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May 3, 2024

Mississippi Coast Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Mississippi Coast Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.0

Organization 4.5

Spectators 2.4

Number of comments: 55 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 > ]

A. D. from Meridian, Ms (12/7/2010) "Cool race" (about: 2010) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Mississippi Coast Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Good, flat course; great aid stations (well equipped); great food and drinks afterward.
R. E. from Fishers, Indiana (11/29/2010) "Hidden Gem!" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mississippi Coast Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 It's so small that there is no problem with not having chip timing. The course is flat and the aid stations were well spaced and stocked. Bananas available at 17 and 22 miles were a nice plus. It was a little lonely after the half marathon course split, but with long, straight stretches and few sharp turns, it is fast. Well organized and efficient volunteers. Ice cold beer and hot food choices at the finish were a nice touch for a small race. Not many supporters on the course but the volunteers were doing double duty by cheering and providing aid. It's also unique in that the race director runs the race (and wins!!). Easy access from Interstate 10 makes it easy to find. A terrific bargain for $35!!
G. T. from New Orleans, Louisiana (11/28/2010) "Disorganized and amateur, but fast" (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Mississippi Coast Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 You can't beat the super-cheap entry fee or the totally-flat-as-a-pancake course, but the uninformed volunteers, poorly marked course, total lack of spectators, and very dull route will dissuade me from future attempts. Despite the fact that this was a PR for me, I was bored throughout (there were exactly zero spectators and the scenery is only interesting if you like rows of identical pine trees lining highways) and disappointed in course support. The Gatorade had been watered down and there were no gels (one was promised); and the volunteers didn't even bother to stop chatting to hand you a cup of water - it was self-serve. I finished near the top, but runners who were over 4 hours told me that at that point the stations were abandoned. I like this little running club and it's nice to have a race small enough to medal in, but I think it needs more planning and effort. I'd pay $10 more for real Gatorade and a few gels; I'd pay $20 more to move the course to an attractive area (hello, we're on the beach!) that allows spectators.
K. M. from Cleveland, OH (6/10/2010) "Could've been better" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Mississippi Coast Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 I ran the half since I had just run my first full marathon 6 weeks prior. I grew up in the area and know that there are so many more beautiful places to run than Stennis that probably would attract more spectators. Casual atmosphere was great and much appreciated as I was in town for a funeral and wanted to run just for the therapy of it. The post-race food was fantastic. The biggest disappointment was that the beautiful finisher's medal had the word "marathon" misspelled!
C. R. from Florida (1/4/2010) "Great first-marathon experience" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Mississippi Coast Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 I really enjoyed this race. I was very apprehensive, as it was my first marathon. The overall experience was good. 1. There was a delay at the gate to get into Stennis. I was worried about a late start. 2. I drove around looking for the starting point. I had to get directions after passing the correct turn. A big sign pointing you in the right direction to start the race would be helpful in the future. 3. Fan appreciation was not present because there weren't any. 4. The double-loop was not a problem, but there was absolutely nothing worth seeing on the run - just a bunch of vacant or deserted buildings. This is where some fans or entertainment would have been appreciated. 5. There were very limited port-o-lets on the course and the few at the starting location were a long distance away. 6. The race price was very inexpensive and well worth the 4-and-a-half-hour drive. 7. The welcome station was conveniently located and the race director was very helpful. 8. The finishing medal was very nice, and the long-sleeved shirt was decent, but liked how it matched the design of the medal. 9. Aid stations on the course were spaced well and the people were supportive. 10. This was a small race, which I really liked because it was my first. 11. There was nothing so great that would make me do this race again, but I'm glad to have had the experience.
L. B. from Alabama (12/9/2009) "Fast and inexpensive" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mississippi Coast Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Where else can you go and pay 40 bucks on the day of the race, have a great course to run on, and get a laid back atmosphere? The weather was great and the size of the marathon was perfect. I love the look of the shirt and finisher's medal. It was very cool to see the race director run and win his own marathon.
Gilbert Walker from Bay Saint Louis, MS (12/2/2009) "A great experience!" (about: 2009) First Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon, and after doing all of my training runs solo, I was very happy with the experience of running my first marathon near my home town. The race was well organized and the volunteers were very friendly. The weather was perfect and I finished in 4:36. Hats off to Leonard and all who organized, volunteered in and staffed a great race! I would highly recommend this race to anyone interested in running a marathon.
D. S. from Marble Falls, TX (11/29/2009) "Great course, PR-friendly" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mississippi Coast Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 I really enjoyed this race. It had a flat course that is PR friendly, although the PR eluded me today. What a unique opportunity to run (actually I race-walked) past NASA rockets, rocket boosters, aircraft, etc. And my family was able to drive to various places around the course to offer support. Really had a great time! I finished in a little over 5 hours and the food was all gone by then, so that was a bit disappointing. And I know there were still several runners who finished after me. So, several didn't get to eat any of the anticipated jambalaya. But I would still do this race again. The weather was perfect as well.
Greg Goebel from Sarasota, FL (11/29/2009) "Great, No-Frills Marathon" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Mississippi Coast Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 I stumbled across this race trying to fill another state in November. I am glad I did. This is a no-frills marathon, so I am glad that I came prepared. There was no expo (fortunately I planned ahead an brought backup GU). Packet pickup was held at the MS Welcome Station a few miles from the event. The course was a double-loop course that ran around the John Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, MS. With the exception of a couple of rolling hills within a mile of the start/finish, it was flat as a pancake. The start included the half-marathon and 5K, so there were probably 500 people. With only 109 finishers in the marathon, I would estimate that there were probably 130 starters. It was easily the smallest marathon I have run, and for the last half of the race, there were more times than not where the person in front of me and the person behind me were more than a minute away. You better enjoy solitude - which I did with a great playlist on my permitted iPod. Aid stations were every two miles and had water, Gatorade and fruit. The volunteers were very friendly and supportive. Outside of the volunteers, I don't remember seeing a sole on the course, so you better not need to feed off the crowd. The long-sleeve cotton T-shirt wasn't bad, and the finisher's medal was well done. This was my 17th marathon and I had a PR by 13 minutes, so it is hard to find many complaints. The three minor complaints that I had were (which is why I gave organization 4 stars instead of 5): 1) There needed to be a couple more volunteers to make sure you stayed on course (or at least a better marker). With runners so spread out, on the second loop I missed a turn and added an extra quarter-mile adding 2.5 extra minutes to my time. 2) Because they provided gun time only, and the 5K runners and half-marathoners were in the race too, we had to absorb the extra 20 or 30 seconds it took to get to the starting line. 3) Probably the biggest complaint is that they ran out of food at the finish. After running a marathon, you definitely are hungry. The runner that finished five positions ahead of me got the great jambalaya, but I didn't. There was one beer left, which I quickly snarfed. All in all, if you are looking for a fall race and want a PR, this is probably a great, inexpensive race to run.
D. W. from Texas (11/29/2009) "Very enjoyable" (about: 2009) First Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 My wife and I were looking for a nice, easy 5K to run on our way back form Georgia where we were visiting her family. We found this race on the internet, and although we hadn't been training for a half, we decided to run it. Registration was fast, we got a great t-shirt, they had a well marked course, there were lots of participants, and we had lots of fun. Everyone (runners and staff) was very friendly. The temperature was perfect. Awards were prompt. If opportunity presents itself, we will do it again. We did the tour of the facility that afternoon and enjoyed it also.

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