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☰
Durango Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Durango Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.4 
Organization 4.4 
Spectators 3.6
Number of comments: 53 [displaying comments 41 to 51]
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C. S. from Midwest
(10/21/2004)
 "Great Race! Fantastic Race Director!" (about: 2004)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Durango Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The race was great! The scenery, the town, the organization, the street party, and the entertaining aid station personnel -- everything was wonderful! In addition, I am personally indebted to the race director, Matt Kelly!! My story: I flew to Denver for their marathon, only to be told at the packet pickup that the race was canceled! (For a laugh, go read about that fiasco!) I knew that Durango had a marathon the next day also, and that there wasn't another Colorado marathon until the following May! Since I needed to have Colorado to finish my 50 states quest, I knew I had to make it happen in Durango the next day! However, like most early morning marathons, there is no day-of-race registration. Anyway, I managed to get Matt Kelly on the phone during the Durango expo. He said that he had heard about Denver. He also said that he was in the process of setting up day-of-race registration for the stranded Denver runners and that we should just show up in the morning and the volunteers would take care of us. We did, and they did!! What a champ!! A fun race and an interesting adventure! Thanks to Matt and his crew! | |
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M. J. from Oklahoma - country boy
(10/18/2004)
 "Beautiful Colorado" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Durango Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 What a great place for a marathon. There is no place prettier than Colorado in October. This was my second marathon with my first last year being the Chicago Marathon with 40,000 runners. If you want lots of spectators this is not your race. I am a flat-lander from Oklahoma and the altitude did not bother me. I matched my time I did last year in Chicago. Matt Kelley, great job on organizing a fun run. I'll be back. | |
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D. S. from Juneau, AK
(10/14/2004)
 "Breathtaking (in a good way)" (about: 2002)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Durango Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The 1st Durango Marathon in 2002 was the most beautiful I have run. I hope to run it again at sometime in the future. This was the first small scale marathon I have run and enjoyed it immensely. The spectators made up for their few numbers with great enthusiasm and repeated sightings as they moved along the course with the runners. The street party following the marathon was also a real treat. The folks in Durango know how to have a good time. | |
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C. B. from Colorado
(10/13/2004)
"Awesome and challenging marathon!" (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Durango Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Durango at this time of year is a great place to run a marathon. If you are looking for a Boston qualifier, this run is probably not the best choice. I live at altitude and am used to running hills and it was still a good challenge. Well worth it. The volunteers were amazingly friendly and the whole tone of the race was laid-back and fun. The pasta dinner included beer, who can beat that? The course was beautiful and might be hard for those who need a lot of people on the sidelines. There were some quiet miles. However, friends and family are able to drive almost the whole course. My only suggestion is more free food at the finish! I would definitely recommend this marathon for those who enjoy a smaller, more friendly marathon in a cool town. | |
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Ilana Stern from Durango, Colorado
(10/12/2004)
 "A fun and scenic race!" (about: 2004)
First Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I can't imagine what those huge races with thousands of runners are like. This is a great small race, with a pleasant, scenic course (except for one highway section) and lots of enthusiastic support. The perfect Colorado weather didn't hurt one bit, either. | |
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s. m. from frisco,co
(3/14/2004)
"Most friendly small town marathon I have run" (about: 2003)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Durango Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I cannot believe anybody would write a negative comment about this race. It is so much better than Breckenridge and blows away St. George. The ultimate in friendly. Family and friends can run or ride along with you. Traffic control? Who cares? You can run single-file the whole way. There are no crowds. The fans were great--both of them. The race organizers give out their cell phone numbers and their mothers answer if they are out. You've got to be kidding me. This is so nice it is unbelievable. As for the course, it is beautiful. The altitude? No whining, you aren't going to win anyway. So what if you're a little slow? Run, have fun, enjoy. | |
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C. M. from Marble, Co
(11/1/2003)
"Nice Race" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Nice Race - The day was beautiful and, although it was a bit cold at the start, it warmed up nicely. Well organized start and finish. The festival and massage at the end were great. Traffic wasn't all that bad except for the back stretch, but it was manageable. Only negative was the course description. Organizers should give a written description of the course and have the mile markers up the day before so you can preview the course. It was hard to read the map. The hills on the back side aren't that bad and it is a nice downhill to the finish after 23.5. T-shirt could be upgraded for sure. Altitude is a relative thing. Overall great with a few minor improvements needed. Thanks for a great race | |
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K. N. from KC, MO
(10/21/2003)
"Scenic Marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I enjoyed the marathon and commend the race committee in organizing the 2nd Durango Marathon. Just wanted to point out a couple of items that may be of interest to those planning to run in Durango in the future. After running the Top of Utah a few weeks ago, this flat-lander thought the alitude would not be a problem. It was definitely more of a factor than anticipated. Lesson learned! Also, there was little to no traffic control anywhere on the course. I realize traffic control can be expensive, but I definitely felt sorry for the 1/2 and 10K folks passing the marathoners since they had to run into on-coming traffic, particularly near the start of the race. There was a water stop around mile 18 or so where I turned to open a Gu packet and almost ended up on the hood of a car. Actually, that little jolt of adrenaline may have propelled me over some of the hills that popped up along the last portion of the course. However, in general, the volunteers were great and you cannot discount the natural beauty of the course. And Durango was a perfect town to shop and eat in before/after the marathon. The festival was a nice surprise and the finish up Main Street was delightful. Thank you! | |
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J. F. from Oak Park, Ca.
(10/17/2003)
"Next time I'll bring my oxygen tank!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 OK, I was dreaming that I could do well in this marathon, arriving from the LA area less than 24 hours before the start. Hey, it's only about 6,500 feet higher than where I live ...so what? After the 15th mile, I found my answer. Zero energy! I would like to thank a fellow 'low-lander', Dan, for keeping me on course and finishing the race under 5 hours. The 'runner friendly' hills weren't so friendly after the 17th mile. However, I knew the job was dangerous before I took it, and I was more than satisfied with the beautiful scenery and the great staff and crowds. It definitely wasn't my best course time, but I still managed to have a very good time. Go for the people and scenery, not for a PR... especially if you're a 'low-lander'. The only thing that stops me from giving the course a 5-star rating is the traffic encountered between mile 6 and 13. The road is not blocked down to one lane and the fumes can get fairly intense. Also, the Accelerade was gaggingly thick! But like I mentioned above, go for the locale, the beauty of Durango, and the enthusiastic crowds. Plus the finish line events are great. One other mention: My wife ran the half-marathon and loved it. She didn't feel the effects of the higher altitude. | |
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M. W. from Durango, Colorado
(1/28/2003)
"great race, great town, great people!" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Durango Marathon is a great run and it's in a great city! The race course begins at the scenic Fort Lewis College campus. One loop around the homey campus is followed by a gentle one-mile downhill section. The run goes through historic downtown Durango with appreciative crowd support. Heading into the lush Animas Valley, the Hermosa Cliffs and Missionary Ridge envelope the runner. Returning to town along the quiet, lightly trafficked East Animas Rd. allows the runner a different point of view of the Animas Valley. Water stops are plentiful and volunteers are happy and eager to help. The finish line of the marathon is again in downtown Durango and the runner is treated to a festive street carnival with ample food and entertainment. Besides the marathon, Endurance Week has films, speakers, fun runs and a marathon expo. With Mesa Verde National Park and the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad as regional attractions, there is much to do for the entire family. Runners looking for a PR will probably not appreciate Durango's 6000' elevation but anybody looking for a well-organized race will be thankful for chip timing, a well-marked course and a great pre-race pasta feed. I have run 26 marathons all over the United States and Durango has a pleasant home-style atmosphere that will keep me coming back for several years to come. 400 hundred runners participated in the inaugural event in 2001 and I fully expect this marathon to grow. |
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