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Apr 28, 2024

Lost Dutchman Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Lost Dutchman Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.6

Organization 4.8

Spectators 3.8

Number of comments: 142 [displaying comments 21 to 31]

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D. R. from Cincinnati, OH (2/18/2014) "Wonderful race in Arizona!" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Lost Dutchman Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Pros: 1) Very well organized and race organizer was very responsive to email. My flight into town was delayed (by a day) and I was concerned about packet pickup day before marathon, they made pickup available before race (there were many with travel problems from the east due to weather). I was very impressed with the race director's responsiveness. 2) Very nice race shirt and medal. 3) Very easy packet pickup. 4) Plenty of hotels available with race rates. I stayed at the Marriott Courtyard in Mesa and the staff at this hotel could not have been more helpful! 5) Plenty of places to sit, portable toilets, sunscreen, tea, coffee, water at the start. 6) Fires to keep you warm at start (though this year it was almost 60 at the start). 7) Friendly and helpful volunteers before, during and after the race. 8) Convenient transportation to race start and back to parking area after the race. 9) Burritos, chips, fruit, yogurt, water, gatorade at the finish. 10) Well marked course. 11) Course patrol was well manned. Cons: Note: Without these two problems the course would have gotten a '5'. The first 6 miles are beautiful...the rest is very pretty also. 1) There were sections of the course where runners were given very little space to run. 2) Sometimes the traffic speed (from behind us) was daunting. Overall a great event that I recommend!
T. S. from Kansas City, MO (2/17/2014) "Very unique and beautiful race!" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Lost Dutchman Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Highly recommend this race! My favorite part was everything about the start (the campfires, the moon, the looming mountain, the sunrise, and a beautiful first six miles of desert trail). It was truly magical! Spectators were scarce but all very encouraging, welcoming, and the volunteers were super enthusiastic and helpful. LOVED that they had cold towels at two points in the race since it was unseasonably warm. Also did a great job supplying sports drink, water, and bananas etc. I found the portapotties to be plentiful. The course was definitely challenging for me with rolling hills but I was also already sore from some weight training the previous week (bad idea!) so it may not have been as much of an issue for others. Post-race food was great and the organization of parking/shuttles etc. was excellent. Also loved that the race director/officials had frequent updates so we knew what to expect. Overall-a very unique experience and a race I will not soon forget!
Mark Gershman from Arizona (2/16/2014) "Definitely in the top-10 of small marathons!" (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Lost Dutchman Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is the race other race directors should model themselves after. This race is PREPARED for everything, is pro-active in execution, and delivers way more than it promises. And they do it with a smile and staff of very friendly volunteers. Packet pick up is a breeze. The race is value-priced. Tech tee and medal are beautiful. The race starts on time. Bus transportation and parking management is flawless. It's impossible to get lost on the course. They're easy-to-spot mile markers. Pre-race portalets are plentiful. Bag drop is easy. Small fires with mats to sit on greet all runners at the bus drop-off. A canteen of water, hot tea, hot coffee, breakfast rolls, and last-minutes essentials are provided. We were treated to a moonset/sunrise this year as a bonus. The desert scenery is legendary. This year's weather was exceptionally warmdidn't phase themthey added two cold towel stops and had AN ARMY of medical volunteers, ham radio operators, firemen, patrol cars, and personnel on bikes going up and down on the course to make sure no one was having issues with the heat. Aid stations were stocked and many water stops had Gu, bananas, and loads of water and Gatorade. The finish line had their 'banquet' waiting once again: breakfast burritos, bagels, cookies, yogurt, chips, salsa, pretzels, and more fluids. They didn't run out of anything. The website and Facebook page were updated often. They not only staged the marathon, but also an 8K, 10K, and half. None conflicted with each other. Results were posted on site and online before I got home. You may think that 'well of course, these things should all be provided' but sadly they're not and/or promised but not delivered at other races. This race director and team have it dialed in and the runners know itthis race continues to grow and receive their very well-deserved accolades. When thinking about an AZ marathon, look no further than this desert gem. It has downhill stretches, some challenging but doable uphill spells, and a beautiful, wide open sky to enjoy it all. The sun is mostly to your back. Can't wait to do it all over again 2015!
s. c. from east coast (3/25/2013) "Something for everyone at the LDM" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Lost Dutchman Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 My spouse and I ran the companion 8km trail run in 2013. From packet pickup to wonderful food at the finish, there was really nothing lacking at this event. I have done both the half and the full at RnR AZ and will never again when I can race at the LDM. We both won our age group and the bonus gold medal was a fun touch. I'll be signing up for 2014.
russ petelle from derby line, vermont (3/13/2013) "great organization and support" (about: 2013) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Lost Dutchman Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I pretty much enjoyed everything about the race except the course. the first six miles were among the most beautiful anywhere. the last 20 were on trafficked roads. the enthusiasm of all the volunteers was unbeatable.
J. R. from Alexandria, VA (3/6/2013) "A Great February Option" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Lost Dutchman Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 All of our west coast friends said that Dutchman was THE choice for an Arizona marathon, so this one was on the calendar for a while. All in all, a very good race- very professionally organized given the size of the sponsoring town. What I liked: 1. Great weather for February. I'm coming from DC, so I appreciated the ability to run in (relatively) cool morning temps. That said, from the high 40's at the start, the course does heat up quickly as the sun rises over the desert. Still, it was only 70 or so by finish, so good running temps. 2. Loved the start and the first 1/4 of the race on unpaved roads through desert pastures. The first 6-7 miles was a joy. Great hard-packed unpaved road (not a single-track trail) through the cacti with the sun rising over the mountains. Beautiful. 3. Lots of volunteers, official and otherwise. Very well-staffed aid stations, with enthusiastic volunteers. When the locals come out with snacks, you've got a good race. 4. Gravel shoulders along the paved roads. Many (not all) of the paved roads had nice, firm gravel shoulders. That gave me the option to step off the asphalt and onto a reasonably well-groomed 'trail'- a great relief on my knees. 5. Good post-race support. I generally finish in plenty of time to grab a bite, but my 5+ hour friends had plenty of snacks and supporters when they crossed the line too. I do wish the race were a bit easier to get to for the out of towner. We really needed the rental car, which really raised the cost of the trip. I'm hoping that the RD will look into shuttles from several of the larger hotels closer to Mesa. But that's a minor complaint. Overall, this one's a recommend.
K. R. from Phoenix, AZ (2/25/2013) "Wonderful all around" (about: 2013) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Lost Dutchman Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is only my 2nd full marathon, but I've also done 8 half marathons, so I've had my share of experiences. Do NOT run the Rock and Roll in January if you are thinking of a winter marathon in AZ. The Lost Dutchman has them beat hands down. From the ease of packet pick up, to the camp fires at the start, warming bus, tons of porta-potties, it was clear this event would be different. They had aid stations every 2 miles, girls handing out Girl Scout Cookies, spectators handing out donuts, Vaseline, oranges, etc. The best part was being able to sign up for text alerts based on chip times over various check points. The texts would alert others of your projected finish time so they weren't wasting time at the finish. The overall amount of spectators is small, with several stretches of no one for several miles , so if that is your thing, you might be disappointed (I don't care - I ran my training runs alone, I can run a marathon alone). Just a great event all around.
E. D. from Columbus, OH (2/23/2013) "One of the best-organized runs" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Lost Dutchman Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 The course was scenic for the beginning, but not so much the end, except for ever-present view of the Superstition Mountains. Fire pits and warming bus at beginning were high points for me. Day of race was warm and sunny. ALL workers/volunteers were great. Great organization and workers helped 'make' a very favorable impression. Also, one could fly into Phoenix and take third-party shuttle to hotels in Apache Junction (not super cheap, but still not bad). The actual run organizers offered buses to the packet pick-up, and race start and finish. It's a great race, all in all.
Mark Gershman from Scottsdale, AZ (2/17/2013) "Outstanding because this race delivers!" (about: 2013) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Lost Dutchman Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 These guys and gals have it figured out from start to finish. Their volunteers are the best in the business....by far. This is exactly what a race event is supposed to look like. The things I'm listing here may make you scratch your head--'well yea, they should offer this...' but that's the point; many races, corporate or otherwise promise all these things but fall down in execution or simply don't or under deliverLDM promises and delivers--EXACTLY as they say they will. Packet pick up is a breeze. Your name is part of your bid, as is your chip timing. Pre-race parking is flawless and easy--including signs, folks to direct you, buses waiting and ready, and volunteers hopping on board to welcome you, pass around pins, markers, extra bags, etc. and to wish you well. Pre-race staging is full of warm fires, large carpet mats to sit, abundant portalets, breakfast breads, water, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, fruit, etc. The race starts on time. Mile markers are clearly visible. Water stops are manned by VERY friendly volunteers--mostly seniors--and they're all smiling ear-to-ear. There are portalets on the course. Streets are efficiently coned. It is impossible to make a wrong turn. There is a variety of terrain to traverse--the rollers are rewarded with some good downhill stretches. Still, this course is somewhat challenging. There are NUMEROUS gel stops and banana stops. Most of the race faces away from the Arizona sun. There are separate mile markers for the half, full, and 10K. Your name is called out at the finish. The post-race buffet includes breakfast burritos, chips, cookies, granola, fruit, and beveragestons of it-AND plenty for late stragglers. Results are posted immediately. The medal is substantial. The race shirt is a L/S tech tee. The website and Facebook are updated daily if not hourly as needed. Race entry fees are way less than the mega races yet so much more is delivered. There are great photo opps throughout the course. Bag retrieval is very close by and easy. Shuttle buses back to your vehicles are also close by and easy. The race director and volunteer committee make themselves available for anything and everything. And they do it with a smile. Spectators that live in the rural area of this race are warm and friendly. This race has many repeaters as well as 50-staters, first-time marathoners, and Marathon Maniacsit attracts and welcomes all skill levels. This race has sold out in the past--this year it didn't probably because there is a new one in the area being held in two weeks time. You can see this race delivers at all levels and does so year after year. They listen to feedback and tweak as necessary. Don't hesitate to put this race on your calendar--you won't regret it!
J. R. from Pinal County, AZ (1/27/2013) "Too much trash" (about: 2012) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Lost Dutchman Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 It is a great event, but sadly the aftermath Of the race is too much litter. The packets of gel are discarded into yards, the brush, on the road, essentially everywhere. The staff does their best to clean up, but it isn't a comprehensive effort.

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