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Whidbey Island Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Whidbey Island Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.1 
Organization 4.1 
Spectators 3.5
Number of comments: 90 [displaying comments 31 to 41]
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M. C. from Clinton, WA
(4/16/2008)
 "The finish in Coupeville was better" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 Whidbey Island Marathons
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This is the first year that the course has not ended in Coupeville. The second half of the course now has less waterfront running and more hills than before. I will probably do this race in 2009 but I hope that the second half of the course is better than in 2008. | |
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M. K. from Midwest
(4/16/2008)
 "Awesomely tough" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Whidbey Island Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 This was my second marathon, and it was very challenging but a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the awesome aid stations (Gu, Gatorade and water were plentiful, and the help crew was phenomenal!). The spectators were great! I was disappointed that I received a large t-shirt, even though I signed up in January for a small. I got to the expo at 7 p.m., and my shirt size had been given away (I was offered a medium half marathon shirt, though). The post-race food was disappointing (bananas, rolls and bottled water - not very environmentally friendly - and some oatmeal that wasn't very good; we were given bags of uncooked pasta and had to pay if we wanted hot drinks). It took awhile for me to find the emergency blankets, the distributors of which must have missed my nearly naked self as I crossed the finish line. The half marathon walkers were finishing when the marathon was finishing, so I had to run in traffic while passing them for the last several miles. Mp3 players were not prohibited, which seemed like a bad idea. Massages were not free, which I felt would have been nice after such a difficult race. A great course, with easy fixes for the future. I'd do this one again in a few years. | |
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William Tichenor from Dallas, TX
(4/15/2008)
"Well done!" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Whidbey Island Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I was pleasantly surprised by the overall experience. A very difficult course, however. I've run Big Sur a few times, and this seemed harder than that. A very well organized small marathon, and beautiful scenery. | |
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A. D. from Livermore, CA
(4/14/2008)
"Nice, but those hills...!" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I ran Big Sur last year, and incorrectly thought Whidbey would be easier - the never-ending hills made this a challenging course. I was also a little disappointed to not have Deception Pass Bridge within view during the run at all - if I had not visited it the day before I would have not even seen it. Lastly, I believe the second half reroute took us on a less scenic course. On the positive side, the race volunteers/spectators were wonderful; nice to see so many kids as volunteers. Also, Nature Path offered many terrific giveaways, including very tasty post-race hot oatmeal. The race and expo were not anything like the bigger marathons I have run, but for a small race in a place many people may not otherwise visit, it makes for a fun weekend. Coupeville is a colorful, interesting town with friendly residents and very good restaurants, and the hiking/views at Deception Pass are breathtaking. | |
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David Leech from Seattle, WA
(4/14/2008)
 "Hilly..." (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Whidbey Island Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The course profile on the web said it would be hilly. People in blogs said it would be hilly. I'm used to hilly, having run Anchorage Mayor's Marathon and San Fran... but wow... this course was hilly.... I loved the recycling aspect of the race. Great re-cycled glass medals, great shirts. Sparse but supportive crowds. The course was easy to get around so you ended up seeing (and recognizing) the same spectators five times at least. Lots of bald eagles tracking the runners too. | |
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M. Z. from Langley, WA
(4/14/2008)
"Changes Are Not For the Better" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 Whidbey Island Marathons
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 The changes made to the course this year are not good ones. Whidbey Island is a beautiful place, but the new course managed to avoid most of that in favor of Whidbey's finest auto wrecking yards, etc. (The Huey in the guy's front yard was kinda cool though.) Between the unpleasantness of the course and the hassle of maneuvering around the half marathon walkers, I'm not sure I would enter this one again. And would at least having separate chutes at the finish for the half and full marathoners been so difficult? Six walkers joined hands and strolled across the line directly ahead of me, causing me to have to stop suddenly to avoid running them down. There are a number of things that would improve this race. First, move the finish back to Coupeville, where it belongs. (Even better, move the race to the south end of the island, much better scenery, roads, etc.). Allow packet pickup the morning of the race and change the start time to 9 a.m. to make it easier for people to get there the morning of the race. Start the half marathoners at 7 a.m. so most of them are done before the runners start coming through. | |
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M. K. from Midwest America
(4/14/2008)
"Challenging but fun" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Whidbey Island Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This was my second-ever road marathon, and it was tough, but definitely a good time. I think the course's difficulty was appropriate for its location. Aid was great; there were stations at very convenient locales, and the volunteers were incredible! Spectators were encouraging and well distributed throughout the course, except very absent during segments of the second half where I needed them the most (most likely due to difficulty getting to those areas). Many of the other runners were encouraging, but some that I passed were antisocial and wearing headphones. This was a bit of an issue for me; but then again, maybe if I had on headphones I'd have run faster? I didn't think that using an Mp3 player was allowed by road races, and I don't think it was a good idea on a course like this where over half was not closed to traffic. I had a problem with the expo; I arrived at 7 and my shirt size had already been given away (small), so I received a large (which is bigger than a normal large, I think). The post-race food was also an issue for me; as much as I love pasta, I think it would have been much more valuable to eat it after the race, but the pasta we received was uncooked and packaged. There were no hot drinks, only hot water for oatmeal (that I didn't particularly find tasty), but you could get coffee, tea or hot chocolate... if you paid for them. Massages were expensive (and should have been free after such a difficult course), and bread, bananas and apples only taste so good before you want something warm when it's raining. I did not receive or even see an emergency blanket when I crossed the finish (and left the stadium) even though it was raining and I was only wearing a sports bra (I feel like someone should have handed me one as they were cutting off my chip); so I had to go back through the crowded finish area (walkers and marathoners were finishing at the same time) and get one. It was very crowded on the course for the last five miles, as walkers were on the shoulder and I had to run in traffic to get around them. Most vehicles were very considerate, however. I don't want it to sound like I hated this race. I understand that this is a small marathon, and it will get better if more people run it. Just know that if you run marathons for the "cool gear," this is probably not one for you. However, if you run them for the challenge, the mental toughness, the awesome aid stations and the beautiful scenery, then definitely sign up and show Whidbey Island what you've got. | |
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Justin Voldman from Rochester, New York
(1/1/2008)
 "Beautiful, but CHALLENGING course" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Whidbey Island Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I stumbled upon this marathon by accident, finding it on the MarathonGuide website as I was looking for a spring marathon. This was my second-ever marathon, and it came 3.5 years after I did my first. I had never been out west before but I saw the pictures of the Deception Pass Bridge and realized that this would be an awesome experience. The course itself was challenging, with some nasty hills at the 10th and 20th miles. Crowds were also sparse, but those who did show up were extremely supportive. The beautiful scenery, from the time you crossed the Deception Pass Bridge in mile 1 and through the rolling hills and trip on the bike path more than half-way through, were more than enough to take your mind off of the hills. You really did get some amazing views of Puget Sound and the Olympics and Cascades. Pre-race expo was a lot of fun and I do have a nice tech tee as well. Post-race food was great too - all organic. All in all, this was a tremendous race and one that got me hooked on marathoning. It took me 3.5 years between my first in Chicago and this one in Whidbey. It only took me five weeks between Whidbey and my 3rd marathon in Burlington, VT. If you love nature, don't mind a few hills, and want a unique marathoning experience with a small field of participants, excellent people cheering you on, and breathtaking views, this course is for you! | |
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j. s. from bellingham wa
(5/3/2007)
"FUN...I DID IT!!" (about: 2007)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 What an introduction to my very first half marathon......... against the advise of some marathoners I spoke to.They thought it would be to hilly for a first timer, and it did bother me. To the contrary. I had a fun time. Since it was my first Marathon , it's difficult to comparably rate it. The organisation, the friendliness,the wonderful volunteers, the support and the beauty around, made a lasting impression, I cannot wait to do my next half marathon,and will definately run THIS race next year again. I have to add, that I am not the slimmestOR fittest, in fact I am a bit on the overweight side, and really thought that this race would be a challenge.......I did do some training for 12 weeks prior to the race,,, It has turned out to be an INSPIRATION for my future goals. For those who may be unsure??? about this race, if I can do it.....you can do it!!!!! Great run/walk Jackie | |
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J. N. from New York, USA
(4/28/2007)
"Had a great time!" (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 As other posts say, the hills on this course are a challenge, but they are doable and the wonderful scenery makes up for them. Although the course was a bit lonely, I did get a lot of support from fellow runners. My sister came out to cheer me along and she found the recommended cheering sites listed on the official map a great help. The crowd at the finishing line was wonderful. The pasta dinner and expo were great and I really enjoyed having the opportunity to listen to Dean Karnazes. I'd like to thank all the volunteers - their smiles made the experience even more enjoyable. More Gu or Gatorade along the course would have been great. The only Gu available was at around mile 22, although there were PowerBars. I would really love to have an "official" certificate for my efforts, rather than the generic one available on the website to print out. I'd love to run this race again! |
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