watched lots of runners finish after 6 hours last year, so I thought it would be doable. I knew it would be tough, I was planning on finishing around 6:30 or so. That didn’t happen at all though. The race is well organized, the course is lovely. The park you run through was fabulous. The water stations that were still open were very friendly and had lots of people cheering. By the time I got to mile 10 they had shut down the course and told me that I was running on my own, there was at least one person behind me as well. All the signs were removed, the mile markers were picked up and I was running in a bike lane for several miles. I’m so thankful they allowed the medical staff on bikes to stay out until i got to about mile 24. they took the finish line down after i crossed it, even though there were at least 2 people behind me. I should have picked a different race for my first marathon. I did get a pair of socks, a water bottle, key chain and an extra t-shirt for it being my first marathon. The bib was a different color also, so that people could cheer you on, but after the half/full split I didn’t see many people. **My results are what was on my watch, not the official race results as I don’t know what that is.
Not Impressed
The race and expo are run well. The medal is nice and the shirt is bland. The course is flat lacks scenery worth remembering. It was nice to start and … MORE
The race and expo are run well. The medal is nice and the shirt is bland. The course is flat lacks scenery worth remembering. It was nice to start and finish at U of T, but that is the most memorable part of the course.
40th Glass City Marathon
This was a really well-run marathon on a flat and fast course. The only hiccup was that there was a row of porta potties in front of the starting line, … MORE
This was a really well-run marathon on a flat and fast course. The only hiccup was that there was a row of porta potties in front of the starting line, and when it came time to start, the line for the porta potties was blocking the street. Other than that, it was a really great marathon, scenic sections through the Wildwood Metro Park, and lots of great race swag. It was really a fun event.
Fun to Run
A well organized race, half was through a lot of neighborhoods. Well marked and really well supported. The people watching at the end of their drives, offering lemonade, beer, etc … MORE
A well organized race, half was through a lot of neighborhoods. Well marked and really well supported. The people watching at the end of their drives, offering lemonade, beer, etc was great. Aid stations were okay. M&Ms handed out towards the end were just what I needed. Minor concern with the conditions of some of the roadways. Nearly tripped on a pothole more than once. Finish line was amazing with all the people cheering. Food/beer was good, overall a really fun day.