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May 14, 2024

GO! St. Louis Marathon Runner Comments

Back to GO! St. Louis Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 3.9

Organization 3.9

Spectators 3.5

Number of comments: 357 [displaying comments 71 to 81]

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Mark Dingmon from Lenexa, Kansas (4/20/2010) "Some Flaws, But Continues To Be My Favorite" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ GO! St. Louis Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my 29th marathon, and 8th time for St. Louis. As previous comments indicate, there are some flaws to this event, but this marathon continues to be my favorite. I first ran this event in 2001 when there were 1,800 participants and maybe 200 runners for the marathon. Over the past 9 years, this event has experienced rapid growth, and due to this growth, there are some growing pains and areas for improvement. Previous posts have addressed these concerns, so I would like share what I like about this event. Overall this is a well organized and solid event. I think the race day experience makes this event worthwhile (which is why I return every year). The best part of this event is the course itself, a stellar route featuring a "taste of St. Louis," along with a festive pre- and post-race atmosphere. The course highlights a background of the Gateway Arch at the starting line and finish line, splendid green parks along Market Street, Union Station, Busch Stadium, Anheuser Busch Brewery, Forest Park, Saint Louis University, Washington University, Downtown Clayton, the rolling hills and charming neighborhoods along Delmar, and yes, Harris Stowe State University near mile 25, and of the course the final mile, a downhill cruise with a dramatic view of the Gateway Arch on the horizon. At the finish line a gigantic American flag, hoisted by two fire trucks flying overhead awaits you, along with a well organized finish area and an attractive medal for all who finish. Spectator support is solid and enthusiastic in some areas and sparse in other areas. With 12,000 half marathon participants, and 3,000 marathon participants, it goes without saying that the strongest spectator support is along the first 8 miles or so, with the lonely stretches reserved for the full marathoners. That's not a complaint, but that's just the reality of running a marathon of this size. My favorite part of this marathon (or with any marathon) is the volunteers. I have great respect and admiration for these individuals. The volunteers sacrifice their personal time, their day off from work, or whatever, so we as participants can achieve our goals. They tolerate frustrated motorists, and some cases frustrated runners. They work hard (and fast), offer their support and encouragement to us, and offer a smile regardless of the circumstances. I commend their efforts, and quite honestly, I would not be willing to volunteer at an event such as this, and make the sacrifices that these individuals choose to make. Regarding packet pick up, I was lucky when I arrived (3:00 p.m. Saturday), there was no waiting, and I got in and out in less than 15 minutes; others were not as fortunate, as addressed by a previous post. Since I have been participating in this event, it seems to a challenge for organizers to establish an ideal location that would be accommodating to all. Hopefully in the future organizers will find a solution, and will pin down that elusive packet pick-up location (somewhere out there), as I think the actual marathon event (or half marathon) is a fulfilling and worthwhile experience.
C. m. from USA (4/18/2010) "Very nice half" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Disclosure: I only did the half. I have run 6 fulls and numerous halfs. Pros: 1. Really liked the women's shirt. 2. Pretty standard post-race food (request better bagels next year). 3. The expo was small but Big River Running had good deals on shoes. Rice and a few other freebies were also nice. 4. The half course was fine - I prefer courses where we see other runners. There were lots of rolling hills, but I didn't think they were bad ones. An elevation chart on website would be nice - it's what I look for in out-of-town races. 5. I also love the effort to get so many people involved in events. My dad lives there, and I had several friends doing the 5K, half, relay, etc. Several are already planning longer races than they did here - they had a good experience and gained confidence. 6. Parking for race was so easy! Cons: 1. Early water stops weren't prepared for the number of runners. Need to stack layers of cups. 2. Start corrals too crowded to get into them. 3. The crowds were so quiet, even at the finish. Maybe give out cowbells or cheer posters or have contests for the best cheer section along the route. Last, I have to reply to person complaining about lining up. I'd been sick and unable to train all through March, so I had no idea where to start (or if I could finish); I went with a couple minutes slower than usual and did a run/walk. I'll be more understanding in the future about people walking. Overall, very good job by volunteers and race staff!
B. F. from So. IL (4/16/2010) "Great Support To Runners" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 GO! St. Louis Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I appreciated the layout of the course. Good sights, many cheering spectators, great weather. Great National Anthem opening. I also appreciated the large American flag hanging over the street. Even though there was excessive heat I applaud the race leaders for providing plenty of hydration to counter it. I feel the critical issues were well-thought out in the "Go St. Louis" event. There was adequate nutrition, toilets, and aid stations during the race. The one area I fail to understand is the choice of location for the expo. In my dozens of marathons I consider their choice the poorest I've experienced. It lacked floor space and begged for long lines in the packet pickup. The expo parking could not have been planned any poorer, and why should the runners pay $5 to park for 30 minutes in order to get their packet? Was there politics involved or just shallow thinking? Choice of expo site was the weakest link of the whole race event. The rest was outstanding. Thanks to every volunteer and the race director.
K. Y. from Chicago, IL (4/16/2010) "Scenic yet very hilly!" (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Expo: smaller but nice; not many options for marathon-related garb, and they did not have ones for the specific distances. I usually like to get one that specifically says, "marathon." The shirt was a very nice Zorrel one. The anniversary duffel bag was also a nice touch. Course: Very scenic; it's gorgeous to get to see the sun rising over the arch, it was cool to run through the brewery, and Forest Park is also very pretty. But it is very hilly, and only gets worse once you lose the people doing the half. There was a decent show of spectators, but they were pretty sparse in those last few miles that were basically all uphill. Post-race: The medals are very nice. I like that they provided a map showing exactly where you would get snacks and medals and water in the finisher area. They also had abundant food available, which I had been nervous about considering the majority of the field being halfers. The Mich. Ultra post-race party was lacking; you got basically one Dixie cup of beer with your beer ticket. I just ran 26 miles; I think I deserve a little more than that. However, the band was good, and it turned out to be a hot, gorgeous day - the heat was much more appreciated when I wasn't running in it. Overall, it's a nice race; just make sure you hill train appropriately!
M. S. from Michigan (4/15/2010) "Nice but hilly" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I enjoyed the city/course very much. But I do agree with previous posts that there are very few flat spots. It seemed to be a constant, but gradual, uphill and downhill. Volunteers were great. Thanks for a fun, memorable race.
c. h. from San Antonio, TX (4/15/2010) "HILLY" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Pros: Beautiful course. Goes through downtown, Forest Park, Clayton, and the loop, which are all really cool parts of town. GREAT TECH SHIRT. They also gave duffel bags, which were cool. Cons: Very hilly. There are hardly any flat parts. The end of the course is almost torture. Also, the marathon isn't really the big event. There were probably 3 half marathoners to every marathoner. Not to mention, the relay was also very popular, and as you are chugging along at your marathon pace, someone will zoom past you with the word "relay" on the back of their shirt. it was almost like there wasn't enough focus on the actual marathon.
J. M. from Missouri (4/14/2010) "Lots of Positives" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 There are a lot of positives about the St. Louis Marathon. I'll list my observations (along with a couple negatives) by category: Course: A good, interesting view of the various areas of the city is capped by running toward the Arch both at the start and at the end (and two nice views of Busch Stadium, for us baseball fans). There aren't really any dramatic hills, but lots of up and down. I kind of liked that because it made for some nice variety. The last several miles run toward the sun, which can be an issue if it is warm and sunny (which it was in 2010). Also, it was quite crowded at the start, which led to under-supplied aid stations (no criticism of the volunteers, who worked super hard). A race that has grown to this size is ready for a wave start, in my opinion. Organization: This marathon is extremely well organized, and also offers a lot for the entry fee: really nice medal, high-quality tech shirt, and a nice gear bag as an extra. The expo was good, too. Finish line food was so-so (not much variety). Good band at the end, and I appreciated the free massage. Also, it would be nice if the water at the aid stations were cool or cold rather than warm. Fans: Great support, even in areas I didn't expect, such as along bridges outside of residential areas. More music would be nice, but the people are just great. All in all, this marathon is well worth the price of admission and a trip to the beautiful City of St. Louis.
D. V. from Springfield, Missouri (4/14/2010) "Great half... good full marathon event" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 As others have said, this is decidedly a half-marathon event (and a very good one) with a marathon added, as half participants outnumbered full 4 to 1. However, I ran the full and enjoyed the spectators while they lasted (first 10 miles). The spectators after that were enthusiastic, but not near as many. The second half of the marathon has quite a few hills, but nothing truly steep... though I was glad to finish the miles 14-17 hill. : ) I do wish there was a way for organizers to be a little bit more "light on their feet," especially where weather is concerned. For example, last year, rain was forecast and it came hard. And they ran out of mylar blankets. This year, after weeks of nasty weather, rain and temps in the mid-20s to low 40s, Missouri temps jump (during the taper weeks) to 70-80 degrees. The high on Sunday I think reached 80+ degrees. Salt packets (or at least pretzels) along the course would have been a huge help. I think sports drink and some sort of protein in the finish area would have been a good idea as well. HOWEVER, having said that, I enjoyed the race as it was scenic (until the last 5 miles or so, when all I was really aware of was a blazing sun and no shade) and the volunteers were hard-working and very friendly... though, they were overtaxed until the races split apart (and couldn't keep up at times). I would recommend the half and the marathon to anyone. Sure, some things could be improved (corrals or waves would be a nice addition as well - that might help those hard working volunteers keep up with the masses), but even though I know I listed a number of things to improve, that's in hopes organizers read through this and take note. But my overall impression is that it is a great half-marathon, and a good full marathon that could become a great marathon with just a few upgrades.
J. S. from Louisville, KY (4/14/2010) "Hot and hilly" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 The course was very hilly. It would have helped to have an elevation chart on the website. Also, bad idea to merge people into one late around 400 yards out. Created a large bottleneck. Same issue just outside the brewery. Did enjoy the city.
A. S. from Powell, Oh (4/13/2010) "Great place to visit" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 GO! St. Louis Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Lots to do in the city, but the race needed more organization. My concern, prior to arrival, pertained to the large number of half marathoners running the first 10 miles with the full. Unfortunately, the volume of runners caused many issues at the early water stations (no water at the first stop) and congestion for the first part of the race. Separate the runners! Support for the second half of the course was sparse in places when you really needed it. Hills were abundant, especially in the last few miles, and there was hardly any shade. Probably won't run this one again.

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