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May 1, 2024

Hyannis Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Hyannis Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.0

Organization 3.5

Spectators 2.7

Number of comments: 98 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 10 > ]

M. S. from Oregon (2/26/2013) "Hypothermia Marathon (ouch)" (about: 2013) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Hyannis Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This would have been a beautiful marathon if the weather was slightly decent, but nobody can control that. Thank you for deciding to hold the race even though conditions weren't great. Mother Nature threw it at us...rain, sleet, high winds,cold, downpours, etc. Many of us traveled a far distance to make it and it would have been a costly shame not to hold the race. Pros * Great check-in and expo * lots of great volunteers who weathered it out to support us * the few people out cheering were fantastic. They helped us keep going. * nice medal * loved the soup at the end. Helped combat the chills Cons * mass start and running in a crowd for first half * no where to stash gear (need official gear check in). I would have brought dry clothes with me to change into after the race. As it was, had to walk almost 2 miles back to hotel and was already frozen. Bag I did leave with a few things in it on a table (with my name on it) was tossed out, I guess. A note to organizers and exhibitors, if you have a place to store things securely, I would have purchased stuff like shoes and gear before the race. The booths were mostly closed and torn down after I finished the race. * Route was pretty (or would be if somewhat clear), but ankle-deep puddles and muddy conditions around puddles made this more like a warrior dash. Traffic was heavy in places and many rude and angry drivers. Sad to give that impression to us visitors. It would be nice to route us away from traffic, or at least busy roads. * a few snacks along the route at aid stations would be nice. Many races have energy gels and candy and fruit for fuel. Especially with the cold damp weather, a bit of fuel would be nice (boost up the entry fee $5 to ocver it). In all, I really did enjoy the marathon. My comments are meant less as criticism and more about helping make it even better next year. It was a good time, despite the weather, and a good refection on the area.
K. B. from Boston (2/25/2013) "Weatherproof" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Hyannis Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The decision not to cancel due to weather was probably a good one, because the turn out was phenomenal, unless that is, you're a back of the packer like me and got very very very cold. I hate to think of how the people behind me were feeling. Pros: - good expo on the morning of, complete with donuts for people that can stomach them before a race - ample parking right next to the start/finish - frequent mile markers - Gatorade at every station - plenty of race officials and officers to direct traffic/runners - volunteers that were cheerful, despite the miserable conditions Cons: - the conference area was way too small for the number of runners. Although, part of that could be due to nobody wanting to be outside - cotton shirts? Really? - in terms of swag, there was no distinction between the full, half, or relay. Granted, there's more to marathoning than the collectibles, but marathon entry fees cost a lot more (and we were a lot more miserable from the elements at the end!) so I feel what we take home should be reflective of that. - Food. Yes, there was stuff to eat, if you count rummaging through random boxes of fruit and weird tasting bagels. Anything warm was gone, and the room was an absolute mess - a little disheartening to come back to an event space that looks like you missed everything and everyone. - the stops were further apart for the second loop, and the toilet facilities more scarce. I think I saw one port-a-potty on the second loop. - the course could be a little better. Having grown up on the Cape, I know there are a lot of places that are more scenic and that don't involve running single file along a main road during a gross winter day. All in all, the directors did a pretty good job of organization. I would consider running it as part of the half marathon trilogy, but not for the full.
L. J. from Maine (2/25/2013) "Brrrr....but good!" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hyannis Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Had the conditions been different, this could have been a PR course. A few comments - the communication was outstanding; we got consistent email communication & a posting on the race website that everything was on; - the volunteers were amazing - while we were running and cold, I can only imagine what it was like to be standing still and cold, wet, etc but no one abandoned their posts and they still smiled. A special thanks to the man along the highway protecting us from the really big puddle - the 2 loop course had a good layout and there were no big hills at all - I was sad that when I finished (4:30), there was none of the vaunted soup I had heard of from prior years and I was suprised that there were no heat sheets or medical personnel at the finish given the conditions. All in all, I was pleased with the race and the organization - no one can control the weather and we all knew what we were getting in for!
A. M. from Connecticut (2/28/2012) "Very well run except for Water Stops" (about: 2012) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Hyannis Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first ever Marathon and a good, flat one to choose (minus the winds by the beach). Beautiful scenery. Even though the half marathon ends and the marathoners have to keep going, there WAS good organization in keeping us to the left while everyone turned the corner right. The only complaint I have was there were NOT ENOUGH water stops on my 2nd loop. I don't know if I was going insane or not, but for a good 3-4 miles I saw nothing and regretted not carrying a water belt :(. Great volunteers flagging us throughout the course and rooting us on. Food was great at the end (they DID still have hot soup as Paulie promised :). Get your donuts early because that was the only thing I saw that they ran out of. Could have had more water inside after the race. Mile markers are there every mile but low to the ground so if someone tall is running next to you they might easily be missed.
B. C. from Massachusetts (2/28/2012) "Pressure is on to keep getting better" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Hyannis Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 49th marathon and 8th Hyannis finish. Kudos for the course and starting line improvements. An easy route was made even easier in the last 4 miles. Really big '+'. The finish line changes also gave the race a better 'big race' feel. I like the progress but water is still lacking with no stops from mile 2 to 6. Again, not a big deal for the 1/2 marathoners but bad for the full. I'd like to see more volunteers at the water stops...perhaps local schools or civic groups. Hyannis doesn't get 'into' this race. Too many angry drivers tooting at the racers. Two cars almost hit me and the officer had to give another driver a citation for weaving in and out of runners in motion. The race clearly needs more local publicity in the days leading up to the race. The race is trying to get big time but it's not there yet.
S. M. from Ohio Girl (2/27/2012) "Great New England Feb Run" (about: 2012) 50+ previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Enjoyed the views on the course, well organized, and friendly people! Nervous abut going from the comments last year but did not think traffic was an issue, plenty of food, and great run!!!!
S. F. from North Central Connecticut (2/27/2012) "Overall a great expereince!" (about: 2012) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Hyannis Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my second time in Hyannis for this event. In 2011, I did the half and 2012, the full. I'll agree with most comments about this race that the main event is the half, with the marathon being secondary. over 4300 ppl did the 1/2, and 402 was the final count for the full. Reading reviews of previous year's fulls, I was weary. Some comments reported insufficient water stops and not enough water for marathoners on their second lap around the double loop. Being a 'middle of the pack' runner, I surely hoped this wouldn't be an issue for me. I train with a water belt, but don't like to race with it. I jokingly told race volunteers at the water stops on my first loop to 'be sure they're there on my second lap!!' They were! and with a full water table. I didn't get the impression they'd be running out any time soon, even for the 'back of the packers'. People were friendly for sure! The route is beautiful. I enjoyed it more on my second loop, only because the pack thins out tremendously and I was able to view beautiful houses and the ocean/beaches unobstructed. Roads to traffic barely close for this race and if I had to complain about one thing, that would be it. I don't doubt residents were made aware of this race far in advance, however we'd run past lines of cars with angry drivers behind the wheel waiting to be let through the crowd and it made me uneasy. There's one portion of the race where they cone off one lane for runners and keep the other open for drivers. Drivers were speeding past in anger and was annoying. I mean, geeze, we're stimulating their economy by being there!!! This is a great race to PR, as the course is flat with a few rolling hills. I tried to finish in 4:10 but wind was a huge factor. From miles 17-23 or so, I had a head wind which was reported later as being as gusty as 40 mph. I ran with my wind gear so I wasn't necessarily cold, but the force of the wind cut my speed tremendously. I finished in 4:16:12. I felt real strong the whole race and at the end I could have kept going which certainly adds to the fact that I had a wonderful experience with this marathon!
D. F. from Bridgewater CT (2/27/2012) "Fun Marathon in February" (about: 2012) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Hyannis Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was a well organized race. After reading comments about 2011 etc I set my expectations low. Thankfully I was pleasantly surprised that it was not as others had mentioned. Some things could be improved upon. 1) Gatorade was pretty watered down 2) at the finish they could have had water inside. (I had to back outside to get a bottle) Some good things 1) There was plenty of food remaining after the marathon 2) Crowd support while small was really nice 3) Plenty of traffic control by police and volunteers
H. O. from western CT (4/4/2011) "High on Hyannis" (about: 2011) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Hyannis Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 When I first heard about this race, I had my doubts: February marathon in New England? Double loop course with vehicular traffic? But after training all winter by running on the interstate during nor'easters, I was ready for this one. Good thing because I needed my training. Pros: -Great cotton shirt that is multi-purpose: wear it race weekend, then wash it once and your Yorkie will be the envy of his marathon/half-marathon/relay/speedwalk/potato sack race enthusiast friends. All events are listed on the shirt so he can tell his furry friends that he did them all! -Fast course! One can easily PR here if a pickup truck drags you or you ride the radiator (provided the pickup is headed your way on the course). There is ample opportunity for this kind of course assistance. -Plenty of bathroom facilities inside the host hotel. It was very accommodating for the hotel to open up their stairwells for runners to tend to pre-race comfort breaks. -Nice friendly field...not atypical for a semi-rural New England race. Nothing says New England than when a half-marathoner yells, 'weaver' when you pass him as he's in the center of a two foot wide road shoulder doing a 20-minute/mile pace. I really appreciated the gait correction suggestion from Cliff Claven. -Little opportunity to gorge post-race since the half-marathoners and relay people devour the food like ravenous wolves. The lack of food and water is character building & a chance to keep off the burned calories. -The medal can be used in Icelandic vending machines as a coin. Shh! -Buy one, get one free! Once you've run one loop, you get to do another and relive the fun exactly the way you remembered it! -Unique mile markers that are 'written' in yellow into the snow. Cons: -Volunteers dressed too warmly...couldn't make out features underneath ski jackets and ski masks. Come on...we want to see you! -Roadkill not fresh. -Too much beach on course. 1/8 of a mile by the ocean is overkill; I prefer to examine ditches and potholes while running a coastal New England race. -Slushie drinks on the course not as good as Sonic's. -Race officials and race field too lenient with Yankee fan. I saw a lady finish the dreaded NY cap...as if no one knocked her down...or even tried. A few nasty comments just doesn't cut it.
F. H. from New York, NY (3/4/2011) "Great course (watch out for cars, though)" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Hyannis Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Fantastic marathon that I will run again. Thanks to all the volunteers along the course. Thanks to the cop running with a bunch of us at mile 1.3 when a nitwit plowed into the crowd of runners. Hope he remembered the guy's plate number after he stopped him. The host hotel was clean and comfortable. Not a bad marathon for February.

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