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May 8, 2024

Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.4

Organization 4.5

Spectators 4.4

Number of comments: 330 [displaying comments 81 to 91]

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d. l. from oklahoma (7/12/2010) "Good" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 First marathon. It was still dark when we had to arrive, and there were very few signs to tell runners where to go. The run was great, and well supported with water and GU stops. It was easy to know where the course was. The digital photos are outlandish. Their contracted photography company wants $25 per digital photo. Outlandish... no thanks.
L. E. from Minneapolis, MN (4/30/2010) "OKC!" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I ran the half at Oklahoma City, but I have run several marathons and other half marathons that are part of marathon events so I feel like I know how to do a good review. :) I want to do the 50 states but my body will not let me do a full in every state! Anyway, overall I was really happy with this race and was really impressed with the State of Oklahoma in general! The positives: The course was great. I especially loved running through the scenic neighborhoods. Some hills, but nothing outrageous... the variety is good for your legs. The weather was perfect, though the stretch on Classen does not have much shade (if any), so even with the cool temps the sun zapped some of my energy - but I got it back by the end. The volunteers and fan support for this race were AMAZING! Like I said, I travel all over for half and full marathons, and many of those races have been pretty lonely at times... but I cannot recall any stretch of the race where there weren't people nearby cheering us on. The aid stations had a good layout, with plenty of opportunity to get fluids, salty snacks, etc. without jamming up. The negatives: The corrals at the start were a mess. It seems like you could only enter the gates at the very front or the very back - no entry points if you wanted to line up with your pace. They were not utilizing the whole street, and the space between the fencing was PACKED. I actually had to wait until the race started and then crawled through the fence to get inside (yes, I chose to do this - but it seemed like a better alternative than fighting my way all the way to the back and then have to spend the first couple miles slowly weaving around people). Second, the expo was good, but too crowded - since the race is getting bigger, the organizers may want to consider a different venue if possible. It was hard to move around let alone spend time shopping at the vendor booths. Lastly, I was a little upset that we had to pay for parking just to go to packet pick-up - granted there was a basketball game and art fair going on, so I know why they were charging, but for those of us who just needed to get our race gear, maybe we could have gotten parking vouchers or something? But overall, a fun experience - definitely consider the OKC Memorial Marathon if you are looking for a race in Oklahoma!
B. B. from St. Augustine Beach, FL (4/30/2010) "What a pleasant surprise!" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 My criterion for picking OKC was nothing more than a cheap plane ticket. Thankfully I left with a big smile on my face. I had already signed up for the race when I saw that April is super-windy in OKC, which worried me. Fortunately, it worked out well because, even though it was breezy, there was a strong tailwind for the last 12 miles! In fact, I PR'ed that day. One awesome thing about this race is the early start for back-of-the-packers, so I got to finish with 4-hour runners. That was super. There were medals, food and shirts to spare! The course was great; it really showcased the city (like most marathons do). Crowd support was fantastic throughout. The city really comes out in force to support this great cause. One thing I did while in OKC was visit the Memorial Museum (free for marathon finishers). It was touching and poignant and really made me glad that I visited a city that I didn't know much about previously.
K. F. from Northern Oklahoma (4/30/2010) "First Class OKC!" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is only my second marathon, but OKC really does it first class. There are plently of hotels in the downtown area that are within walking distance. Volunteers were top notch! They all were very supportive. I was really impressed by the crowd support. There were very few stretches where you saw nobody. The neighborhoods participated well, there was even a house where kids were handing out bacon! (I passed, but laughed.) The temperatures were almost perfect. I didn't find the hills to be a problem, but it's not what I'd call flat either. The NW wind was fairly stiff, but being from the area, that's just what you get at this time of year. I did find the start corrals somewhat confusing and really crowded, so I scored that a 4. After the race there is plenty of food and drink, and even Carl's Junior cheeseburgers. In all of the celebration of the marathon, the underlying reason for this race is to remember the 168 victims of the Murrah Building bombing in 1995. There are 168 seconds of silence not long before the start and it is emotional to say the least. I definitely will keep this race on my spring calendar.
C. J. from Eagle Mountain UT (4/29/2010) "Memorable, Well-Organized and Worth the Travel" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I wouldn't rate this course one of the most beautiful - but it was very nice. I wouldn't rate the organization the best I've seen - but it was very well done. I wouldn't even rate the fans as the most numerous or loud... or the entertainment along the way particularly noteworthy. But when taken all together - in the shadow of the National Memorial - it was a great race and very memorable event. I really have no complaints about any aspect of the race, the expo, the organization or the support along the way - even the relatively unexpected "hills" were okay. Hearing the stories of those so profoundly affected by the bombing - and feeling the spirit of courage and determination that was evident afterwards and still today - made this an event to remember. My thanks and congratulations to the organizers, the volunteers and the thousands of runners who made this race what it was.
j. f. from Dallas, Texas (4/28/2010) "2nd ever marathon" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 This was my 2nd full marathon and I will say it was a great experience. I found it to be a little hilly but a great course. The lake is beautiful - lots of blue water. The fans are everywhere and cheer you a lot. I have no complaints. Great place to run and the memorial is really nice. A little unorganized at the start - I had to start at the back so my first 5 miles did a lot of passing.
George (Ted) Hobart from Arlington, VA (4/28/2010) "Another Incredible Marathon to Remember!" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Wow, the OKC is a must-run marathon. I love it! This was my third marathon this year, and it lived up to all of the great commments about the race. I was especially pleased with the incredible volunteers who made me feel so important all of the time. I finished in 6 hours and 32 minutes, which was an awesome time for me and all of those amazing runners that I came to know that day. Us "back of the pack" runners have just as much fun as the speedy runners. Thanks to all of the race staff, volunteers and runners for making this marathon a special one! The OKC was my 15th US State!
Lora Tang from Riverside CA (4/27/2010) "I AM SO GLAD THAT I PICKED OKC" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I BQ'ed last November. I had about a week left to register for the Boston Marathon and I would have made it. But my work had also posted a job training class for April in Norman, OK. DECISION, DECISION, DECISION. I am so glad that I decided to run the OKC Marathon instead. The course was great. The start and finish line were well organized. The parking was easy. Post-race food was the best ever - thank you, Carl's. The finisher's t-shirt and medal were very beautiful. A BIG THANK YOU TO FIRST CHURCH, volunteers, officers, fire and department. The support of the neighborhood was amazing. I will keep my eyes open for a 2011 training class. A must-run marathon if I lived in OK.
Dan Enslen from Fort Sill, OK (4/27/2010) "A Must-Run for any Oklahoma runner" (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 2 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 2nd OKC Half Marathon and it was better then last year. The weather was absolutely perfect. The spectators were amazing throughout the course and the crowd was amazing at the finish line. The course is slightly hilly, but if you train on hills at all you won't notice the hills at all. OKC does it right!
M. B. from Kansas (4/27/2010) "Good course, okay organization" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 Overall, this is a great marathon. I really liked the course. It highlighted many great parts of the city. The volunteers were very helpful and enthusiastic. The course is not hilly. It is not pancake flat, but if you have properly trained it is no problem. Thankfully we had the wind at our backs the whole way back. I cannot speak for the organization of the corral. I am a sub-3 hour marathoner and was at the front. My only complaint was when the full marathon tied back into the half with about 5 miles to go. Their needs to be more separation between the half and full marathoners. You are more than welcome to run. But if you are running a half in over 3 hours, you need to stay out of the way of full marathoners. I had to dodge many people walking, especially at water stops. The two races need to be on different sides of the road or at least divided by cones. I don't want to have to dodge people to run a sub-3 hour marathon. But overall, a great race for a great cause!

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