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Equinox Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Equinox Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.7 
Organization 4.5 
Spectators 3.5
Number of comments: 19 [displaying comments 11 to 19]
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T. T. from Juneau, Alaska
(9/19/2005)
 "A Great Alaskan Trail Adventure!" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Equinox Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I had only run 5 marathons previous to the Equinox and they had all been 'city' marathons with a great deal (mostly)of pavement. The trail for the Equinox is amazing and soft for those of us with older knees or IT band issues. When someone tells you there is a 'hill' at the nine mile point, think '1800 feet in 4 miles' and then the course gets really challenging! : ) The out and back at the top of the Dome is like a rollercoaster, challenging and inspiring you and others to scream, then once back to the top of the dome you leap down the 'shoot!' The people of Fairbanks, both supporters and runners, and the race organizers are absolutely terrific. It is the one run in my life that for me was both the toughest and the most satisfying. Fairbanks is a great place and worth the late September escape from wherever your rat race might be. | |
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K. Y. from Wilmington, MA
(8/4/2004)
"I LOVE This Race" (General Comments)
6-10 previous marathons
| 6+ Equinox Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I've run this race 6 times, and will run it every chance I get. It is a gorgeous and challenging course. Most of the 26.2 miles are NOT on pavement, but rather on cross country ski trails and dirt roads. At mile 9, you start a 2,000 vertical foot climb up Ester Dome, and you climb it over the next 4 miles. The descent is also a very nasty drop. This race is more for those who like smaller marathons, as opposed to the monsters like Boston. It usually draws fewer than 1,000 runners, and the pack spreads out quickly. The crowds are usually small, but are usually very into the race. Finally, the post-race award ceremony is a lot of fun with some very friendly people. | |
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j. m. from Fairbanks, AK
(5/2/2004)
 "Being a fan" (General Comments)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This race course is a hard one to cheer for, though the people who are cheering are as hardcore as the people who run it. I have watched the race over 5 times, and each time the weather is different; sometimes snowing, sometimes sunny and hot. The finish line at the University is always a happy place full of dogs and people. Fairbanks, a big town though it is, is full of supportive, athletic people. | |
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L. W. from San Francisco, CA
(10/9/2003)
 "Challenging but worth it" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This marathon is billed as the second most difficult in North America, after Pike's Peak. While the claim is somewhat dubious, there's no denying it is a real challenge. This was my slowest, most grueling race ever. I was one of only about a dozen runners from the lower 48 out of more than 400 finishers. Most of the runners are locals. For many, this is the only marathon they ever run, but they run it every year. The running community in Fairbanks is very large and well organized and they welcome outsiders. The course is absolutely spectacular. Most of the race is run on dirt roads or forest paths carpeted with fallen birch leaves. At mile nine you begin a climb of the Ester Dome, gaining 1,800 feet of elevation in four miles. At the top, weather permitting, you are rewarded with a view of a large piece of Alaska, from Denali and the Alaska Range stretched out along the southern horizon all the way up to the Arctic Circle to the north. At this point the course gets seriously nasty, sending you on a long out-and-back on a deeply rutted dirt road which rises and falls precipitously along the ridge. At mile 17 runners scramble down a rocky fall line known as the chute, which takes them to gentler trails and roads below, except for another steep hill in the last mile, someone's idea of a sick joke. The weather in 2003 was perfect, although I hear it has snowed in other years. It was about 28 degrees at the start, warming up to the low forties by the time I finished five hours later. This is definitely not a running shorts and T-shirt kind of race. I wore a long-sleeve cotton-polyester pullover over a polyester running shirt. Below the waist, I wore thermal tights, previously used only for skiing, with a polyester outer shell. I also wore wool poly-blend hiking socks, gloves and a ski cap. All of this and I didn't feel overdressed! You won't set a PR or qualify for Boston, but if you want to enjoy a challenging course with beautiful scenery, maybe slowing down to walk at times, this is the race for you. | |
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Jared Erickson from FAIRBANKS, ALASKA
(9/24/2003)
"This race was a challange but very exciting." (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This race was a challange compared to some of the races that I have completed in the past. Although it was painful at parts, I look forward to running it next year. | |
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A Runner from Boise,Idaho
(10/8/2002)
 "fantastic" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 Beautiful course, brutal climbs for a marathon, but worth it. Great organization, definitely a great running community in Alaska. | |
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A Runner from Eugene Oregon
(2/24/2001)
"Don't expect a cake walk." (about: 1999)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Any marathon that uses part of an abandoned ski slope and climbs to the top of a 'Dome,' can't be classified as easy. You may earn your view, but the effort is worth every breath. The gold yellow and orange colored foilage of Alaska in September are a site to behold. | |
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A Runner from Orlando, Florida
(9/6/2000)
"unforgettable" (General Comments)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 We selected this marathon for two reasons. First, we wanted to go as far away from our home in Orlando Florida (staying in North America). Second, we found out that they allowed relay teams, so we entered as the 'Florida Flat-Landers'. We had a GREAT time, it was very small town Alaska at its best. The race was tough but we finished in the middle of all the relay teams. I would do this again in a heart beat. | |
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A Runner from colorado springs
(5/16/2000)
"Snowy in September" (about: 1993)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This was my very first marathon and I was a freshman in highschool. It started snowing when the airplane landed and didn't stop until the day after the marathon. The snow made for some slick spots on the course, and I couldn't see much becasue it was still snowing, but I had fun. What I saw of the course was very pretty September in Alaska is a tricky time. |
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