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☰
OC Marathon Runner Comments
Back to OC Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.5 
Organization 3.4 
Spectators 2.8
Number of comments: 181 [displaying comments 31 to 41]
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A. H. from UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - (US)
(5/3/2011)
 "good" (about: 2011)
1 previous marathon
| 1 OC Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 2011: 1st marathon, 1st formal race. I venture to predict the O.C. is significantly better than average based on the scenic coastal section, excellent people support throughout, respectful fellow runners and local residents, nutritional support with water and gatorade at every mile, energy gels at at least 3 locations, and overall smoothness of experience. Be aware the middle is flat and relatively less run-inspiring, and of the possibility of mid-70s temperature, wind, and strong sunlight. For 2011, one needed to have reached parking pre-5:15am in order to start at the gun. Greatly appreciate the massive effort and forbearance that made it possible! | |
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S. H. from United States
(5/3/2011)
 "Well organized, but a pretty poor course" (about: 2011)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 OC Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Pros: - Early start. It still got hot, but you can't do much more than start at 6am and hope for the best, weather-wise. - Goodie bag. Some good samples, a nice t-shirt, decent medal. - Portajons at start line. This was the best job I've ever seen at a race. A half hour before the race and there were no lines more than about 10 people deep. - Post-finish area: Once through the finish, it wasn't crowded and you were able to easily make your way through the festival area, which had lots of food options, waters, beers, etc. - Good job with the water. Frequent stations, all well-stocked, and staffed with supportive volunteers. Cons: - The course, overall. Some scenic spots in the first half along the coast, but issues throughout. In the first half, there were several spots where the course narrowed to only 2 or 3 runners wide, creating bottlenecks. The field never really spread out at all until about 8 miles in. The bigger issue for me was the 2nd half. I understand it can't all be scenic, but there was a lot of uneven pavement and loose dirt/sand, and much of the course was largely inaccessible to the public, which made any sort of crowd support impossible. - Poor wave start management. There were corrals based on expected time, but I was in corral B, with my expected finish time of 4:00, and I had to start weaving through walkers within a half mile. - Limited crowd support. I think this may be a product of the course itself more than anything else. Spectators that were out there were supportive and the volunteers were great, there just weren't a lot of spots that had anyone there to cheer. Overall, this is among my least favorite races, either full or half marathon. I think if you just ran the half here though, it wouldn't be as bad. The first half of the course wasn't terrible, but it went bad quickly after the half and full split. It was well organized, but the course set up and subsequent lack of spectators made for a pretty dull race. I'll pass on this one in the future. | |
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P. F. from Los Angeles, California
(5/2/2011)
"Beautiful Course" (about: 2011)
3 previous marathons
| 3 OC Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I ran the 2011 Half Marathon. I've run what has been called the OC Half marathon 3 times now, and this was the best of the courses. The only reason I did not give the organization 5 stars was because I spent 2+ hours in the parking lot waiting to leave. Good: Beautiful, interesting course mostly along the water but also through neighborhoods Plenty of water stops and bathrooms Not too many hills Decent support from local residents Beautiful weather. It would have been too hot had the race not started at 6am, but was fine then. Marathoners may have had a rough time of it. Nice medals-previous years people complained about not having a year, which has been fixed. Different medals for 1/2 and full runners. Very nice technical shirt-different for 1/2 and full runners. Bad (not a to complain about): parking lot situation after the race official results did not include a 10k split-only 5k, 10 miles and 11 miles-I don't understand the 11 mile split. I imagine marathoners were frustrated both with the crowds and the people who split off at mile 13, though I did not experience crowding. I will definitely be running this event again in the future and I highly recommend it. | |
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S. R. from Los Angeles County
(5/2/2011)
 "Miss the run through the Back Bay - too hilly!" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 OC Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I've run the half for three years now. The full heads into ugly suburbia, so it's not worth the footsteps. This year the route avoided the beautiful Newport Back Bay and spent more time in the residential areas. Probably will skip this next year. (I've got to admit the water and restrooms were better this year, but that can't compensate for the Back Bay.) | |
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J. B. from Southern California
(5/1/2011)
 "Beautiful scenery, hilly, needs better support" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 A beautiful, slightly hilly course. Good support with water and Gatorade. However, I couldn't believe that GU, nor any other carb, was made available until mile 10! Good thing I was only running the half that day or I would have been hurting for carb reloading. The porta-potty situation was a mess...not enough stalls, not enough t.p. Other than that, it was very enjoyable. Maybe not a P.R. setting course, but great weather and good views. | |
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Tonya Ohrel from San Diego, CA
(6/9/2010)
"I enjoyed this half and plan to run the full next" (about: 2010)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 OC Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I had minimal complaints: 1. The porta-potties ON the course were positioned such that the lines would stretch across the road where we were trying to run. 2. The porta-potties at the start were plentiful, but all in one spot, and facing toward each other, so lines ended up being a huge confusing crowd. 3. Having to pay for parking twice was annoying... paying for race day is fine, but requiring us to get our number at the expo, where we ALSO had to pay for parking was a little annoying. Add an option to have our race number mailed to us for an extra $2 or something. Those complaints being stated... they are very minor. I thoroughly enjoyed this half marathon. It was beautiful, and the support/aid on the course was fantastic. Generally flat, and perfect weather. What more could you ask for? | |
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D. L. from Riverside,CA
(5/17/2010)
"Help Us" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 2 OC Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The OC Marathon is a good marathon. With a little bit of help, it can be a great one. The first half next to the coast and through the upper bay is awesome. The weather in early May is very predictable and nice. The OC Marathon has good corporate sponsors and great volunteers. The point-to-point course is not my favorite, but it's workable. The medal was good-looking, but there was no stinking date - are you kidding me? The finish area was better than last year's, and so was the porta-potty at the start. But with the growth of the race, you have to do something with the start. It was a joke! I started with the 4-hour pace group and not even a 1/4-mile into the race we were passing walkers! Please take note of how other marathons are run. The start line is mass confusion. And with the narrow streets and bridge under PCH, something has to be done. You might find yourself having more marathoners when you fix the problem. Also, the course by the concrete wash/bike path was not my favorite, but it's better than an industrial park, I suppose. Anyway, I do enjoy the OC Marathon and I will be back. Please help us with the start! Thanks for kicking back to the running clubs - what a great idea! | |
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B. R. from Southern California
(5/11/2010)
"Pretty Good Experience" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 OC Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I very much enjoyed running this marathon and would strongly consider running it again. My only complaint is that there needs to be a staggered start so that it isn't so crowded during the early, narrow portions of the course. For those complaining about the lack of energy gels, prepare yourself and carry your own during your next marathon. For those complaining about paying for parking, this is Southern California for crying out loud. You pay for parking everywhere you go. For those complaining about the lack of crowd support, try running the Los Angeles or Rock and Roll Marathon instead. For those complaining about "hill" placement along the course, you need to toughen up. For those complaining about the lonely stretch along the bike path and dirt trail, work harder on preparing yourself mentally before you run another marathon. Remember, folks: this is a marathon. Not only do you need to be prepared physically, mentally and emotionally, but you also need to be prepared for anything to happen. If this is too much for you to handle, there are plenty of 5Ks and 10Ks for you to run. | |
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M. G. from Anaheim, CA
(5/10/2010)
"Improved From Last Year" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 3 OC Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 My third running of this course. This year, the porta-potty situation at the start line was better. I arrived just after 5 a.m. and had no problem getting parking or on a shuttle bus. As others have said, I highly recommend that the race organizers have a separate start for the marathoners. Certain spots got too crowded. I didn't see any electrolytes after mile 3 till after mile 10. Did I miss it? That was really my only complaint. Otherwise, organization was good and calm weather really helped make this a good race. Post race, the medal was very nice, but I'm wondering how much more it would cost to put the year on it. Food was adequate, but with so many halfers, some items were already gone for the marathoners even for us sub-4 finishers. Overall, I am satisfied with this race and will do it again next year. | |
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J. G. from San Diego, CA
(5/8/2010)
"Not bad, but can improve" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 OC Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The web page could be more informative. Knowing the sports drink and gels given out on the course well in advance is important. The expo was well organized and not too crowded when I visited (Saturday at 11 a.m.). I was in and out within 20 minutes. The starting line could be improved, with staggered starts for the half and the full. I got into position about 15 minutes prior to the race and was able to get within 50 feet of the starting line. The first half of the course is very scenic, but the second is much less interesting. I don't find this to be a big problem, as I usually just focus on running and don't really take in the sights along the way. I did appreciate the straightness of the course in many sections, which I think makes running on tired legs a little easier. The finish line was well organized, but most of the half marathon runners were already finished before the first marathoners started coming in. Again, a staggered start would seem to help. Spectators are thin, and there are times when you are running on sidewalks and surprising a few locals. Overall, a good race, which I would consider doing again. |
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