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May 4, 2024

Edinburgh Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Edinburgh Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 3.9

Organization 3.2

Spectators 3.8

Number of comments: 97 [displaying comments 41 to 51]

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K. M. from Stirling, Scotland (6/2/2009) "Lovely course; organization could be better" (about: 2009) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Edinburgh Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 I ran the relay, but did the full course last year. I found the bus service slightly chaotic. The lack of water was a real problem.
J. W. from Manchester, England (6/1/2009) "Nice course, but less than adequate organization" (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Edinburgh Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 The Edinburgh Marathon is a nice, mostly flat course that begins in downtown Edinburgh and then heads along the coast for the majority of the race. The organization, when I ran, was another matter. At 3 of the water stations (yes, count them - 3), they had run out of water before I got to them! This is bad enough, but it didn't help that we were running on a hot, cloudless day, where the sun was battering down on us and there wasn't much shade available. The lack of available water was simply dangerous. This'll have been my 9th marathon, and although I can excuse maybe one station running out of water, I find 3 just a bit much. It is for this reason that I won't be running this marathon again.
Steve Howard from London (6/1/2009) "No atmosphere at start, and 1st 8 miles too narrow" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Edinburgh Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 This was my first marathon, and overall I had a good experience. Negatives: With bit of music, the gathering at the start could have had a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Instead, there was a quiet nervousness in the air. The guy on the PA did little to lift people's spirits. The first 8 miles were too narrow, and it was annoying to have to keep slowing down at bottlenecks. Knowing that it was going to be hot, there should have been more water on the course and a large area of shade at the finish (e.g., open-sided marquees) for those who needed it. Having placed the finish 7 miles out of town, the organizers have a duty to get people back to the start, and free. As it was, three friends and I had neglected to get shuttle bus tickets, so we had to queue for 45 minutes for a bus on wobbly legs, standing all of the way back to the city.
v. b. from manchester (6/1/2009) "the lack of water put lives at risk - scandalous" (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Edinburgh Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 Four water stations had no water left - in temperatures exceeding 24 degrees. I saw more than 5 people collapse. A terrible experience.
j. l. from Cheshire England (6/1/2009) "2 areas for improvement" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Edinburgh Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 They ran out of water for about 5 miles when it was most needed. Shuttle bus organization was too bureaucratic, with a long queue and much frustration.
S. H. from Stockport, England (6/1/2009) "disappointing" (about: 2009) First Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 I was really disappointed with the overall organization. The course went off on a dirt track at one stage, and we were not forewarned. At four of the nine water stations, there was no water. THAT was a disgrace, given the extreme temperatures (which had been predicted since Tuesday the week before). Once the water ran out, the stations were just packed up and deserted. It was so bad that residents were watering us down with hosepipes. This was really challenging, and disappointing for my first marathon.
S. K. from London, England (6/1/2009) "Beautiful but could be better" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Edinburgh Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 The day was hot and sunny, requiring lots of hydration, but four of the stations had run out of water! Locals caught on and thankfully came out with hoses to fill bottles and spray runners as they passed. Also, it was too difficult for my supporters to get themselves to other parts of the course as traffic was badly disrupted all along the way. Overall, a great run, but the organizers could have done much better, considering that the weather was not a surprise.
Leanne Mackenzie from Silicon Valley, California, USA (9/1/2008) "Not terribly impressed with the course" (about: 2008) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Edinburgh Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was under the impression from the website photos of previous marathons that we would be running through much of Edinburgh amongst the gorgeous historic architecture... but instead, we ran through a boring residential area, an industrial area, and made our way out into the countryside through some small towns. I didn't mind that last half through the countryside, but was very disappointed with the first half getting out of the city. Edinburgh is an INCREDIBLE city to visit, so it's definitely worth it to go, even though the marathon doesn't quite reflect the beauty of it.
B. P. from Colorado, USA (7/7/2008) "The U.K. knows how to take care of their runners!" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Edinburgh Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first international marathon and I couldn't have picked a better race. The expo was tiny, but that is ok, as I am not big on expos anyway. It was in a weird location. It was so funny that I was given potatoes at the end of the expo. The start was very crowded. I know the streets are narrow so there was nothing that could be done about that. The course was perfect. It was very windy the first 10 miles, but when the sun came out it burned the clouds off. I set a PB and was very happy because I didn't know what to expect. The course was hilly enough to make it interesting. The spectators were amazing. I was never alone on the course for very long. Finishing at the horse track was a lot of fun. I felt almost famous. The bus ride home was a little chaotic but nothing that would classify this race as not organized. I have run races that have missed mile markers and aid stations before, so this race was a breath of fresh air. I would recommend this race to everyone. I had an awesome time! Thanks to all of the people who made it possible!
B. L. from Jefferson City, MO USA (6/7/2008) "awesome race" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Edinburgh Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I thought the course along the coast was breathtaking. What a beautiful run. It was very flat, as advertised. The only issue was the 17-30 mile-an-hour winds. For anyone concerned with a PR, this could be a hindrance. The start was very well organized. Runners started in groups based on their projected times. There were plenty of drink stations. The expo was small. It was a ways out of town but very easy to reach on the bus. The shuttle back to town after the race had about a 40-minute wait to get on it and then it dropped us off quite a ways from the start. There weren't any signs to get to the shuttle stop that took spectators to the finish. My husband spent almost an hour searching for this shuttle. The finish at the racecourse was great. Don't bother with the pre- and post-race parties. We went to both of them and there were barely any people there at all. Overall, it was a great race. Much better than I expected.

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