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☰
Harrisburg Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Harrisburg Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.3 
Organization 4.5 
Spectators 3.7
Number of comments: 177 [displaying comments 111 to 121]
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M. M. from PA
(11/12/2007)
 "Best Small Marathon" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I've only run Richmond and Harrisburg, but my wife is a marathoner and I have been to and volunteered at many. I was expecting no crowd support and was pleasantly surprised to find I never went a mile without crowd support. Crowd support was 100x better than at Richmond, a marathon with 5x the field. Other than some hills at miles 18-19, flat as a pancake. Great organization, great water/gel/Gatorade stops. Lots of porta-potties too. Miles well marked, some with clocks. Finally, where else can you enter for $45 a week before the race and get a $30+ wind jacket as your souvenir shirt? | |
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D. H. from Pennsylvania
(11/12/2007)
 "Nice quiet marathon" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Beautiful day, just a bit chilly. I went out too fast and was paying for it by the time I hit the hills at mile 17.5. The volunteers were terrific. Course was pretty well marked. Others have said it is lonely, and indeed it is. Especially if you are in the back where I was. Really good and enjoyable race. | |
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Mike Senko from Havre de Grace, MD
(11/12/2007)
 "Excellent Race" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 Harrisburg Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Let me first start by saying, 'Thank you,' to all of the volunteers and the race director. I had a great experience and I am still excited about the event. This was my second time running in Harrisburg and I liked the new start area, it made City Island the place to be re-energized as we looped passed all of the fans. My wife was able to cheer for me more than once during the event and it was very convenient for a meeting place after the race. The race was organized very well and the volunteers had a lot of energy. I train alone, so the lack of spectator support wasn't bothersome, I actually enjoyed the peaceful time alone. The other runners were also very friendly. A special 'Thank you' to Susie from N.J., if you read this, I hope you had a great race too. The volunteers at the race finish were especially friendly and helpful, I really appreciated the post race message. To be honest, I am having a difficult time thinking of anything negative about the race and the overall experience. The packet pick-up was smooth for the morning of the race and there was plenty of food for all of the finishers at the end. There were parts of the course that did very quiet and Wildwood park is very challenging for a hilly section late in the race, but it added some beautiful natural scenery after the industrial park setting. In summary, the course, the organization, and the volunteers were all fantastic and I would definitely do this marathon again for another year. I would also recommend it to others and suggest that they do some hill work to get used to running hills when you are already tired. Thank you again Harrisburg for another great marathon experience two years in a row. | |
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j. e. from york, pa
(9/9/2007)
"Hilly, small, and organized; I got a PR, so I love" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The city was mostly beautiful. Some parts were creepy and lonely in the beginning. Along the water, it was very nice and flat. The park was beautiful, but the hills sucked. It was a gorgeous day, with perfect marathon weather. I got a PR, so I will remember this one forever. I ran the Chicago Marathon 4 weeks prior, so I wasn't expecting much - so the PR was a pleasant surprise. | |
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J. W. from New Jersey
(4/15/2007)
"Friendly, good, mid-size qualifier or 1st time" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 It gets hilly in the park and I found the industrial area gets a bit lonely, but it's well organized even through freezing cold, windy conditions. | |
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Dean JONES from Queensland, AUSTRALIA.
(4/9/2007)
"Unforgettable running experience!!!!" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 My wife and I traveled from Australia and finished the NYC Marathon the week prior. I decided to run another marathon. I am glad to experience, visit and support the town of Harrisburg and the running of a great event on such a testing day. A well organized event, especially the food and drink available at the finish - amazing!! To all the volunteers and spectators on course: Thank you! A very tough day out. A unique US running experience that I will never forget. | |
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E. J. from Philadelphia, PA
(2/27/2007)
 "never again" (about: 2005)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was my first marathon and never again - since, I have run Marine Corps., and what a difference! I was all alone the ENTIRE time. There was no place for spectators and you will need them at some points. Miles 18-20 are ALL HILLS... and you are def. gassed at this point if this is your first marathon experience. I will reiterate the fact that at the END of my race I was asking... "Where do I go?" Yeah, it was horrible. However, it was very well organized. The volunteers were really nice and I loved the small-city feel to it. Also, it was great to have space at the end of the race to walk around, grab food, etc. The host hotel was great - really quiet, reasonable, and easily access to the start line. BUT I will never do this again. | |
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C. M. from Liverpool, NY USA
(12/30/2006)
"An interesting course, well-staffed" (about: 2006)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This was my first marathon, and I registered for it on the Friday before the race when the weather forecast for race day was still good. Imagine my chagrin when every time I looked out of the window on Saturday night the rain was coming down in sheets. Nevertheless, I had a great time at this race and I'm eager to come back to improve my time when the weather is better. Big pluses for this race were the beautiful, varied course and the dedicated volunteers. Minuses centered around the pasta dinner the night before - different types of food frequently ran out during the evening and the speakers were sub-par. The first speaker gave out some bad advice on hydration and it seemed that the second speaker (a trainer for one of the US Olympic teams) decided to adapt a travelogue into a "motivational" speech. The only problem was that it wasn't motivational. The last thing that runners need to hear before a race is "have you prepared adequately," which seemed to be his primary message. One more point, which is neither positive nor negative, but should be mentioned: There is really no expo for this race, only a sign-up for the race and pasta dinner. All things considered, I would definitely recommend this race as a Boston qualifier for someone who wants to run an interesting course with a minimum of fuss. | |
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D. R. from New York
(12/18/2006)
 "Not what we expected" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 I finished Ironman Florida in Panama City 11/04/06 and decided to run your race for fun. I have finished countless marathons, Ironman races, etc. I really loved the "down-home" feeling of your race. Being an athlete, coach, mentor, and being involved in Team in Training, etc., I do feel a strong responsibility to follow up, in a positive manner, with my concerns. 1. Having a speaker who is truly knowledgeable in nutrition and hydration is very important. Drinking 6 bottles of water, with no other electrolyte replacement, is simply wrong. Hyponatremia is a growing issue in our sport, especially with new and inexperienced runners, regardless of weather or heat. It affects finish times, and in some cases causes serious medical issues. a. Maintaining electrolyte balance by either bringing your own or drinking what is on the course is a requirement. I too found numerous aid stations without Cytomax and I ran 4:12 by the gun (4:07 by my GPS device). b. Gels, at a race of your size, should be provided at every mile, not starting at mile 16. 2. I enjoyed the 2nd speaker but found very little useful medical information from him. He was introduced as a "doctor" and seemed to focus on saying "you can do it" countless times tied to pictures from his experience in Athens, which is great but does not tell runners what to do and what not to do. 3. I am sure satisfaction is "running high" since we decided to run your race after reading positive reviews on MarathonGuide.com. However, race directors have a duty to ensure the safety of all runners, new and experienced, by providing adequate hydration and nutrition on the course. 4. My comments are not in any way to impart you did a bad job. The race was well run, fun and we would do it again. They are meant as constructive criticism so you can continue to grow the event. | |
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J. R. from Washington, DC
(11/27/2006)
"Miserable Weather, Good Marathon" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Harrisburg Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Through no fault of the marathon organizers, these were the most miserable (coldest and wettest) conditions I've ever faced in any marathon. The rain was steady before dawn and hardly let up for the next six hours. With temperatures that dropped into the 40s and (estimated) head- and tailwinds of 10-20 mph, runners and walkers got thoroughly soaked and chilled well before the finish. Race support was mostly excellent, including a pacer and biker to guide the walker group that started early. There were several places, including the start and the park, where there weren't enough directional signs and markings. It was also a pleasure to see a relatively large number of Harrisburg residents who stood outside (or sat in cars) near the course to cheer runners on in the last 5-6 miles. The crowd support, food, and hot drinks at the end of the course were excellent, and many of the views would have been outstanding were it not for the bad weather. Walkers and slower runners should consider this marathon, because of the opportunity for the early start and the overall quality of the event. |
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