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☰
Texas Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Texas Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 4.9 
Spectators 3.9
Number of comments: 110 [displaying comments 41 to 51]
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Gerry Hogg from Taunton, England
(1/7/2010)
 "Fantastic and well organized race" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Texas Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Thoroughly enjoyed this marathon. It was worth the trip from the U.K. to do this one. Flat, fast course. It's a bit congested in parts, but this is only because it is run on Greenbelt. Very picturesque, and I liked the 4 loops, as you know exactly where you are. The best organized race I have run yet, considering that Steve and Paula did it all between themselves. Very professionally run. The biggest medal you have ever seen, and loads of pizza and pop at the end. There were messages on the trees wishing you good luck, and above all, there was real encouragement from all of the other runners as you passed. Well done, Texas; you did yourselves proud. Thank you, Steve and Paula, for looking after us while we were there. I would recommend this to anyone. It has a very personal touch to it as well, which you do not get in bigger races. Plenty of support from the spectators and marshals at each turn-around. I'm telling everyone here about it. Thank you Texas | |
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s. l. from Winfield, KS
(1/5/2010)
 "A great, small-marathon experience." (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Texas Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I agree with all the previous positive comments about the enjoyable nature of this marathon. Not much to add except to say I have already signed up for the 2011 marathon; it's that good. I'm slow, but I'm old. | |
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T. F. from CHARLESTOWN, INDIANA
(1/5/2010)
"SMALL RACE - GIGANTIC FUN" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Texas Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Steve and Paula put on a great race! Super organized. Very personable and fun! Perfect small-race atmosphere Course: I was worried that the loop course was going to be boring, but it was pretty the entire way. It was pancake flat, which I loved - I PR'd by 5 minutes and finally broke 3:30!!! The loop course was nice; it was actually comforting to know exactly what you had left. They put up signs with each person's name on them with different sayings to cheer you on at the start/finish of the race (which you got to take home). Fans: There was nice crowd support at the beginning/finish and water stops, but most of all everyone cheered everyone else on as they passed each other throughout the race! Medal/Shirt: The medal is the biggest in the US, possibly the world, weighing in at 1 kilogram or 2.2 pounds. It's thick, and as big as the small burner on your stove top. They hand it to you in a box, because you'd fall over if they put it around your neck. :) The shirt is a nice, long-sleeve, cotton tee with a cute logo and the words "TX Marathon" down one sleeve. They give you a stuffed animal at the end of the race with your finish place on it; this was the year of the penguin. Location: CLOSE... I flew in from Indiana and only spent $5 on gas to get from the airport to packet pick-up, to the hotel, to Olive Garden, to the hotel, to the race, to the hotel, and back to the airport. Food: Pizza, pop, water, apples, bananas, etc.! | |
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D. P. from Brookfield, WI
(1/4/2010)
"Three-pound finisher medal anyone?" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Texas Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 NOTE: Race results are in the NEW YEAR - my mind was stuck in 2009 when I checked results a couple of days later and thought they DQ'd me when I didn't find my name! A must-run for anyone who rates the finisher's medal as their top reason for doing a marathon. This bad boy is 6 1/4' in diameter, 3/8' thick and around 3 pounds. Don't put it around your neck or you may crack a cervical vertebra. The goody bag is larger than any canvas bag I've seen. And who doesn't love penguins? They also had everyone's name on 8x11 pink sheets in plastic stapled to trees in the first quarter mile. This made things interesting in trying to spot your name, since sometimes there were over 10 names on a tree, and they weren't in any particular order. (You have 8 opportunities to spot your name on this course, and I was lucky to spot mine on the return trip of lap 1.) I've heard the tradition is you are supposed to remove your name coming in from your final lap and hold it up as you cross the finish line (which I did). I gave the course 4 stars because it consisted of 4 out-and-backs and I prefer point-to-point. (I also prefer hills, which could explain why I ran Ridge Runner and Grandfather Mountain faster than this course.) It's a scenic bike trail through woods and very upscale houses, but it is on cement. Due to the nature of the course, the spectators were mainly the volunteers at the aid stations or at the finish line. The course is run on a private trail with signs discouraging non-residents from traveling on them. Some of the residents either were unaware or didn't care that a marathon was going on that day. One guy was teaching his daughter to ride her bike on the trail and she nearly ran into me. Another guy went for a jog with 2 large poodles on the trail, which also inconvenienced a few marathoners. I also saw a few other people out for bike rides. Really, what else would you rather do on a New Year's Day than run a marathon? | |
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J. S. from New Jersey
(1/3/2010)
"Organization = FANTASTIC" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Texas Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 If you like small marathons, you are going to LOVE this one! From the first-class organization, to the goody bag, finding your name on a tree on the path, volunteers, pizza, cookies, fruit, etc., and most of all, the LARGEST and HEAVIEST medal you will ever come across, you have to run this marathon. Steve and Paula deserve 1,000 stars each. This marathon can compete with the big ones, and can certainly hold its own. I will run this again - I have to complete the first 50. Keep up the great work - there is no need to change a thing when it works perfectly! | |
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D. S. from Marble Falls, TX
(1/2/2010)
"One of the best races in the country!!!" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Texas Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Steve and Paula deliver a perfect race experience for everyone! Great jaunt through the woods and around a lake on a paved trail. Wonderful volunteers. Even the last person across the finish line gets a full meal. HUGE medal. Great park area for family members to greet you as you complete each of the four loops. If you've never done this marathon, REGISTER EARLY as it sells out months before the race. This race is more fun than having Larry the Cable Guy at your birthday party! "Ripped-Abs Dude has spoken!" (You'll get that if you ran the race.) | |
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Maryann Ramirez from Sealy, Texas
(1/2/2010)
"Great marathon!" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Texas Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The 50 States Marathon Club puts on a fun fantastic race! This was my first time to complete this marathon. I usually like to do different races, but this is one I would repeat! I think this is truly the BIGGEST marathon medal I have ever seen, and since this was the year of the penguin... the stuffed penguin with the finisher position around his neck was a nice touch! The pizza and cookies after the race were just what I needed! | |
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J. G. from Houston, Texas
(1/2/2010)
"Best Little Marathon in Texas" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 3 Texas Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 After 3 years, I still love this race. For a small race (under 600), it's very well organized. If you're into big, bling-style hardware, this medal is for you. It's over 6 inches in diameter and weighs a kilo. That's insane. I use mine as a trivet. :-) Beware, though, it fills up pretty quickly now that Houston sells out overnight. | |
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J. N. from Arkansas
(1/2/2010)
"Outstanding!" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Texas Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 It's a deep drive, waaay baack, back, back, back, back, back - gone! The Boone's have hit a magnum home run with this event!! Flawless organization, nice course, bountiful goodies, plenty of pizza, cookies, fruit, etc. at the finish, super aid stations and volunteers. And the medal is so big that I had to tip a young teenager to carry it to the car. | |
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Bob Kroeger from Cincinnati, home of the BENGALS
(1/2/2010)
"What a way to spend New Year's" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Texas Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 They say everything is bigger in Texas; and Im beginning to believe it. Yikes, the Texas marathon medal measures six inches in diameter, is one centimeter thick, and weighs over two pounds. Yes, two pounds. Possibly and probably the biggest marathon medal in the world! And, as impressive as the medal is, you won't find any better hosts than Steve and Paula Boone, race directors extraordinaire. They know a few things about marathon running since they run a combined 70 marathons a year and garner info from each one. In fact the marathon was so well organized that Steve was able to run in it! The positives: 1. Colorful, long-sleeved, cotton t-shirt - gray with scarlet lettering in honor of Ohio State (OK, there is a longhorn on the front of it). 2. Obscenely huge medal that your friends back home will not believe. 3. No age bracket prizes; here everyone is a winner and each finisher received a stuffed animal, a penguin in honor of Youngstown (OH) State University (yes, they are called the penguins). Your finishing position is attached to this bird. 4. Nice goody bag; a wonderful marathon runner mug, which will bring back memories each time I use it. 5. PR course - flat as a pancake and very scenic through an upscale housing development, a golf course, and large Lake Houston. 6. PR weather; about 40 at the start and low 50s at the end. Slight breeze that helped cool us when the temps rose. 7. Plenty of food and drink afterwards. 8. There is a spotter at the far end of the loop to ensure there are no Rose Ruizes here. 9. The half marathon start is 15 minutes after the marathon begins. 10. Gives you a chance to start the new year off on a positive note. The negatives: 1. Houston has traffic. It's the fourth largest city in the US and, with 4 million residents, you will meet a few of them on the road. Fortunately, driving early on New Year's Day was a breeze, as was leaving the marathon. Everybody must have had a hangover from the night before and stayed at home to watch the football games. If you get there before 7 a.m., you'll find a spot to park on a side street very close to the race start and finish. 2. Some might find a loop course boring: this one involves four 6.5-mile loops. But I enjoyed running four times for a number of reasons: I knew what to expect in the last six miles; I could see the mile markers well in advance and could plan race strategy accordingly; I noticed something different each time around; I enjoyed watching the leaders pass by me as well as the other runners. And the scenery was outstanding: like running on Hilton Head. So, if you feel in a rut and want to do something absolutely crazy, why not drive or fly to Houston, spend New Year's Eve sleeping in a motel, and run the Texas Marathon on New Year's Day? When you get to be 80, you won't have any regrets about not having done something wild like this at least once in your life. The field is limited due to the size of the bike path. So register early. Thanks, Steve and Paula, for a job well done! |
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