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Apr 29, 2024

Shiprock Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Shiprock Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.4

Organization 4.5

Spectators 3.3

Number of comments: 48 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 > ]

A. B. from Colorado Springs, CO (5/5/2014) "BEST supported marathon!" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Shiprock Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is my 10th marathon and my husband's 2nd. We BOTH LOVED this marathon! The race director answered questions quickly, the people of the Navajo Nation were AMAZING! You can make a vacation out of this one! It's truly a 'destination' marathon! Even though it was warm at the end there were aid stations EVERY MILE from mile 20 on!
B. C. from Oregon (5/4/2014) "More Than a Marathon; A Promise" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Shiprock Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This marathon is more about the community than anything else. Shiprock is the largest community on Navajo Nation, and this event is an amazing expression of so many people enjoying one another's company and circling the rock. As one who is moved to support the people of Navajo Nation, this was truly a highlight for me. Perhaps more than anything else, the simultaneous marathon/marathon relay creates an interaction like nothing else. I am sure I high-fived 400 runners on the route. Thanks Tom for the gift of this event. May it continue to bless the people of the region.
L. K. from Waukee, iowa (5/4/2014) "Good except for un-parking" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Shiprock Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 The day was great except for exiting the parking lot. A 55-minute nightmare of rude folks not letting others in line. Nice volunteers along the way. Always a bit dis-heartening to be passed by speedy relay runners but it is what it is. My husband says starting uphill stinks but the altitude may have also been a factor in his grumpiness. He met a man who described the route as 'trending downhill.'
R. L. from Gold Hill, Colorado (7/29/2013) "Powerful, beautiful, a gift!" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Shiprock Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Running the 2013 Shiprock Marathon was truly a gift! I felt the power of that ancient, volcanic land and culture of deep and profound running tradition. The event was graciously-, and well-,organized; the frequency of aid stations, staffed by enthusiastic, supportive volunteers, was superb! This was my 2nd Shiprock Marathon, and promises to be an annual Spring tradition!
gilles clavaud from L'Isle Jourdain, France (6/8/2013) "spectacular, charming marathon !" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 Shiprock Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 For my third participation in a row to this marathon, I really enjoyed it once again, the course,the organization,the spectators. The 'problems' about the last miles of this marathon , the parking...is for me part of Shiprock marathon identity. Nothing to change for me and thank you once again to the staff and all the volunteers on this event in Navajoland.
M. B. from Denver, Colorado (6/5/2013) "Great small marathon" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Shiprock Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Great marathon, particularly the course and support. True that the last few miles are less scenic, but no big deal. The first 22 or so are truly spectacular. Always something interesting to look at. Spectators were understandably sparse, but great and friendly. Terrific volunteer support. The shirt, medal, poster, and prizes were really well done - attractive and without the usual blitz of tacky sponsor labels. The parking (particularly the departure part of the parking) was awful as reported elsewhere, but the organizers seem committed to fixing it. Other feedback: a vegetarian option for the pasta dinner and the post-race sandwiches would be great. Putting a map to the starting line on the web page, with some detail about where to park and so forth, would also be helpful. It's hard to find some of this information online, and I know I'm not the only one who went at first to the wrong Dine College to register. Finally, I'm not sure how this would work, but it would be great to have a registration packet pickup at the hotel in Farmington. I would also suggest timing the half slightly differently, so that the marathon runners aren't passing through walking half runners as they pass the Ship Rock photo point. I can understand how that would complicate things, though.
M. T. from Denver, CO (5/14/2013) "Glad I did it, but my expectations were different." (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Shiprock Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 I'm glad I did this race. It had a lot of positives going for it, including some great desert scenery for quite a bit of it. But it also had some glaring problems. The Good: First 18 miles of the course is very nice, a pleasant run through the desert, a lot of it with views of the Shiprock, but one can get alone pretty quickly, expected in a smaller marathon. The aid stations were excellent, well-stocked, friendly folks, one of the best things a good marathon needs. The community really seems to support this race. A great deal of the participants are relay racers, and they were exciting to see, and passing the exchange points, even as a full marathoner this was exciting. Great energy, great cheering at these exchanges. Post race food was pretty good, and chocolate milk, the elixir of life after a marathon, was plentiful. Showers at the end were great to have. A huge tip of the hat to all the wonderful volunteers that made this race possible! The not quite so good: Outside of the aid stations/relay exchanges, there aren't really any people on the course until you get to the last 6 miles, where the fans are sporadic, and at which point race just isn't pleasant. Occasionally a person with a truck would pull off on a side road and blare a song, so that was kinda nice. The expo was uneventful, small, and not really about running at all, but you done run a race because by its expo. The transportation and parking logistics were a nightmare. The buses barely arrived at the start in time to squeeze in one last pre-battle evacuation before the gun went off (I was on the middle bus, not the end). I barely had 2 minutes to stretch - I should have just stretched and crossed the start at my leisure. Sucked. The last six miles are touted as a gentle downhill, but it hardly seemed that way, and running along a smoggy boring highway in otherwise beautiful Navajo country wasn't exactly ideal. Still the aid stations were fantastic. After the finish, there was the absolute worst parking exit situation I've seen in years. Awful. Reprehensible lack of planning. Some people were probably stuck for a half an hour or more (tiny town, small race) just trying to get to daylight - it was worse than a Stones concert at a big arena. No idea what this was all about. The absolute worst thing about this race is the end when you turn off the highway onto a sandy patch of land, then finish off on a pitted surface that somebody calls a road. It's like your race grinds to halt for the last quarter mile. Awful. Please reroute to something sensible. There is no way to finish this race strong. While I think it's possible for many to PR on this course, you'd better have it well in the bag before the last quarter mile. I would recommend this race to friends, as I liked a lot of it (despite the negatives). There were genuinely nice, friendly, warm-hearted people involved - and the energy of the relay racers was just awesome. I just want to let runners know what they're getting into.
P. F. from OR (5/12/2013) "30th Annual Little Marathon with Big Scenery" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Shiprock Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 The hardest part of this marathon was finding the packet pickup 'expo' location. I read the website info but could not comprehend where the Dine College South Campus was located. I drove around Shiprock to the various school locations I saw signage to without success. I finally came upon a painted sign at the Hwy 491/64 intersection for the 'Expo'. If you are driving there from Farmington; the best directions would be to turn right at the stop light after you cross the San Juan river in Shiprock. On to the actual event. Packet pickup was flawless. They had run out of size small long sleeve tech shirts and the medium size was huge. The tasty spaghetti dinner of meat spaghetti sauce, garlic toast, drink and dessert cost $7. Parking at the college and buses to the marathon and 1st. relay leg start went smoothly. The course starts on a gradual incline along the Red Rock Highway. There were a couple of longer inclines along the way but nothing steep. The altitude can be tough on flatlanders at the 6000' start. The rock formations, including Shiprock, along the Red Rock Highway are amazing. The course was closed to most traffic until you returned to Hwy 491 to head into town. The last hot 6 miles were a gradual decline and one lane of the highway was closed. The RD definitely has runner safety as a major priority. The police and medical presence all along the marathon route was prolific. I can't recall the number of times a female police officer, on a bike, rode by and checked in with me to verify I was doing okay. I was hot and sweating and I can only imagine how uncomfortable she was in full uniform dress wearing her tactical vest. All of the volunteers at the aid stations were cheerful and supportive and did a great job. The weather was hot later in the race but there was a slight headwind on the Red Rock Highway. The local people were very nice and helpful and friendly. The relay race is the big draw for this event compared to the number of participants in the Marathon. It was great to see so many younger people running the relay and having a good time. This was a well organized event and a marathon I would do again. My criteria is small venue and scenic and Shiprock definitely qualifies. The proceeds benefit the Navajoyes program for the young residents of Shiprock.
Jasper Howe from Flagstaff, Arizona (5/29/2012) "SHIPROCK MARATHON 2012 WAS AWSOME!!!" (about: 2012) First Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I was born and raised most of my life in Shiprock. Coming back and running my first marathon was a memorable experience. The course was challenging for me. I would like to pace myself better next time, and train for rolling hils. I met a lot of good people during the run. Words of encouragement from the crowds and fellow runners help. After the race my wife and I went down to the market and enjoyed roast mutton and navajo burgers. The people of Shiprock are wonderful. I can't wait for next years race.
J. S. from Denver, CO (5/7/2012) "Great marathon event" (about: 2012) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Shiprock Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was a great event. The course is very scenic and well supported. I would definitely recommend this event. Only downside is that there are no hotels in Shiprock(had to stay in Farmington which is 30 miles away).

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