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Apr 27, 2024

Yonkers Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Yonkers Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 3.9

Organization 4.4

Spectators 2.8

Number of comments: 78 [displaying comments 31 to 41]

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m. l. from nj (9/19/2010) "great marathon overall" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Yonkers Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 There were hard hills and a lack of pleasing scenery, but the spectators were very supportive with drinks/encouragement and the organization was great.
M. T. from Mamaroneck, New York (4/1/2010) "Great local marathon" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Yonkers Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran this race in 2009. It's 20 minutes from my house, and it's dirt cheap. For the first 13.1 miles I was running with a lot of half marathoners, including some West Point cadets. The second half was a lot lonelier; from mile 16 to 24 I saw nobody at all. Hills were pretty tough, but I trained on hills so I was o.k.
S. Q. from New York City (2/28/2010) "My first marathon. It was great!!" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Yonkers Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Despite being told, numerous times, not to run Yonkers for my first marathon, I did. And it was great! Yes, it has hills. Well, that's an understatement. It has cliffs. Of course, I heard about this before training, and obsessively did hill repeats. Let's just say the north hill in Central Park became my new best friend. With the right training, the hills just made the course challenging, not impossible. As mentioned in some other comments, the course itself is run on streets through a mix of neighborhoods - some residential, some industrial. I liked the mix; it kept things interesting. Not a lot of people run this race and after the first loop, after the 1/2 marathon runners finish, the field gets really thin. Toward the end, the next closest runner was three blocks ahead of me. It's more crowded in Central Park on a Wednesday afternoon. I liked this, especially for my first marathon, since I didn't feel any competitive pressure. It felt more like a long run. There weren't a lot of spectators, either. Most of the spectators were people hanging out on their front lawns. The water stations were mostly manned by kids who would run up to you and hand you water. Which, in a weird way, was very cool. It gave the race a very small-town, personal feel. I'm very glad I did Yonkers as my first marathon. I highly recommend it. Just remember to hit the hills first!
L. M. from Richmond, VA (9/29/2009) "A SUPER bargain!" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Yonkers Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This race is a real bargain! It is the second time I have run the marathon here. It is close to NYC and easy to get to on the train from there. It is very well organized and the volunteers are excellent. The course is hilly (as noted by others), but it's great running along the Hudson and, since it's 2 loops, you know what to expect the second time around! I'll definitely be back.
c. d. from Long Island - NY (9/28/2009) "i would do it again" (about: 2009) First Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I did the half-marathon, and yes, the course does have hills - not like Central Park in NYC, but steeper. The downhills concern me more than the uphills, but still, it's not that bad, so if you like a pancake flat course, then skip this one. It's a nice, small race, with fewer than 1,000 runners. Pros: the giveaways were pretty good. Pre-race: I received an energy bar and a cotton t-shirt. Post-race: bananas, oranges, lasagna, water, a MEDAL and a certificate of completion (in the mail). Semi-Pros: you run through the downtown area, but the race gives you a look at Yonkers, from the quaint neighborhoods to the industrial park to the downtown municipality. Some people may not appreciate the scenery, but you have to remember that the race is not called the Yonkers "river view" Marathon. The volunteers were great, friendly and enthusiastic. The residents seem oblivious, though some pedestrians do cheer you on. I will run this race next year.
M. W. from Irvine, CA (9/26/2009) "Yay for Yonkers!" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Yonkers Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The course was fairly straightforward and only moderately hilly. Weather was nice, and it was really easy to get to the race in the morning and pick up the race items. The course was pretty along stretches out and back, and then there were some streets and shopping areas that were kind of bland. Post-race was also simple but efficient. Organization of details seemed to go pretty smoothly, and there were not a lot of complications to this seemingly small-town, old-fashioned-type race. There weren't a ton of spectators along the route. Also there weren't a lot of restrooms, a poor component of this course. Those who were at the aid stations were very helpful though, and so were the police. For the cost and the simplicity, this is definitely a good one to run! I am a bit perplexed by the strict adherence to the rule disallowing early starts, as well as the five-hour cut-off. But perhaps that is part of the charm that gives it an "old time" feel (and keeps away larger crowds?).
M. N. from Brazil (9/23/2009) "Cool Running!!!" (about: 2009) 3 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Beautiful and challenging course!!! Great organization!!! I would like to give five stars to the volunteers!!! Thank you very much for your support!!!
C. S. from NJ (9/22/2009) "2nd Oldest Course Deserves More Respect!" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Yonkers Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I loved this run! It's got two spots where it's "scenic"; then you're looking at cars and downtown-type areas. The course is rolling and there is one larger hill, but it's not awful. The water stops every mile are great and the traffic control is fabulous! The locals were very supportive and I had no problems at all! For the price, you get a supported, challenging run with a shirt and a medal! If it's your first marathon, your next will feel easy. I'd run this again in a heartbeat!
D. D. from Connecticut (9/22/2009) "A great challenge with a great reward" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Yonkers Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 If you are a marathon runner, you probably enjoy a challenge. Then Yonkers Marathon is the one for you. The course has several rolling hills and a significant hill on miles 4-6, which is also miles 17-19 since its a double loop course. The organization is superb and though the course is not close traffic, police presence is felt in all major intersections. Water and sports drink is available at every mile mark and great post race food. This is a perfect race to use as training long run for other marathons in the fall. I will be running the Hartford Marathon 10/10 and think I am better prepared for that race because of Yonkers Marathon. I ran 5 Yonkers Marathon and am planing in coming back next year. Thank you City of Yonkers, race director and staff, and most importantly, THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS. Without you none of this would've been possible.
P. P. from Brooklyn, New York (9/22/2009) "Most difficult half-marathon course ever" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Well organized and run. They cared about the runners down to every detail. I only wish they had mile marks for the half marathon. It got hard for me to pace myself at the end.

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