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May 4, 2024

Long Beach Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Long Beach Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.0

Organization 3.6

Spectators 3.5

Number of comments: 240 [displaying comments 21 to 31]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 24 > ]

B. C. from San Diego, CA (10/10/2011) "Some big improvements, but work to be done" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Long Beach Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The good: (1) Beautiful course. That, by itself, keeps me (and I suspect many others) coming back. (2) Virtual race bags were a nice move toward reducing waste (we still got race bags, but instead of filling them with useless marketing paper, all that stuff was electronic). And most importantly, (3) the organizers finally responded to years of runner complaints and separated the marathoners from the half-marathoners for the last two miles of the race, when the courses merge back together. No walker groups taking the full width of the road this year. Major improvement! That really improved my race experience. The bad: (1) This race remains far too crowded. I would gladly pay a higher entry fee if the race capped participants at a lower total and managed its start line better. By letting participants put themselves in whatever wave they wanted, the early waves were far too big and far too full of people who didn't belong there. Please, organizers, take a cue from other bigger races, and manage your start corrals better to ease crowding on the course. (2) The finish area is perhaps the least spectator-friendly of any marathon I've ever run; there must be a better way. It's disappointing for athletes and spectators alike when the few fans who actually can find a decent spot to cheer on finishers have to do so through a chain-link fence. Overall, I continue to think of this as a good-not-great race. Its problems have been well-documented here for years; it was great to finally see some responsiveness on the last-two-miles issue, and I just hope the organizers are equally invested in other avenues of improving the race experience. I enjoyed it again this year, but I'm not sure I'll be back.
E. M. from Downey, CA (10/9/2011) "Awesome, scenic course, but crowded first half" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Long Beach Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 PROS: Can't ask for a better course. Absolutely beautiful. Rainbow Lagoon, Rainbow Harbor, Queen Mary, fireboat waterworks show, and a tour of the nice parts of the vast city. FLAT except for minor inclines through Cal State Long Beach and at mile 24, nothing to worry about. The crowds were great, especially through the college. Course support was excellent. Water and Powerade at every station, every mile, and Cliff Shots every other station, every other mile towards the end of the race. Beautiful weather, 60F at the start and about 80 by noon this year, not a rare occasion in SoCal during fall. CONS: The race is VERY crowded until the halfers split (around 11.5 miles in). I had several run-ins with walkers.
A. M. from Torrance, California (2/25/2011) "The race had a lot of music." (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Long Beach Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The music at the race was great. The race had a lot of fast runners.
A. M. from Torrance, California (2/25/2011) "The race had a lot of nice scenery." (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Long Beach Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The race had a lot of nice scenery. The spectators were nice. The water and refreshments were great.
S. H. from San Diego, CA (1/28/2011) "Well organized, great race" (about: 2010) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Long Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was one of the most well organized races - of any distance - that I've run. Frequent water stations were all well staffed, efficient and supportive. The course was pretty flat and included some great stretches along the beach. Although there were quite a few "dead" spots without any fans, where there were fans, they were great, especially through the CSULB campus. The students were a huge boost at a spot in the race when I really needed it (between miles 17-20, if I recall correctly). The start, on-course and finish organization was terrific... except for the bag check. After the race, trying to pick up your bag was a disaster, although organizers have already said they'll make some changes there. Overall, it's a great event that I'd be happy to run again.
M. G. from Denver, CO (11/15/2010) "Great Race" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Long Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first full marathon (after 7 halfs). I chose this marathon based on last year's reviews on MarathonGuide.com. I definitely picked the right one. The race was well organized (I know there were problems with checked bags, but I didn't check one). The course very scenic for a person who doesn't live near the ocean; it was flat and probably as easy as a marathon can be. There were a couple of hills, but I train in Colorado, so I didn't think they were an issue. There were fans out and lots of support. The medal is gorgeous. The ONLY disappointment I have is that the shirt is so small that I will never wear it. I don't wear clothing that is skin-tight. Sad, because this is probably my one and only marathon. It is a good one and I would highly recommend it.
J. O. from Central Mass, USA (11/2/2010) "great race - quiet crowd" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Long Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Long Beach is a really nice well run race. My fears about the bike riders starting before us and mixing with the runners were unfounded. The course workers were great and the expo was well-organized and the information booth well manned and very helpful. The course is really pleasant and the weather was excellent. The only real problem I have is with the spectators they are just too quiet and restrained. I doubt if any spectators read these postings but people come on and make some real noise - even the college crowd was subdued. All in all a great race. JPO
Joseph Reilly from City of Orange, California (10/27/2010) "Fantastic!" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 Long Beach Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Long Beach represented my #100 marathon, which is now officially in the record books at Marathon Maniacs. Yeah, me! Decent time of 5:45:00. I am proud of this time since I also ran a 5:29 last week in Chicago. Also, I am running in my recovery mode, and have been for almost 6 months. Long Beach is a great course. It took us by the Queen Mary, along the beaches, along Marine Stadium, and through CSULB. What's not to like? My #1 highlight: Running on the boardwalk (bike path) along the magnificent Pacific Ocean. My #2 Highlight: Running through the campus of Long Beach State University with howling, cheering students doing their thing. My #3 Highlight: Twice passing that ambassador of Long Beach good will, Travel Mama Ingrid. Ingrid supplied me and others with our hard candy fix. My #4 Highlight: The 2-mile out/back along Marine Stadium at Marina Vista (Miles 12-13 ) and Colorado Lagoon at mile 14. Marine Stadium was used during the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games for the water sports. My #5 Highlight: I really enjoyed watching the 2,000 cyclists take off at 6:00 a.m. They were going to cover the same course as the runners, but with the aid of two wheels. My #6 Highlight: I took an early start at 6:15 a.m. That enabled me to avoid any merger with half-marathoners and an over-crowded course. My #7 Highlight: At the expo, I received my "California Dreaming" jacket for having run Surf City, San Francisco, and Long Beach. After the race, I received a humongous "California Dreaming" finisher's medal. All in all, some great swag. LOGISTICS Getting to the marathon was no problem. From my sanctum sanctorum in Old Towne Orange, I took the 22 Freeway to the 405 Freeway, and down Atlantic Boulevard to the Convention Center parking and the marathon start. Parking was no issue since I arrived before 5:00 a.m. and parked right next to the start line. Subsequently, I took a nap until just before the cyclists took off at 6:00 a.m. Drop bags were no problem since I used my car as my drop-area. After my pal Deo told me about the nightmare of the post-race drop area, I felt ever so pleased with myself. The weather was almost perfect at a consistent 61 to 62 degrees and overcast. But the humidity wasn't so perfect. Yes, there were hills, especially the entire 24th mile. But nothing to really complain about. Yes, there was concrete, probably a grand total of 10 miles worth. But that is the price that you pay for majestic views of the Pacific. It is worth it. Because I took off at 6:15 with an early start, I did not encounter the usual problems of overcrowding on narrow paths. Ergo, I was able to cut my tangents, and I only had to run 26.40 miles instead of 26.60 (as I did in 2007). The bridge that took us over Shoreline Drive after the race back to the lots wasn't a problem for me. That could be because I didn't attempt to cross it until about 1:00 p.m. But I guess that it was nightmarish for some of the people who departed early. Oh well. C'est la vie.
T. W. from Calgary, Canada (10/23/2010) "The photographers need to be changed" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Long Beach Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 The half marathoners all start up front, which really jams up the course and makes the first half tough. Then the poor showing by the photographers was really disappointing. Everywhere I was, they were on break. There was almost no entertainment on the course, and if it hadn't been for a couple of bands up by the university, it would have been pretty bleak. Hitting Disneyland and Universal made it a good trip.
Joshua Talley from Santa Monica, CA. (10/22/2010) "The Most Unexpectedly Great Marathon I've Done" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Long Beach Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 The Long Beach Marathon might be the best organized marathon I've ever run, and I've run many. Honestly, I only registered for Long Beach because it's local for me as a Los Angeles resident and because my wife registered. I had very low expectations about running in a city that is of little interest to me. That said, I was blown away by the excellent organization of this marathon. The course was pleasant and fairly fast. The volunteers were plentiful and helpful. Fluids and gels were abundant. Honestly, for organization, ease of participation and the course, the Long Beach Marathon beats every other marathon I've run. I can't really see it as a very satisfying destination race, as Long Beach isn't a very interesting city, but for anyone who lives within a reasonable distance, it's a great race.

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