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May 3, 2024

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 41 to 51]

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

Matt Wiencek from Ohio (4/27/2007) "Well worth the trip" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Whidbey Island Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This is my 18th marathon and 15th state. I would recommend this race for a number of reasons. The people were very friendly at the expo and nature's path brought in Dean "Ultra-Marathon Man" Karnazes who is the nicest guy you want to meet. The expo is small, but I am a fan of the smaller scenic races. Great technical long-sleeve race shirt and a bib number with your name on it. Nice touch that most races don't do. The shuttle bus to the start stopped in our hotel parking lot. Plenty of fluids, porto-johns and Gu at the start before the race. I hope they do a national anthem next time though. I enjoy smaller fields (300ish), rural, scenic terrain with variety which is what Whidbey is. A bit of everything and the race photos were taken in some nice spots. There are two challenging hills at about 8 and 20 and the course rolls from start to finish. Good support along the course, and FANTASTIC medal with a nice purple cloth band. The post-race activities looked nice, but I couldn't stick around because the hotel did not permit late check-out past 1 p.m... which is the only thing I didn't like. A hotel that is sponsoring the race should understand that... but that is not controlled by the race. Great sightseeing afterwards too. Well worth the trip from Ohio.
Leigh Walters from Victoria, British Columbia (4/27/2007) "Hilly and challenging" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Whidbey Island Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I found the course to be very hilly and challenging. It was pretty, but did, at times, feel a bit discouraging as the hills seemed a bit relentless. I would not recommend this as a first marathon, because I think you need the experience of being able to get through the 26 miles on both a physical and emotional level, without having to concentrate so much on course difficulty. The volunteers were fantastic as were bystanders who cheered enthusiastically right from start to finish.
Carrie Muellner from Port Townsend, WA (4/25/2007) "Beautiful course; well-organized race" (about: 2007) 3 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran my first full marathon in January, and hated how flat that course was (Phoenix). I ran the Whidbey Island 1/2 and LOVED the hills! I thought it was a spectacular course (the beautiful weather didn't hurt) and very well-supported. It's true that the line at the porta-potties was record-breaking, but the line moved pretty fast.... I would definitely run this one again!
Tracy Strub from Vancouver, Washington (4/19/2007) "A fabulous way to spend the morning!" (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Whidbey Island Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first official half-marathon and was well worth it. The scenery was beautiful and the route just hilly enough to keep my legs awake. The aid stations were chock-full of great volunteers with half-full cups of liquid and plenty of Gu. Not many spectators on the course, but those that made it were enthusiastic and full of encouragement. Even my injured running partner insured she made her way to each spectator area to cheer me on. (Thanks T!) Just when you think you are at the finish, the half-marathon route diverts on a last minute out-n-back mile to account for the distance deficit. Bothersome for a few folks, but it gave me a chance to catch up with those I met at the start line. The downhill finish, complete with loud speakers shouting out names of finishers, was a treat. Lots of great Nature's Path munchies at the finish in a plush, green park; plenty of cereal, granola bars, fruit and such - even all-natural hot dogs were available. The only drawback to the snacks was the placement of water and Gatorade at the end of the run instead of inside the park. I had to make my way back into the finish area to snatch another water. The check-in was easy and support staff helpful. It would have been nice if they added the safety pins in the race packet and kept me from searching feverishly in the morning for something to attach my bib. Also, we arrived at 730 p.m. to check in and found many of the sponsors had left or were leaving before the 8 p.m. close. Note to ferry travelers - plan to reach the noon - 3 p.m. departure times early. We arrived 40 minutes prior to our (anticipated) 1:30 ferry and it was full. By that time we are stuck in with a two-hour wait for the next departure. The nearby park is nice for a walk along the shore, but there is nothing to do in this area besides catching a nap in the car. I would run this course again, perhaps even the full 26. Great job to those who supported the race and the great folks on Whidbey Island.
Mark Cook from Clinton, Washington (4/19/2007) "I loved it and will do it again" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 3 Whidbey Island Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The course is hilly, but I really enjoy it. There are well-placed aid stations and the course offers views (I saw an eagle on race day). There is one spot at mile 22 where the course runs on the shoulder of the highway for a mile, which I don't like; but other than that, it is great.
G. R. from California (4/18/2007) "One tough and hilly marathon!" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Whidbey Island Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Well organized and a beautiful setting. Nature's Path was an excellent sponsor. Not very many spectators so you are basically on your own, and there is one hill after another, after another. There is a little traffic, which is annoying, and they said they had GU at each station but I only found one station with GU. That said, it is a VERY beautiful place to go with friends, and everyone is extremely friendly. Lodging is a challenge but you really can drive in from the North....
Harry Johnston from Lasqueti Island BC Canada (4/17/2007) "Yes" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 2 Whidbey Island Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my second time here at Whidbey Island; last year I did the full and this year only did the 1/2. I am very impressed with Nature's Path as the sponsor, and what a great bunch of volunteers. I hope to make this a must-do, yearly event. I'm sure this event will become more and more popular with us Canuks either from Vancouver Island or the mainland. - Harry from the Ferry Lasqueti Island, BC
S. V. from Inland empire, WA (4/15/2007) "Good volunteers, but the rest, not so good" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Whidbey Island Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 There was great running spirit at this marathon - everyone ran happy and supportive. The volunteers and support staff were excellent: competent, supportive... except for running out of Gatorade at two stations. The course: Most disappointing. A few gorgeous glimpses: Crossing the bridge, some time along the sound. But I can run through prime agricultural land recently invaded by trophy developments in my own hometown. And the entire run was along shoulders: Hard on ankles and legs, and the traffic was distracting and at times dangerous. This one I'll remember for the brief gorgeous moments and the day-before sightseeing; it doesn't live up to its "most beautiful run in the West" billing.
Jolanta Piszczek from Vancouver, BC, Canada (4/15/2007) "Hilly but worth it" (about: 2007) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Whidbey Island Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I have just returned from the beautiful Whidbey Island and had to post about this race. I recommend it to anyone who loves a stunning scenic route and a well organized race but doesn't mind hills. I ran the half and wanted to get a PR. That plan went out the window after mile 6, a 300-foot hill. The weather was gorgeous, but windy, which also didn't help my time. Although what goes up must come down, the inclines seemed never-ending. The race went flawlessly from an organizational standpoint. In this point-to-point race, we were told to park at the finish and catch a shuttle to the start. There was plenty of parking and the shuttles were efficient and frequent. At the start, they made us line up based on pace, so there was no congestion. There were bathrooms and water stations (with Gatorade and gel) nearly every 2 miles. The route was beautiful, with a view of the ocean almost the whole way! The sponsor, Nature's Path, were very generous. We got so many granola bars, cereal boxes, milk, organic fruit, oatmeal and even organic grass-fed beef hot dogs! I don't even eat this well at home. There was tons of food, so it was great to fuel up after this strenuous race. At the organic pasta dinner, we were the last ones to arrive, at 7 p.m., and there was still tons of hot food left over. Definitely worth going to. The shirts were very nice as well. I wanted to thank all the volunteers and spectators that were extremely cheerful along the way. The high-school students got very involved which was great to see. They did an amazing job with sign in and checking our gear, driving it all the way to the finish line. There was never a line up for anything. This was a really fun race. They called your name as you came to the finish line, which was glorying and made up for such a difficult course! Cheers from Vancouver!
Evan Riggs from Seattle, Washington (7/12/2006) "Good marathon, quite a challenge" (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Whidbey Island Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon and it was a great experience! The course was definitely difficult, but after the first 8 miles or so, you can settle into a nice little groove due to the course flattening out. Due to this being my first marathon, I didn't have much to compare it to, but there was a noticeable lack of spectators on the course, which can be good or bad. As a first-timer, it would have been nice to see more people out there shouting words of encouragement, but the volunteers that were there did an excellent job and made the race that much more enjoyable. From about mile 12 to mile 20, the course is essentially run on the road next to farms and wide open fields, but at mile 20 it drops down onto the coast and you get an excellent view of the water for the last six miles. However, at that stage in the race, after going up and down some pretty intense hills, I had a hard time finding the energy to enjoy the scenery. However, my favorite part was the end. The mile 26 marker comes at the top of a little hill, and from there it is all straight downhill into the finishing chutes, where hundereds of people are there cheering you on! They even call out your name!! How exciting! I ended up winning my age group and qualifying for Boston in this race and the spectators at the end of the course made it that much sweeter! The spread of food after the race was awesome as well! Overall this was an excellent race and I would highly recommend it!

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