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Apr 28, 2024

"Last Chance for Boston" Marathon Runner Comments

Back to "Last Chance for Boston" Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 3.7

Organization 4.0

Spectators 3.6

Number of comments: 81 [displaying comments 61 to 71]

More Comments: [ < 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 > ]

P. J. from Beavercreek, Ohio (3/3/2005) "excellent marathon " (about: 2005) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 "Last Chance for Boston" Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I ran the half marathon and loved the 1-mile loop. This is definitely a race at which to concentrate on speed, and it is easy to do since every 1/4 mile is clearly marked. I would definitely do this race again.
A. R. from Powell, Ohio (2/26/2005) "Great Way to PR" (about: 2005) 1 previous marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I ran this race as a half marathon and loved it. The loop isn't really a round circle but a somewhat turning course that allowed runner's to face expected headwinds, then expected relief. I shaved almost 11 minutes off my PR, which I attribute the knowing exactly where I was with each 1/4 mile - all marked. The organization was excellent as was the very cool windbreaker shirt. Nice touch to have something other than a sweatshirt or T-shirt. The weather in Ohio in February will definitely be cold & windy. The light show made for an interesting run. And seeing the same people as we all looped together was highly motivating as you never felt alone in your constant drive to finish. I would highly recommend this course for anyone out to set a PR, especially if the person is well accustomed to winter running. This race will be in my winter schedule for next year.
Ethan Runs from Hollidaysburg, PA (2/24/2005) "Nice mid-winter marathon" (about: 2005) 1 previous marathon \| 1 "Last Chance for Boston" Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This race was extremely well organized. The volunteers are plentiful, friendly, and deserve the highest compliments for enduring 30-degree temps, wind and snow! This was my first marathon but not the first time I've traveled to a race. Logistically, this is as easy as it gets. The host hotel is literally a few steps away from the course. Even if you don't stay at the host hotel there are several others within a mile of the course. My wife and I stayed at a nearby hotel, and judging by the number of cars in the parking lot, there couldn't have been more than three or four rooms occupied in the entire hotel. We were surprised there weren't more people around, but then again, you figure there are 150 in the marathon and most of them aren't traveling overnight. The course is a one-mile loop and initially I thought running 26 loops would be dreadful. It's not! Since this is a smaller marathon, the loops ensure that you are always around someone, even if they aren't running your exact pace. The loop also gives you 26 passes at the water station and if you need aid you're never far away from assistance. After about mile 5, the volunteers started handing out gels, along with water and Gatorade that were available every lap. As you got into the later miles, the organizers would announce what lap you were on. I wore a pace band so I always knew what lap I was on, but I heard others express concern about losing count. Probably ten times I had my lap called out to me. If you are unsure, the organizers tell you in the pre-race announcements that you can let the timers know when you pass the mile marker and the next time through they'll be sure to let you know what lap you're on. My only complaint about the lap course is that there are three 45 degree turns. My left leg is much more sore than my right leg from being on the inside of all these turns. It wasn't a problem when I was running but the day after I noticed much more soreness in my left leg. My wife ran the half and experienced the same thing. The weather was snowy but no accumulation. The one straight away is windy, but then you have the wind at your back when you complete your lap. I trained through winter conditions in PA, so the wintry elements didn't really bother me on race day. If you're a treadmill runner or someone who doesn't like to run in sub-40-degree temps, I wouldn't recommend this race. However, if you are looking to BQ, there probably isn't a better course. It's pancake flat and the quarter mile markers on the course make it easy to monitor your pace. I would definitely recommend this marathon to anyone looking for a small Boston qualifier marathon who doesn't mind running in the cold weather.
B. M. from western NY (2/23/2005) "Correction - organization was good (4 stars)" (about: 2005) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 "Last Chance for Boston" Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 See prior comments.
peter vilasi from hermitage, pa (2/20/2005) "Kudos to Premier Sports; excellent event" (about: 2005) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 "Last Chance for Boston" Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I am so glad I did this race; I was a little nervous (more than normal) prior to doing this race because I had altered my training (fewer long runs, more marathon pace runs) and I ended up running a PR by 5 minutes! Very pleased. The race really helped with this since you never ran out of a person or group to try and catch repeatedly due to repeat one-mile loop; normally this doesnt happen too much as a race progresses since you usually are with people running the same pace as you as the race progresses; the course was relatively flat (slight upgrade/downgrade; enough to notice a slight chance in pace and how you feel) and one short, totally flat section (maybe 200M) that was totally flat. I gave spectators 4 stars only based on other marathons where there are usually a lot of spectators, music, etc., but what do you expect in 20-degree weather with a small race run through a deserted business park (okay, never mind, I changed it to a five since the people at the water station and at the transition point were very nice (and announcing your laps was a nice touch))? The location of the race was ideal due to terrain, location of hotel and no traffic; water station was outstanding with, of course, water and Gatorade, but also gel starting very early in the race (like mile 6 or so); support staff in this part of course was very nice and Premier Sports announced your laps (and they were accurate!) once you hit the 60-minute point; one mile is a perfect distance for a repeat loop for a marathon; no monotony (surprisingly), and predictability of the upcoming terrain made things mentally more tolerable; at some points the laps seemed to whiz by; keep this race at the same location and I will definitely be back! PS. Premier Sports deserves serious kudos for putting an event like this together; great concept and would definitely do this type of race again on a similar course.
B. M. from Western NY (2/20/2005) "Not bad for the middle of winter" (about: 2005) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 "Last Chance for Boston" Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I just finished this race a couple hours ago. Mentally, is was very tough. The weather was a bit windy and snowy. I thought I would handle the mile loop better than I did. What frustrated me was the lap count that the race organizers were calling out for me was inaccurate. It was a chip race and they kept telling me I was a lap behind my actual total. I keep track of every lap, that's how I run marathons (by mile pace). A little frustrating but I just handled it and ran my race, and stopped when I hit 26.2. I hope this didn't happen to anyone who was not keeping count, it would ruin your race.
David Terrill, Sr. from Tarentum, Pa. (8/3/2004) "This one is a test of mental & physical toughness." (about: 2004) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 "Last Chance for Boston" Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 It's early February in central Ohio, mid-winter season, so expect the temps to be low, and the winds blustery. Challenging atmospheric conditions for even the seasoned, hard-core runners. We refer to training runs in these conditions as 'Character Builders.' But every mile logged in less-than-ideal weather prepares you for the test that the LCFB Marathon surely delivers. I've 'Been there and done that' 3 times now and this has become the highlight of my winter circuit. I love this race! Race director Jeff Glaze and his staff have perfected the repeating loop course by staging this event in a level business park, starting and finishing in front of the host hotel. This concept is a dream come true from a logistics point of view. Virtually no traffic disruptions, as it is held early Sunday morning, so minimal police traffic control is required. 1 fluid stop/aid station that you pass 26 times means you are never far from water or aid if needed. ChampionChip timing ensures accurate lap counts, and also the personal touch of being announced occasionally as you cross the antenna mats. This also is where 95% of the spectators are. It's uplifting to see friends/family, but it can also break your focus. This IS NOT, I repeat IS NOT, a sight-seers marathon course. The whole idea here is to try to get that Boston qualifying time. The buildings in this office park are modern and typical, the land-scaped ponds are usually frozen over (did I mention earlier this is winter?), and the wind, when present, will be in your face about 1/4 of the time. The road surface quality has been fantastic, smooth and level, minimal crowning, and ice-free. Can it get any better? If you really want to go to Boston, you can certainly earn your qualifier here. I did in '03 and '04. You also get a nice micro-fiber wind shirt and a neat finisher's medallion. 2 areas I would like to see improved. Age group awards are not given for the marathon. They are for the 5K and half-marathon. If you are fortunate enough to run a strong race, it's nice to receive a piece of hardware. Also, completion certificates for all finishers would be a nice touch. 'Treadmill trainers' beware, this one's not for you. But you warriors who train outdoors year-round, you'll either love it or hate it.
J. O. from Delaware, Ohio (2/6/2004) "One to Remeber!" (about: 2004) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I agree with the other comments about the race. If you are seriously trying for Boston, this (organization, course and spectators) is the place to do it. Before the race I thought that the 1-mile loops would be tedious, but I found they were not. The loop with the quarter-mile splits allowed you to concentrate just on the running. The only downside this year was the numbing, -2-degree temperature at the start. It was extremely draining on my energy. Weather on the 1st of February in Ohio is the great unknown. I would like to thank all the volunteers and spectators for putting up with the extreme cold, they were wonderful. And also to my running buddies for their support!
J. C. from Chicago, IL (2/5/2004) "Great concept, well organized event" (about: 2004) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Great event, organization. My time was not my best due to lack of training, however the race itself is perfect for achieving a PR -- run the same mile loop, twenty-six times. You wonder why the concept is not duplicated more often, particularly in warmer weather. It's a bare bones marathon at its best. The host hotel at a discount rate, Wyndham in Dublin, OH, was better than expected. The race organizers and volunteers were terrific. It was nice hitting the Powerade/water stand 26 times and seeing the same people each time. You warm up to the cold, but my fingers completely froze at mile 23. One of the race organizers gave me his gloves. If he hadn't, I probably would have called it a day. What was amazing was seeing a split time for all 26 miles contained on the results sheet. Best part were the runners themselves. You run the same monotonous stretch repeatedly, you get to know your fellow runners. A shout out to the runner from Toronto and his wife who I talked with early in the race and the ones from Canton, Michigan and Missouri who got me through in the end.
C. B. from New Jersey (2/4/2004) "I love it (don't tell anyone lest it grow too big)" (about: 2004) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Everything [good] mentioned by others is true. What a great concept! Too bad it can't be scaled much bigger. Well, maybe not; that might ruin part of the appeal. I will definitely be back again with, based on my report, some fellow runners - despite the nearly 9-hour drive. The repetition didn't get boring. Far from it. The predictability of the course was very appealing, even in the last painful miles. Positives: Excellent organization with a personal, accommodating touch and great attitude; always knowing exactly how far the next mile marker and aid station were; markers every 1/4 mile (instant pace adjustment); family cheering section/crew every mile; always having runners around you (try that at any other 100-person marathon); passing and being passed repeatedly but without feeling like you're falling off pace; good crowd and music at the finish/mile marker point; very nice wind shirt. Negatives: Some runners didn't follow the 'stay left unless passing' instructions, though many of these were in the 5K that goes off at the same time; cold (4 degrees at the start warming to 19 at the finish) but we all dressed for it and it wasn't unpleasant; could use a few more course workers (but I'm amazed they got people out in the cold who remained so cheerful); no race logo on the otherwise superb wind shirt--it would be nice to have 'I survived LCB 2004' or something like that on it. :) An unexpected bonus: my also-a-marathoner wife said this was the first time the marathon became a true spectator sport for her. She parked 50m from the course, then jumped out and met me every time I ran by with gels, dry gloves, etc., before scampering back to the warm car. She monitored my splits and got a kick out of seeing my progress. She could also (better than I could) see who was running near me, who I was gaining on/losing out to, etc. She and my sister had a ball the entire race which, given the conditions, is remarkable. This race appears to be improving by leaps and bounds each year (2004 was my first year). I've got mixed emotions about recommending it... because I'd like to keep it hidden, reserved only for me, a few friends, and a small group of compatible, appreciative runners. Sort of like the favorite neighborhood restaurant you fear will be 'discovered' by the New York Times food critic. I?d like to be able to just walk right in and sit down (i.e., enter on Friday before the race), not have to make a reservation a month in advance only to be seated cheek-to-jowl in a crowded room. Probably not a great first marathon for anyone but, believe it or not, one of my favorite experiences in 18 marathons.

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