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May 17, 2024

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 121 to 131]

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K. F. from West Coast (11/27/2006) "This one was OK, but I won't do it again" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Harrisburg Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Although the rain and wind were brutal, the course was very scenic. The marathon could have been organized better. I was a walker and I often had to ask, "Which way?" because there was no one around. I also had to dodge traffic with cars and trucks. The medal was on the small side compared to other marathons, but because of the brutal weather conditions, I felt that I earned this one more than some of my other marathons! The volunteers were very supportive and made us feel great!
D. H. from Springfield, VA (11/20/2006) "But for the weather..." (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Harrisburg Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Not a bad course. Pretty flat and scenic. Wind and rain were negative but at least the wind conditions gave tailwind for the last several miles. I read other comments and the only place I was not sure which way to go was on the Nature Trail course. Otherwise, there were signs and mile markers painted on the road. It was convenient for out-of-towners and the hotel was good.
Jim Roche from Warrington, PA (11/17/2006) "Super Volunteers" (about: 2006) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Harrisburg Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This marathon was run through several different areas of Harrisburg from industrial parks to wildlife parks to commonwealth buildings to historic areas. This variety was good. I enjoyed the many hills that were in the Wildwood Lake portion of the marathon. The course was well marked at every mile and there was no shortage of volunteers or water stops. The volunteers were great, for it was 45 and raining with winds gusting to 25 mph, and all the volunteers were soaking wet (too windy for umbrellas). The volunteers on this bad weather day deserve a big thanks.
J. A. from Lancaster, Pennsylvania (11/17/2006) "Nice event, but lousy weather" (about: 2006) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Harrisburg Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The volunteers were awesome. All I could think was that the faster I ran, the sooner I would be out of the rain/wind. The volunteers stood out in the horrible weather for hours and were still enthusiastic and encouraging. Overall, a good, small marathon, without an overly tough course.
T. F. from Camp Hill (11/16/2006) "Pushed around by the wind" (about: 2006) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Harrisburg Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The wind felt like a giant hand holding me back. Wind made the windchill worse. Couldn't feel my fingers(numb), and they hurt throughout the race.... Didn't think I needed gloves. :-( Crowd support for runners was excellent. Everyone cheered and encouraged runners throughout the course. I missed a couple of the mile markers. Think one was 19. Maybe it was spray painted on the ground and covered with mud because of the rain. Later aid stations had open Gu containers and candy peanut butter bars open. That was welcome since my fingers were too cold to open anything. Finish-line tent was great. Food. Massages. Medical aid. Nothing like hot chicken soup to warm you up at the end of this race. Hopefully next year will have better weather. Thank you to all the volunteers!
Alex Chik from Monroe, CT (11/15/2006) "Outstanding Job" (about: 2006) First Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Question: What do you do when you live in CT, train for your first marathon, find yourself unable to pull the trigger to enter nearby October marathons in Hartford, CT and Mystic, CT and find yourself running out of fall marathons by mid-November. Answer: You travel 9 hours round-trip for a marathon in Harrisburg, PA. I'll likely do the same next year and years after. You rarely forget your first time. That goes for marathons also. Despite extremely challenging and 'not forecasted two days before' weather conditions, the 2006 Harrisburg Marathon was outstanding in all ways that matter: A diverse and interesting course, markers at every mile, encouraging, supportive volunteers at every turn to keep you on course, strong traffic control, plenty of port-a-potties, numerous water, Cytomax drink and Cytomax gel stations, the bag check service from start line to finish line, an enthusiastic crowd, and virtually 100% of the numerous volunteers all with wonderful attitudes despite the constant rain and wind so difficult it made you forget about the rain. Will it make sense to bypass the nearby CT marthons next fall to again travel 9 hours round-trip? No. Will I be back for next year's Harrisburg Marathon? Yes. Special thank you also to the Harrisburg Comfort Inn for the late 1pm checkout time and my even later departure. Finishing 15 minutes later than anticipated, walking in the wrong direction on Front Street for six blocks after the race to arrive just five minutes before checkout time and then being unable to step out of the shower's easing of the bone-chilling marathon cold and wind and chill made it impossible to leave until 135pm. Thank you for being so accomodating. Indeed the only negative about this marathon was the weather. Anything that the organizers could control they did control in a very positive way. At $40 and including an exceptionally functional long-sleeve shirt, finisher's medal and post-race food, the Harrisburg Marathon is a great value. Outstanding.
Tom Blefko from Hummelstown, PA (11/14/2006) "Great Small-City Marathon" (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Harrisburg Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Second time running this marathon and I'll be back. The weather is always iffy. This year was no exception - 20 to 30 mph winds along the Susquehanna, 30 to 35 degrees, some sleet, lots of rain (some blowing sideways). Having said all this, the volunteers are second to none. I was amazed at how many volunteers stood in the cold rain to encourage all the runners. The finish-line area was loaded with hot chicken broth, coffee, water, six different kinds of donuts, four kinds of bagels, heat units, message personnel and marathon volunteers to attend to your every need. The course is relatively flat until you hit miles 17-20, which will challenge you if you haven't put in any hill work. Lots of different scenery - urban, riverfront, island, capitol, lakes and parks. This marathon keeps growing every year.
B. A. from Rochester, NY (11/14/2006) "A Runner's Marathon" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Harrisburg Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Harrisburg organizers: You got it down. I can't think of a single thing you could do better. It is such a pleasure coming to Harrisburg - a very high quality, consistent (well, except for the weather!) product. Quick, convenient, informative packet pickup. Great start and finish areas. Love the loop around for the first mile. Allows quick ditching or picking up of clothing. Wonderful, varied terrain course. The wind and rain this year demanded smart running as well. If you saved anything for the end, the last three miles down the river with the wind at your back were a dream. Wonderful selection of food and drink at the finish. To each his/her own, but I'll take a Harrisburg experience over a Marine Corps experience any day.
J. E. from Maryland (11/14/2006) "OOPS, Same problem existed YEARS AGO" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Harrisburg Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 Sorry folks, but I just read some old comments about the race and to my utter surprise, back in 2003, there was NO SIGN saying you had to go around the island at what appeared to be the finish line. I didn't check any further back to see if the problem was older. NOW I am not sure that the director will do anything about correcting it or any of the other areas we discussed. Feel sorry for those that don't read this and will face the same unnecessary frustration.
J. E. from Maryland (11/14/2006) "Which way do I go?" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Harrisburg Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 This race is 34 years old and I've been doing marathons less than 1 year; therefore, I have certain basic simple expectations. 1. Silly me, but I expect to see signs, arrows, lights, paint or whatever pointing the correct way to go at every possible turn. EVERYWHERE. (Not unusual for people to do marathons in an area they don't know.)Instead, I and others had to ASK volunteers standing there chatting or sitting in vehicles, "WHICH WAY DO I GO?? " Heck, I'm already naturally slow enough. Not acceptable for a mature race. Perhaps volunteers need training or they're ready for replacement. How about trying to get groups of exuberant teenagers? How about community service hours??? Might have to charge us more and HIRE workers. 2. A little bit of food - not much - would have been nice. Or did I miss it? There were candy bars that I devoured, as my tummy was growling. 3. It's probably a small thing, but listen up. After dealing with all these "which way do I go?" issues and the very tough cold and windy weather, which we cannot control, getting lost less than four miles from the finish, and then finally finding someone who helped and then seeing more mis-directing signs, I just said, "Oh, hell, just enjoy the river," as I jogged along for awhile. Then I felt like I was being saved. Mylar moving across a bridge and I realized the end was is in sight. I got there and... oops, I was facing the finishing line from behind! Here we go again... WHICH WAY DO I GO? Someone finally heard me and directed me to go around the island just as though I ought to know that already. So I crossed the finish line long after I expected to, but... it's done and there's a massage table available and one very nice helpful lady who, among other things, calls the hotel for me since I'm late and then she drives me back to it. Hold on, I'm getting there. Hours later, I get home and before hitting the sack, I check the results and find out I DO NOT EXIST! No, I was not there! Hey, wait, I'm not on drugs. I have a finisher's medal; pretty nice one at that and a nice long-sleeved tech shirt that one of the volunteers let me exchange for a smaller one. But I'm not listed as a finisher! Was that too much to expect? Is this real?? Didn't I just do a double, Richmond and Harrisburg? So you think, "I know I'm old, but I am ALIVE!" No, you just experienced your unlucky 13th marathon of the year, so you know it'll get better. No more marathons this year! Folks, this is just what could happen if you're slow like me. But some fast runners told me they noticed the lack of signs early on and felt lucky they had someone to follow. Other points: A. In this environment, do not expect to see crowds. This is a place for going inside yourself and enjoying the beauty of the forest, the river, the city and the occasional supporter. The variety keeps this course interesting; just don't be afraid of the traffic as you share the road in places. B. The host hotel, Crowne Plaza, was absolutely wonderful. Concerns about the heat and whatever else I needed were taken care of immediately. Because of the volume, my car was valet parked at self parking rate. A business center with two computers available. Late checkout was great to have, but because I got back later than planned, I was warmly and graciously invited to take my warm shower and take my time getting outof the room. That was a very good ending to my day in Harrrisburg. C. It is the state capital and there is lots of interesting history there. D. Director does a backup of finishers in case the photo company has to close before all are finished. Learned this from him. I would recommend doing this race because of the scenery and because I am certain that after our many e-mails and long telephone conversations, the director will implement necessary simple changes so that the race will be an enjoyable event. He eventually FOUND me, though I had to PROVE I actually entered this race! His results showed that I'll get an age group award since I was the first place 65 year-old female... (only one I think). Hope he corrects the information in the system. I don't want to have to go visit again anytime soon.

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