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Apr 30, 2024

Long Island Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 3.0

Organization 3.5

Spectators 2.6

Number of comments: 145 [displaying comments 31 to 41]

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P. D. from Long Island, NY (6/7/2009) "Well organized, smaller marathon" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Long Island Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran this race in 2009 for the second time. I would find ut hard to complain, as I ran my second fastest time of the 14 marathons that I have completed. As mentioned in previous posts for 2009, it was cool and rainy. The course is OK as best, and for the first 10 miles (before the half marathon turnoff), there are plenty of runners. Even though there were only about 500 finishers in the full race, I never felt alone on the Wantagh Parkway. Yes, all of those miles on the parkway can be challenging. If you know that going in, and if there is not bad weather, you have a chance to run a fast race. As someone who lives within a hour of the race, it was great local and inexpensive option. The organization was solid and I would consider running it again.
Howard Cohen from Port Washington, NY (5/7/2009) "Able to focus on my run without being crowded" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Long Island Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 This was my first marathon experience. I'm 48 and ran in honor of my sister, who recently lost her battle with breast cancer at age 35. I achieved my goal, and want to take this opportunity to thank the organizers and the incredible volunteers, who stood out in the rain and help make it possible. They were all amazing and had a wonderful spirit along the entire course. Overall, the event was well very organized.
Rob Klein from Aurora, Colorado (5/6/2009) "April Showers Extend into May" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Long Island Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Coming to run this marathon got us close enough to be able to visit Manhattan. So that was a plus. The race itself was a fairly flat course, very green, with the trees leafing out for spring and all. The temperature at the start was 63 degrees, though it cooled some after the rain started. It was overcast, with a forecast for rain in the afternoon. However, rain started falling early in the race and continued for most, if not all of the 6 hours the course was open. But it was not all bad. The winds seemed to be calm (or maybe light and variable) but in any case, the wind was not a factor in this race. And the rain was kind of a drizzle most of the way, and maybe was a bit more intense around noon. Still, I was not cold, and other runners did not seem to be cold either (I saw runners wearing coats, runners wearing tank tops, and everything in between). Still, by late in the race, we were feeling that the rain was less than desirable. But at least it was not sunny and overly hot. There were some 6,000 runners in these races (marathon, half marathon, and 10K). It seemed pretty well organized at the start line. People seemed to find the start line okay, and the finish line was nearby, so it was not quite a closed loop course. The race started with one wheelchair racer; then the others followed. The course did a two-mile loop near the Cradle of Aviation Museum and Nassau College and returned near the starting line. The course did a bigger loop up to the north; then at mile marker 10, the half-marathoners broke off to the right, and the marathoners continued down Wantagh Parkway. What is interesting is that this is a 4-lane divided highway, and the whole thing was closed for the marathon. That was quite impressive, and it took a lot of law enforcement to keep the cars out. One painting contractor managed to get access with his van and was driving down the course. Apparently the police chased him off, but he managed to get back on and cruise some more. Then later, he was driving in the other direction. Another spectator, I guess. One other car on the course looked like it had a lost driver who did not know where to go. Anyway, from about mile marker 9 to 23 was on this freeway. And the bridges along the way were brick structures, and they all seemed to look the same. So that part was routine. One other funny thing happened. A half-marathoner finished, then got her umbrella and a chase-lounge, and went and sat along the freeway at about mile 22.5, to watch the stragglers - like me - closing in on the finish. Off the freeway, we ran a couple of miles on a road leading back to Eisenhower Park, and the last part of the course was through the rather large park. The finish line was set up in Eisenhower Park, and bottles of water were passed out there, and a nylon zipper-topped lunch sack, with different food items in it, was handed out to each runner. A couple of comments about the race: There were more fans than I would have expected for a rainy day - many were standing under the bridges. They were an encouragement, and that was a plus. Also, the aid station workers were hearty souls to tolerate the rain in order to serve and encourage the runners. They were great. A couple of things were negatives: I twice e-mailed the staff for clarification and more information, and was never answered. One concern was that the pasta dinner was scheduled for Friday night. That was odd for a Sunday marathon. Another was the location of the expo. Locals probably knew the place by name, but GPS did not recognize the name, and no address was given. So I had difficulty finding the expo. Then conflicting information on end time for the expo was given. Both 6 p.m. and 5 p.m. were published in different places. I did not arrive until past 5, and all but one vendor had torn down their displays, and a sort of chaos was in place. I did not know where to start the process. It all worked out, but they ran out of safety pins, race booklets, and told me they ran out of large T-shirts. Though we did come up with all these items, it was a bit stressful. One guy I met Sunday morning just got in town and had not registered. He did not know who to talk to, and that the policy was to allow no race-day registrations. I never found out if he got to race or not. Other amenities: The T-shirt was rather plain and unimaginative. The aid stations were well stocked. Water early on and then water and Gatorade from about mile 10, and GU gel at several stations later in the race. The volunteers were an encouragement to us (though the last couple of stations were abandoned by the time I showed up). Those, of course, were self-service. This race is not a difficult one. It is pretty flat and easy; perhaps no marathon should be called easy, but comparatively, but it is easier than some hilly courses. The support was good during the race. The food and lunch bag at the end were good. Not having my inquiries answered was not cool, and having a pasta dinner Friday night for a Sunday race was odd. So weigh it all out. If you need an excuse to visit NYC, this is a good marathon event to participate in.
Ari Levine from New Jersey (5/4/2009) "Ehhh... mixed feelings" (about: 2009) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Long Island Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my second marathon and I got some real mixed feelings about this race. Ill start off with the good. Volunteers were amazing; all of these kids came out in the cold and rain, handing out water and cheering you on. Awesome! The expo was nice. I got a great deal on clothing. The shirts, towel/scarf, lunchbox cooler, and water bottle were nice. The course was alright, and had a nice, optimistic, festive atmosphere. And now the bad: this race said they had 7,000 runners, and there were only 500+ marathoners, so you start the race with the 10K and half-marathoners all at once. This isn't bad, but you're stuck side by side with these novice women who sped right by you two minutes into the race only for you to pass them 1-2 miles later while they're huffing and puffing. Quite annoying! Also, it's hard to maintain a steady, even pace for a marathon running side by side with half-marathon people for 10 miles. The turnpike was pretty boring after awhile; I'm not from Long Island, but I'm sure there must be a better place to run miles 10-22. All in all, I probably would not run the marathon race again (maybe the half) because it seems like the marathon is more of a second thought to the half and the 10K with the course selection on a random highway for so long and not through a more interesting environment.
g. m. from Pittsburgh, PA (5/4/2009) "Great support" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Long Island Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Great organization. The marathon does get lonely after the split at the 10-mile mark. Though the fans that did come out in the rain, the support was greatly appreciated. Water station support was great. Thanks to all for a great time.
E. R. from LI, New York (4/28/2009) "Shut up and run" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Long Island Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Folks, it's a small-time marathon so don't expect big crowds--most of the people out there know someone in the race and that's why they're out there! Lighten up on the "boring course" already; it's flat and fast and that should be enough for any marathoner. I've run this race a number of times and there are plenty of people around (volunteers and runners), who can get you to the start and tell you where the bathrooms are and what time the race starts.
joe digaetano from new york long island (3/20/2009) "long-time runner" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Long Island Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I've been running this race since 1987, when I was 15. The half in 1987 was from Eisenhoweher Park to Jones Beach. Over the years, the course has changed. Now it runs south to Sunrise Highway, and then to the boring, no-fan Wantagh Parkway. Since there was a change made in 2004, the course has been fun - going through Westbury and Hicksville, and then back to Eisenhower Park. Plenty of water and restrooms. See you out on the course!
Kevin Bungert from East Northport, NY (2/4/2009) "Very Bad Marathon" (about: 2004) 4-5 previous marathons \| 3 Long Island Marathons COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 First, I have to say that I am a life-long resident of Long Island. And I think that's why this race bothers me so much. There are so many beautiful places that this marathon could be run instead of along the Wantagh Parkway. It is the MOST BORING course ever created for a marathon! And it's NOT the Long Island Marathon; it's the NASSAU COUNTY MARATHON. It NEVER comes near Suffolk County! Horrible, horrible course!
K. M. from Chicago, IL (1/5/2009) "Lonely but well-run" (about: 2008) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Long Island Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 As others have said, the course is very lonely once the half marathoners break off. For most of the race, there are no spectators except for the volunteers and a few random friends/family riding bikes. I think that the lack of support and excitement would be more of a problem if something doesn't go well in the race than if you're feeling great, the weather's great, and you've prepared as best you can; but when do we get that lucky? On the plus side, it's certainly flat and the weather is generally moderate. Since my family lives ~4 miles from the start, the logistics were easy for me. The race is well-run, and there are a lot of giveaways (hats, jackets, towels, bags, shirt). I emailed the race director a few times and he did not respond, but other than that, I have no complaints about the organization. I would guess that the half would be a good race - I just wouldn't run the full again.
PERCY GULARTE from New York City (5/22/2008) "good one for real marathoners" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Long Island Marathons COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 Are you a real marathoner? If the answer is "yes,": run Long Island. If you need personal support for your ego, then go to NY, Marine Corp, Boston or LA. This is a well-organized marathon, the volunteers are great, there's lots of food at the end, and all of the runners are like you and me.

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