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Green Bay Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Green Bay Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.3 
Organization 4.4 
Spectators 4.0
Number of comments: 235 [displaying comments 21 to 31]
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M. D. from IL
(5/31/2012)
 "Don't Bother" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Green Bay Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 5 Locking the gate at mile 26 was such a poor decision that this race director should seriously consider handing the race over to someone else next year so as to bring confidence back to those planning to run this race. With the amount of marathons being cancelled in recent years due to heat, he should have had a more concise plan (like a cutoff at mile 17, for example). It's a shame really; the community does a great job supporting the runners. It's apparent that the director has likely never run a marathon. | |
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K. K. from Eureka, California
(5/31/2012)
 "Love this race....." (about: 2012)
6-10 previous marathons
| 6+ Green Bay Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Like everyone else, I'm disappointed by what happened with the weather. I got the news at mile 18, but felt good enough to continue and eventually completed the course. This race, even this year with the problems it had, has always had a very welcoming feel. My first CGB marathon was in 2003 and I return nearly every year for this race, from my home in Alaska and now California to run. It is a reasonably small marathon but has all the amenities of the larger races, such as a pasta dinner and expo. If anyone was responsible for the problems with this year's race, it was the inexperienced runners that didn't heed the warnings their bodies were giving. I changed my goal from 'a BQ' to 'finish at Lambeau rather than the hospital'. If more runners had done the same, the race would have probably gone off just fine. | |
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B. R. from Charlotte, NC
(5/30/2012)
 "Choose another marathon" (about: 2012)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Green Bay Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 The pre-race organization was great and the expo and pasta dinner were convenient to the hotels. The volunteers and fans were just great. There were not a lot of fans for the second half of the marathon. My issue is with how the cancellation was handled. The race director sent out an email earlier in the week addressing the warm weather forecast saying they added additional water stops for a total of 22, which is outstanding. They also were going to have ice at some of the stops and ice baths at the finish. Why not have a cancellation policy like Madison used a week later? It would have saved me a lot of money in air and hotel if it was cancelled on Friday. I was at about mile 22 when volunteers said the race was cancelled. I was told I could wait for a bus to come if I wanted. No one said that times were not going to count as I asked a couple volunteers. So of course I was going to finish the race since I made it that far. I paced myself, took in extra fluids at each stop, stretched a bit. It was hot but not unbearable. I had to climb over the railing to get into the finishing area and I did get a chip time finish. (I would have qualified for Boston but I know they can't count some times and not others) If the race director was so concerned about the runners safety, pick up the timing mats. Make them want to stop. Block the course off with police cars. I understand it's a tough decision and that either way would be scrutinized. I just feel the on course communication was poor and that better options could have been put into action. They had all week to come up with contingency plans and this was the best they could do? Why not stop the marathon for runners that had not hit x mile marker by y time? That is how they handle the time limit for slower runners/walkers. The half marathoners are what overwhelmed the medical staff, but the better prepared marathoners should not have been punished. As I walked to the hotel after the race about 4 hours after the start, there were about 10 ambulances just sitting in line waiting around. The doctor at the hospital said they were not overwhelmed. All in all, a frustrating event that could have been planned better. The people of Green Bay were great, especially the volunteers and I'd like to thank them. I would not consider this race again, especially after last years course being too long. | |
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E. M. from Toronto, Canada
(5/29/2012)
 "Half Marathoners Heat Casulties Derail Marathon?" (about: 2012)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Green Bay Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Thank you to all the Green Bay volunteers and spectators. Even though the marathon was cancelled midrace, the aid stations, marshals and police stayed in position to support those like me that chose to ignore the directions to stop and wait for buses to take you back to Lambeau Field and continue on to finish the race. Looks like I just missed the police car roadblock on the De Pere recreational path at 18 miles when the race was called off. Though some race officials were yelling for you to stop, the other volunteers happily passed you hydration, and cheered you on. The extra water stations and ice they set up for the predicted hot day worked for me. All those lawn sprinklers the citizens of Green Bay brought out were a life saver. THANK YOU! Race course is fairly flat with a couple of hills just to keep it interesting. Some beautiful neighbourhoods, fortunately with a decent green canopy to shade us. A couple of so so industrial areas, but hey it's a 26.2 mile route in a city area of just over 300,000. Nice section of recreational trail for mile 17 to 22 My theory of the marathon race cancellation was due to medical being overwhelming by heat injuries from the half marathoners. The bulk of the half marathoners were arriving and dropping at the finish line just shortly before the medical director pulled the plug on the full marathon race. Looking at the news reports online, it seems it was just half marathoners in the medical tent and being taken away in the ambulances. There were 7,000 in the half and 1,500 in the full so no matter the casualty rate of the half would be quite bigger no matter. Half Marathon I assume are mostly less experienced runners than full marathoners, and my opinion is that full marathoners pace themselves better. When I finished in just over four hours, I passed a line of a dozen empty ambulances near the finish line. For me the heat wasn't any worst than what I went through before at the Maui Marathon and the Sunburst Marathon in South Bend, Indiana that happens in June. I never felt I was in danger of any heat injuries. There were definitely more marathoners walking than running in the last third of the race, but thats a sensible thing in the hot weather we had. Plus knowing we weren't running an official race took the sail out of a lot of runners. No more than the usually amount of marathoners doing the survival shuffle and off to the side calf or hamstring stretch. They did keep the finish line open, so I got my medal and unofficial finishing photos, but the race clocks were turned off. Got an email from the race about 'Green Bay Results & Offers.' Kind of a slap in the face as only the top elite athletes got results and the rest of the email was an ad link to the sponsors. Plus we didn't get to do the Lambeau Lap around the football field this year due to construction at Lambeau. Consensus from my running buddies is to count this race in my 50 State Marathon total. So I will check off that I have done Green Bay Marathon and Wisconsin. Maybe one year I will return to make it official and do my Lambeau Lap. | |
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A. B. from Leawood, KS
(5/26/2012)
"2012 cancelation was a disaster" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Green Bay Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 This was to be my 7th running of the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon and though it was inclement weather (unseasonable hot), it was not unbearable. To say the least, it was disappointing to be stopped at mile 18, just when the shady part of the course and breeze picked up. I agree with the other comments that this is a half-marathon race, a community event. People in the community, runners or not, are encouraged to do the half or the relay. It always has many less runners, spectators the 2nd half. I always enjoyed that part. However, this year,the half-marathon was a detriment. They said medical resources were used up by 9:30am, just when the full marathoners were kicking it in to finish the race. I felt the race director made a bad call to cancel the race instead of giving the option to take the shuttles to the finish. The way it was presented, water stations were being shut down immediately and we had to take the shuttles to the finish line. The runner tracking has always been a great thing about this race, being sponsored by a cell phone company...but then the race got canceled. My husband and friends tracking me thought the worst when they just stopped getting texts with no explanation! My family at the finish line said there was not a lot of explanation there either. The clock simply turned off and they waited an hour for me to get back by taking the shuttle. I also heard those that tried to finish were blocked off from doing so. All in all, it was a mess. When the weather is good in GB in the spring, it has been great running...I did sub-3:45 twice. One year I wore gloves for half the race. However, last year the weather was horrible, really windy, and this year with the heat...You really can't plan for the weather in this one! After what happened this year, I wouldn't recommend this race. I never thought someone would tell me I couldn't finish a marathon. It's a terrible feeling, especially if you spend time, money and think about the training it took to get there. | |
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B. W. from Florida
(5/23/2012)
"Yet another race cancelled mid-stream............." (about: 2012)
50+ previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 As a runner for over 30 years, over 150 marathons and 50 ultramarathons, I see two problems with todays environment. First, there are way too many people participating that don't have a clue about running in a marathon. They jump into a race just because 'a friend did one' or 'I've done a half, I can do a marathon' without the proper training and understanding of what 26.2 miles feels like. This is a recipe for disaster. Second, once the Chicago Marathon got everyone running scared regarding race conditions it has become more and more common for races to opt out their committment to runners. Numerous serious, experienced runners come from long distances and spend big bucks to support the race organization so it seems only fair that race organizers permit those desirous of finishing to proceed at their own caution. | |
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B. S. from Denver Co
(5/23/2012)
"A wasted run" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Green Bay Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 Serious runners shouldn't bother. It could be a great race with a special stadium finish but it is an embarassment to a great city instead. There are plenty of other better choices. Race organizers were not prepared for the 80 degree heat despite it being forecast for days. Ice water shortages etc. Due to their incompetence they chose to cancel the race partway through. A decision that was communicated unclearly to the runners. To make matters worse for runners that were well trained and prepared to deal with the heat they gated off the finish line. Unacceptable! The fit prepared runners that can handle the heat should not be robbed due to bad planning and a lot of out of shape runners that should know their limits and not start the race. After the course being long last year don't give this race another chance. Who knows what they might do next year. | |
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C. F. from Iowa
(5/23/2012)
 "Skip This One" (about: 2012)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Green Bay Marathon
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 This is a half marathon event with another, pretty boring loop thrown in for full marathoners. The half course did have great spectator support, was hilly and there was shade. There was little shade, spectators or anything at all interesting to run by in the last half of the marathon. They 'kind of, sort of' cancelled the race, in progress. Police were telling people the clocks were stopped, the course was closed and to wait for busses. There were no busses to be seen and I was already 21 miles in. I finished, having to hop a barrier at Lambeau to find my my to the end. Very poor execution. I also wonder why they wouldn't let people park at Lambeau, since 'construction' there was inside, and there seemed to be thousands of parking spaces unused. I had to get a cab back to the hotel, since the shuttles were eventually put out on the course picking up runners. There's not much to see in Green Bay, the course was a snoozer and the way the 'cancellation' was handled was a joke. I won't be back. | |
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W. E. from Chicago, IL
(5/22/2012)
"Loved the support - I will be back." (about: 2012)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Green Bay Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 It is unfortunate that the race had to be called this year due to the heat but after watching several runners collapse, I agree with the decision. I was very impressed with the support and coordination. After running St. Louis earlier this year, I thought the course was relatively flat and fast. - Great Expo - Great post run party - Plenty of water stops and porto-potties - Nice medal - Great FaceBook updates leading up to the race - Plan your lodging early if you want a decent hotel. | |
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J. O. from Sarasota, Fl.
(5/22/2012)
 "Never again in Green Bay!" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 Regarding future discounts for next years marathon, the RD says that 'we {the runners}just don't understand the economics of the race'. Maybe the RD does not understand the runners economics. A 2 day drive from Florida and 3 nights at the Green Bay hotel at $135 a night plus other costs. Another myth the RD has is the FLAT course, the first half is not flat and that was as far as i got before they stopped me. The money really is in the half marathon and that is all this race is, don't waste your money on this full, there are to many better marathons around. If no runners show up in the future maybe the RD will really understand economics. |
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