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☰
Gobbler Grind Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Gobbler Grind Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.5 
Organization 3.2 
Spectators 2.5
Number of comments: 100 [displaying comments 91 to 100]
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Sally Smith from Pacific Grove, CA
(1/30/2002)
 "I Liked It!" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I picked this race on a last minute whim, trying to get in one more state before the close of 2001. The proximity of the host hotel to the start was wonderful, just had to wander over minutes before the start. Initially I dreaded a double out and back but I found the meandering bike path which stayed near a delightful creek and passed thru many trees and fields to be very serene and peaceful, particularly the 2nd loop when I was mostly by myself. While there weren't a whole lot of spectators, my husband was able to be all over the course and he's the only spectator I care about! This is a small, well done race and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I even placed 2nd in my division! | |
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A Runner from IL
(1/19/2002)
 "Frustrated" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 2 of us traveled to KS as we are 50 staters and needed the state. I'm not a fan of out and back courses, let alone doing it twice. However, it wasn't that bad because we started early in the dark (more on that in a minute!) so it seemed like a new course the 2nd time around, and the good part was there was NO traffic to deal with because of the entire course being on a bike path. We asked the race directors wife if we could start early due to a 9 hour drive to get back. She consented; we left at 6 a.m. We even ran into 2 others already at least 3 miles ahead of us; it was entertaining trying to figure out what time they must have started. Upon finishing, I showed my watch with to the race director and saw him write down the time. However, upon checking the website days later, another 7+ minutes was added to my time. I also found out they had a problem with someone cheating. I e-mailed the race director, placed a phone call regarding my situation and why the added time. No reply, no return of my phone call. It's not that I was getting an award, or placing in the Olympics. Just wanted to discuss it...but nothing. My companion also had time added. As for the course, it did have a lot of turns, etc. but hey, variety! They did have adequate water stops and power gels at one of them. Also, plenty of porta potties. As stated before, 0 traffic! The Fairfield Inn is 2 minutes from the start/finish area. But my frustration is the lack of communication. It's hard for me to promote this race when it appears they really don't care about mistakes. Too bad! | |
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A Runner from Illinois
(11/22/2001)
"A scenic but difficult course!" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 Since this course had many rolling hills, several turns (several tight turns) and several short steep hills (uphill and downhill), this course was not fast! This course is 2 loops on an out-and-back route, and with all of the turns and short steep hills, you cannot get into a rhythm for the race and be in 'a running zone'. I recall turning or being on a hill before every 1/4 mile which became more aggravating as the race progressed. Unless you are used to running with many turns and steep hills, you cannot race a personal best on this course. As a result, I felt more tired earlier in the race and lost 25 - 30 minutes from my goal time! The path is too narrow for marathoners, half-marathoners, relay teams, and walkers to be competing together. While I was running, I was dodging other competitors from both directions. In addition, while I was running across the bridges and trying to be considerate for other runners running in the opposite direction, I almost scraped against some metal bolts. After 6 miles, the distance between each aid station was longer than 2 miles. There were not enough aid stations or sports drink on the course and the turn-around points were not organized very well. Powergel probably should have been distributed at miles 8, 16, 20, and 24. The sports drink should have been distributed at every aid station. The only fans on the course besides the start and finish were the people working at the aid stations and other runners that were encouraging you as you passed them on the trail. The only bright notes about the course is that it's scenic, well marked with yellow arrows on the path and markers at every mile. Fortunately we had very good weather, but I was concerned as it had rained 30 minutes before the start of the race and became much cooler. For some reason, the start of the race was delayed 15 minutes. There wasn't an awards ceremony as mentioned on the website. Were there refreshments after the race? I did not see any. Packet packup was an inconvenience in driving to a location overshadowed by large buildings. People from out of town were unfamiliar with the packet pickup location and drove around in circles looking for the New Balance of KC running store. The pasta dinner was very disappointing as you pay $10, but don't have a choice on what to eat or the quantity to eat. This needs to be an 'all you can eat buffet' instead of a single serving. Remember, we are running a marathon, not a 5K or 10K race. The volunteers were very helpful in distributing water and powergel at the aid stations and answering questions about the race. The Fairfield Inn is a convenient hotel at a reasonable price. The Kansas City area is nice and friendly. Unless the marathon course changes to the roads and becomes much faster, I don't plan on running it again! I would recommend this marathon course only to non-serious competitors that are solely interested in the scenery. | |
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A Runner from Kansas City, MO
(11/21/2001)
 "Need bathrooms" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 One bathroom was available along the course, others were padlocked shut! Had to wait in line behind five people, talk about a waste of time! | |
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A Runner from Lenexa, Kansas
(11/20/2001)
"nice course and nice people" (General Comments)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I've always avoided out-and-back and double loop courses. This one is both, but I like the trails. Once the 1/2 marathoners are done it's pretty sparse. During the second half there were people out walking the dog or riding bikes on the course that wondered why I wore a number. It was different and small. I liked it and I'd do it again. November in KC can be very unpredictable. We were lucky in 2001. The weather; 5 stars. | |
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A Runner from Rochester, MN
(11/20/2001)
 "The bad and the good." (about: 2001)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 The bad: Approximately 250 half marathon and marathon runners at the start, after 1/2 mile of a wide road runners are funneled onto a path approximately 7-8 feet wide. This makes for significant congestion and could easily result in a fall. Although I personally found the water stops adequate, sports drinks were in very limited supply. For those of us that are intolerate of gels, hypoglycemia was a definite reality. At the end of the race there were a lot of refreshments and food available, however, they were set back off of the course and no one directed us there. (I happened upon them by mistake.) The good: The volunteers were friendly and the trail was fairly scenic with no traffic. | |
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A Runner from Castle Rock, CO
(11/20/2001)
"Nice course, getting too large for trails though!" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I enjoyed this race (I did the 1/2), but it's getting too large to run along a trail. There were no bathrooms at the start and only one port-a-john along the course. Sure, the woods work for the guys, but not us women!! The weather turned out great! Nice, flat and scenic route. VERY little crowd support. The race started about 15 minutes late for some reason. Lots of food at the end which was great. I did feel that it was all well-organized though. Overall, I would recommend this race to others, but they really need to look at taking it to the streets. | |
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A Runner from St. Joseph, MO, USA
(11/19/2001)
 "It was a great, I will do it again." (about: 2001)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Only improvement I would recommend is a water station at every mile. I will bring a water bottle next year for sure. A few more potties at the start of the race would be useful, but woods and bushes are convenient any how. | |
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A Runner from Chicago, IL
(11/20/2000)
"Good, flat run... but very few spectators" (about: 2000)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 For a first time marathoner like myself, I'm not sure I would recommend it - although I did not find it intimidating at all which I think you might find in some of the larger races. There are very few spectators, and once the runners spread out across the various paces, there were points where you didn't see anyone else for up to 10 minutes. If you are used to running by yourself (which luckily I was), then this shouldn't be a problem and it's a good race. The course is pretty flat, except for some short, but very steep hills going across the bridges. | |
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A Runner from Wisconsin
(10/26/2000)
"Nice Small Marathon" (about: 1999)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Marathon (26.2 miles) - Consists of two loops on the Overland Park and Leawood running trails. The course is relatively flat winding along Indian and Tomahawk Creek. Very nice small marathon, would do again. |
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