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Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.3 
Organization 4.1 
Spectators 3.7
Number of comments: 362 [displaying comments 281 to 291]
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S. O. from Dayton, Ohio
(5/1/2006)
 "Overall, a great race" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first Kentucky Derby Marathon. It was a light rain most of the race, but it kept you cool. Overall, it was a great race. I even PR'd. Positives: Workers were great. As I expected, the marathon was pretty empty after the half-marathon runners split off, but the few spectators were loud and encouraging. The bus transportation was easily accessible. The website said to get in line by 0600, which I did, but there was hardly anyone at the start line at that time. It was neat running through Churchill Downs. Going through the tunnels and watching the horses run around the track were impressive. I have never seen the race horses that close. The water bottles were great for me, but some runners dropped the bottles and lids in the street rather than throwing them to the side and as a result, you had to watch where you stepped. One runner near me did a somersault after tripping on a bottle. Going back and forth over the bridge at miles 23-24 was hard, but tolerable, because you knew you were close to the end. Negatives: Since we were coming in from out of town race-morning, it would have been nice to know that if you pick up your race packet on race-day, you don't get the Derby tickets or poster. The bathroom situation at the beginning of the race was not planned very well. We started right next to a middle school, but were not allowed to go into the school to use the bathroom. There was one girls' bathroom open next to the school gym with two stalls and about a hundred women in line to use it. Of course, there was no line in the men's bathroom. The port-o-johns, it seemed, were about 1/2 mile from the start line with about a 15-minute wait to use them. Next year, have more port-o-johns and move them closer to the start line. I was only able to drink at one PowerAde stop before the half marathon split with the marathon. There were two other PowerAde stops, but they were only on one side of the road with only one or two people handing out cups. I was past the PowerAde when I heard some yell the stop out. I would recommend carrying your own "ade" drink for the first 12 miles. | |
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J. K. from Grand Rapids, MI
(5/1/2006)
 "Great race; can improve" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a very good race that has a lot going for it. I have run 21 marathons, including Boston 5X, Chicago 2X, NY, DC and smaller ones. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it, but know what you are getting into. I think the course is a little too hilly to be a PR or Boston Marathon course, and I would question crowd support in the 2nd half for those who need that. Some things that I think the race organizers should think about: (1) remove the bridge at mile 22 - interesting novelty, running over the Ohio River, but after 20 miles it's not worth the added hills. Just give us something flat, even if it's a not-so-nice part of the city; (2) give us Gatorade Endurance Formula (not PowerAde); (3) build spectator support (somehow?) for the last 14 miles (stark drop-off after mile 12); (4) more porta-johns right at the start line - not 1/2 mile to the rear; (5) some kind of protein at the finish would be nice (yogurt or protein bar); (6) nice finisher's medal but try to get the sponsor's name off of it - my two cents would be it is actually counter-productive for the sponsor because it just makes the medal look cheap; (7) provide some kind of more user-friendly hotel information for out-of-towners - maybe it was just me but I had a hard time finding convenient hotel info on my usual websites, so I ended up just staying at the host hotel (no complaint there though). I hate to sound negative because all-in-all I had a wonderful time in spite of the rain and the organizers really pulled off a lot of things well. Race-morning logistics, with buses (and for me, race morning packet pick-up), as well as baggage check, all went off without a hitch. A great course, I enjoyed seeing the city. I think a steady rain kept spectators down, but not the enthusiasm of those who were there. I will run this again in 2007. | |
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M. B. from Chattanooga, TN
(5/1/2006)
"It was great for my first one" (about: 2006)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my very first race. It was quite interesting. I actually was a walker but beat my time that I had practiced at home. | |
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A. s. from Chicago, IL
(5/1/2006)
 "Nice race, well organized" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was a good race with some minor difficulties that I have found in many similar races. First of all the good things: The first half was scenic and a great course. The volunteers were great and I loved all the oranges they were passing out (should have been passed out in the 2nd half as well). The busses ran smoothly and got us to the start line with plenty of time to spare. Things to improve on: The start is very crowded with having the half and full start together. A staggered start would be better with the half going off 30 minutes or so after the full. Also, and this is true for many races, it seems like the second half of the marathon course is not taken into consideration. We ran though very ugly areas and, except for the bridge, there was nothing to look at. Running near a highway is not my idea of fun. I think race directors need to take into account the second half of the marathon and make it just as exciting as the first. Overall, this was a good run and worth doing. Loved the hills!! Thanks, Louisville, for showing up in the rain. | |
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B. H. from Suburban Atlanta
(4/30/2006)
"Despite the Rain and the Hills this was a Fun Race" (about: 2006)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 First of all, let me thank all of the race officials, fans, and city officials for coming out on such a miserable day. Temps were between 53-60, with constant drizzle - definitely dampening the turnout of supporters. My only other experience is Chicago - and this was a very different experience for me. I DID PR and BQ by 17 minutes (3:34ish in Chicago to 3:17ish here). This is a hilly course - both parks and the Second Street Bridge will slow you down - and keep you honest at the start and toward the end. My quads were crampy from halfway onward. After the mini breakoff there were only 900 runners, so support was sparse in the second half - okay for me on this day, but on another day maybe I need it. I LOVE the water bottles instead of paper cups. Thanks to the 3:20 pace team lead (never got the name) and pacer Jim. See you in Boston? Course: Police - 5, Challenge - 5, Water Placement - 5, Interest (Churchhill Downs) - 5, Ability to PR - 3. Organization: Water Bottles 5, Transport 5, Porta-potties - 4, End of Run Support 3, Baggage Check 3, Medals, etc. 5. Spectators: Shouldn't grade due to the weather, but the 2nd half is sparse, so find a running partner to keep you company. | |
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M. M. from Lexington, KY
(4/30/2006)
"Great atmosphere, great run!" (about: 2006)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my third marathon, but my first in Louisville. Overall I was impressed, having had previous negative misconceptions about the race. After the mini-marathoners dropped off, there were still a decent number of marathoners running - just enough to keep you going but not too many to block your progress. "Running beans" (or whatever they were called) were handed out instead of Gu, which is fine, except I didn't have the energy to open and consume them (gel is easier). The fans don't compare to larger races, yet for the size they do a great job! The water stations never ran out of water or Gatorade and there were plenty of volunteers helping out. I ran the race with a friend and highly recommend this for this race. The hills weren't bad at all; there was a bridge to Indiana that had to be crossed before the finish line - an obvious low-point when all you want to do is finish and you have to run up and down a bridge to Indiana and back. High point of the race? RUNNING THROUGH CHURCHILL DOWNS!!!!! Amaaaaaazing!!! | |
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C. R. from Indianapolis, IN
(4/30/2006)
"Awesome - running for the roses." (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 A well organized marathon that I enjoyed running through Churchill Downs and listening to past KY Derby finals. Also it was cool to run over the Ohio River twice and see the Louisville skyline. The sparse number of spectators were extremely supportive, including handing out bananas, oranges and beer. Police did a good job managing traffic. Thanks to the organizers. | |
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Gena Stephenson from Bloomington, IL
(4/30/2006)
"EXTREMELY WELL ORGANIZED" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a really great marathon that has it all. For the first half, which is a huge mini-marathon, there is all the regular entertainment type stuff, then when those people turn off to finish, there are just enough entrants to run with someone or by yourself if you choose. My favorite part was that 8/10 of a mile through Churchill Downs. I was not expecting to see the horses having their workouts and so it was a real thrill to see them go so fast as I chugged along. There is a nice blend of flat portions and some great hills too - and lots of them through some stunning parks. The traffic control was SUPERB. MANY of the streets were completely closed (ALL THE LANES!!) and the policemen were flawless in their directing of traffic. There was plenty of water stops and they were well run. Even some townspeople were handing out M&M's and lemonade. They also had a bike team of people that biked along the course with us and watched, asked if we were okay, and offered water. Louisvile offered up everything. They let us into their crown jewel, Churchill Downs, when many other cities just run you past their landmarks. We also got to see their parks, wealthy and humble neighborhoods, some industrial type stuff, then back into downtown. That's what I want - I want to see everything in a city: the good, the bad and the ugly. I would really recommend this marathon. The only minor negative is that I wish there had been more toilets along the latter marathon portion. There was A LOT of public urination going on and as a frequent racer, I've seen it many times and it doesn't bother me. Still, maybe the people of Louisville would prefer we not have to do that. | |
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marc maguire from louisville,ky
(4/25/2006)
"MY FAVORITE MARATHON" (General Comments)
6-10 previous marathons
| 4-5 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I have run this marathon each year since its inception in 2002. I plan to run it every year that my health permits. The great part about this marathon is that you get the best of both worlds. The first 12 miles are run side by side with the several thousand mini-marathon runners. After making the turn at mile 12 you get to enjoy some serenity while running through the more scenic part of the course. After the halfway point, too much cheering and too many congested streets can be tiresome, yet there is still ample support until the end. I can hardly wait until Saturday to do it again and I am really looking forward to running over the 2nd Street Bridge - I think this was an excellent change to the only monotonous 3-mile stretch of the course. | |
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T. R. from Cincinnati, OH
(10/20/2005)
"A marathon with 'great race' potential" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The KDF was my 5th marathon. I am a Louisville native but live in Cincinnati so this was a great opportunity to visit my family and run. I thought that the course was excellent, for the most part. Just the right number of hills to keep you honest. The majority of the hills are in the first half of the course, so you are fresh and still running with the mini-marathon folks. The last few miles of the race need to be rerouted as it runs through a very desolate and less-than-attractive part of town (although, it is extremely flat, which doesn't hurt at that point of the race). It is not the best area to showcase Louisville to out-of-town runners. I was aware going into the race that once the full marathon split from the mini that it would be lonely, so I was mentally prepared. If you didn't know that, it could become difficult. It would be nice if the full was promoted more and embraced by the city. Being very familiar with the city, I know for a fact that most people in town don't even know that a full marathon is taking place along with the mini (the mini is a very big event). The spectators on the portion of the marathon that runs with the mini are wonderful. Even though I did thoroughly enjoy the marathon, I would not recommend the full marathon to a first-timer. If you love to run and like a very good course with the exception of a few miles, this is a great race. Well stocked aid stations. One good thing about the race not being so big is that my father did easily make it around town to see me in four different places. All in all, if the last few miles are rerouted and there is a bit more crowd support the marathon could become a true destination marathon as Louisville is a great, friendly city. |
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