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Apr 29, 2024

Martian Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 3.9

Organization 4.4

Spectators 2.9

Number of comments: 108 [displaying comments 41 to 51]

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M. S. from Michigan (4/10/2009) "Great volunteers; nice, quiet run" (about: 2009) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 My first small marathon was a pleasure. There was easy parking close to the start; an easy, open course; and no congestion. There were more hills than I expected, but besides the few short uphills at the end, they were not much of an issue. Aid stations were small, but volunteers were friendly and they had GU at many of them. (I picked one up at four different stations.) I heard a few complaints about the wood bridge near the end, but it didn't bother me at all. Marathon medals ran out before the 4:30 finishers got there, but I ran it for the shirt. BEST SHIRTS EVER!!! This race will become a yearly tradition for me.
K. J. from Middle of the Mitten (4/10/2009) "Great Spring Marathon!!!!" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Pros: Race day packet pick-up was available and hassle-free. The course was extremely well marked (impossible to get lost). Plenty of GU, water, Gatorade, etc. Nice mix of pancake flat sections along with a few small inclines and declines. Great weather!! Absolutely, the most unique awards I have ever seen. Free parking within feet of the start/finish area. No traffic whatsoever on the course. Cons: No bag drop. Finishers medal was sub-par (especially in comparison to the overall awards). A few of the aid stations after the turnaround were unable to handle runners from both directions. (I went past two water stops where I had to get my own from the table as the volunteers were all busy with runners headed in the other direction.) All in all, this is a great race. While the course has a few small hills, it is PR worthy. Excellent organization and strong volunteer support. This event will continue to grow in numbers.
P. T. from Metro Detroit, MI (4/9/2009) "Definitely worth your time" (about: 2009) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 This was my second full marathon. No net elevation change (duh, it's out and back), but quite a few rollers. The steep hill at mile 25.5 was just WRONG!!! Nice, low-key race. A moderate headwind coming back, due to the openness and lack of trees or buildings to block the wind. Plenty of GU, and water stations were plentiful and well placed. They need to have the walkers start in the back... I swear the worst thing is to swerve past walkers in the first half-mile!! Fan support was almost non-existent. Headphones ARE a must to keep you focused, LOL. The price is RIGHT!!! At the end, the food was great, but I would have liked something like Gatorade instead of only water. I would recommend this race for all.
Mickey S. from Nashville, TN (4/8/2009) "Fun theme and fast course that resulted in a PR." (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I have run half marathons in the big events like Country Music in Nashville and the smaller ones like Foot Traffic in Portland. This was as much fun as any I have run. The course was as flat as advertised. The weather cooperated - sunny, cool and little wind. The martian theme was ever present and made it fun. Volunteers were great. Could have used a gear bag drop. I enjoyed being in town during the NCAA Final Four. That made getting a hotel room harder, but the excitement in the air more than offset that minor inconvenience. Loved the Henry Ford Musuem, Detroit Institute of Art, and side trip to Ann Arbor. Numerous awesome restaurants. Delightful trip to a city that was very happy to host visitors. I'm glad that I added this race to my list.
J. Z. from Michigan (4/8/2009) "Well run marathon" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I thought this was a well run, smaller marathon. The course was closed off to traffic and was well laid out. A few hills kept things interesting. Not many spectators, but that was expected. I liked the serenity after the 1/2 marathons turned off. Plenty of water/Gatorade/GU stops and several bathrooms along the route. Plenty of food at the finish line. I don't care for the shirts - they're a little too gimmicky for me - but I think most people liked them. My only real complaint is about the finisher medals, which are very small and boring. For the half-marathon, I think they were fine; but full-marathoners deserve a little more. But overall, I would recommend this race.
William Joy from Ionia, MI (4/8/2009) "Not out of this world, but not bad neither" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The inflatable martians that were taped to street posts were neat to see when driving in town Saturday evening. By Sunday morning, they were all gone. The hotel I stayed at was overpriced (at over $100 for the night). It was filthy, yet close to the race. As far as the race itself, there was ample free parking, check-in was easy and quick, and the T-shirts had a neat and unusual design on them. The entry fee was very reasonably priced. This is great, since the economy is so bad and unemployment in Michigan is the highest in the nation. The course was flat and closed to traffic. This race could easily handle many more people without bottle-necking occurring. The course lacked scenery and music; and spectators were few and far between. Every mile was labeled and had a martian attached to it. Water and GU stations were plentiful. However, longer water lines would have been nice, as there were only around a dozen people handing out water at each water station. The medal you got at the end of the race was of a flying saucer. Great idea! However, the medal is relatively small, looks dull, and overall is rather unappealing. Also, the date and location of the race are not on the medal. After the race, the food was OK. They had pizza, bagels, bananas, and cookies - that I can remember. There was no music, massages, post-race entertainment, beer tent, or anything like that after the race. I see from last year's suggestions that people wanted an earlier start time and they got it. The race started at 7 a.m. instead of 8:30 a.m. This was great, as I was able to get a late checkout from my hotel. With an 8:30 a.m. start time, a late checkout at the hotel wouldn't be feasible. I really can't say anything bad about this race, but at the same time, it was pretty much a no-thrills race.
Michael Mills from Arlington, VA (4/7/2009) "Lived up to the "fun"" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Every race starts with the organization, and this was well run. The course was great - too bad the race isn't in May/June. It would have been nice to see all of the parks/trees in full bloom. The course does not lend itself to have a lot of spectators, but that is fine with me. Even though there are stretches where you may not see a person, the ones who are out make enough noise. Also, even though it is so sparse, I didn't have that uncertainty/feeling that I do on other small race courses - that feeling that I'm going to miss a turn. Cones and people posted at every major turn make it so you can't get lost. Great race, a lot of fun, way cool/unique t-shirts, and a nice martini glass for age groups topped it off!!
Sanjay Mohanta from Ottawa, Canada (4/7/2009) "Good, Small Race!" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This was my 17th marathon and my first run outside of Canada. I highly recommend it. The volunteers were very friendly and the theme was fun. Cool shirt and easy, free parking. The last-minute switch from Novi to Dearborn was a bummer since my hotel fees almost tripled, but overall, well done. I like the food at the end and I will do this race again in the future.
F. W. from Chicago (4/6/2009) "Shame on the Race Organizers!" (about: 2009) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 Don't bother running this race if you are a slow runner! They ran out of marathon medals before the 4:50 runners even came in. Even worse, the race officials started pulling up the aid stations at the 5-hour mark, even though the course was advertised to be open for 6 1/2 hours! It was extremely stressful to have to worry about whether you were going to be running the last 5-6 miles without any fluids or directional signage. This lack of consideration for the runners is just inexcusable. I will be sure to tell fellow marathoners to avoid this race. One more thing the race organizers don't mention: the short-sleeve marathon shirt has Team in Training logos on both arms. I have nothing against TnT, but if I'm not running on their behalf, I don't want their logos on my race shirt. The positive things: the volunteers were terrific and supportive; they stayed out on the course 'til the last runner was in, there was plenty of water, Gatorade and GU (that is before they pulled the aid stations) and there was still post-race food even past the 6-hour mark.
S. D. from Westchester, New York (4/6/2009) "Nice Job" (about: 2009) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Martian Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Okay, let's get the one big issue out of the way: do not go to the pasta party. That being said, this is a really good race to run to get Michigan done. The course was mostly flat, with only slight hills. It was basically a 13.1-mile out-and-back, but you go through local neighborhoods on your way out and through a park on your way back. The course is closed to traffic, which is a definite plus. You run mostly through parks, which if it was not so early in the season would have been nicer. The expo is minimal but sufficient. I did not expect much, and got no more and no less then I expected. Do not expect a big-race expo experience. You have local vendors. If you need something, bring it to the race because it will not be possible to buy it at the expo. The support is first-rate. Although the water stops were every two miles, considering the cool weather, that is was enough. If the weather was hot, then it could have been an issue. The water stops had water and Gatorade, and at two of them, they had GU too. It was enough and served the purpose. The race organizers where friendly and helpful. The volunteers where great. The support was perfect. I will admit to being worried before the race that with the growth from the last few years to this year they would be overwhelmed it did not prove true. They handled the growth fine and had enough support. The only issue was that the start line is not designed for the number of runners who showed up. Get a larger start line or cap the race. As I continue running around this country, I would put this right up there as a nice, small race that is well run and has everything you can look for. By the way the shirt is unique and really cool. Great design.

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