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May 5, 2024

Frederick Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Frederick Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 3.9

Organization 4.2

Spectators 3.8

Number of comments: 116 [displaying comments 41 to 51]

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P. H. from McHenry, IL (5/9/2007) "Rolling, interesting course" (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Frederick Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 One thing made this a great marathon for me - TONS of great volunteers out there helping with the event giving out water, Gatorade and bananas. The police were also great. The hills were all gentle, but there were plenty, IMO. Miles 19 to 23 were the roughest due to a stiff wind. If I could change anything - there would be more buses and more portable baths.
L. L. from NC, USA (5/9/2007) "Overall a good marathon!" (about: 2007) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Frederick Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I have only one complaint and that was not enough buses to get runners to the start from the mall parking lot. We could park at the stadium if we arrived before 6am, but given that I was coming from an hour away I opted for the shuttle. I arrived at the parking lot for the shuttle at 6:30 and waited for 45 minutes. By, the time I got to the start line it was 1 minute before gun time. I never was able to locate the pace group I was planning to run with. This made for a very 'frazzled' start! However, everything else was great. The course was rolling. The volunteers were awesome and the aid stations were well stocked with water, gatorade, and some even had gu, bananas, and chips. Someone else had mentioned the cups were plastic. I didn't see any plastic cups the entire 26.2 miles. All the stations had paper cups when I ran through. I loved the technical shirt and the hat. We also received a finisher's t-shirt after the race. Overall, this was a very well run event except for the shuttle situation. I would highly recommend this marathon!
M. S. from Pittsburgh, PA (5/9/2007) "Nice, Small Marathon" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Frederick Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I am a big fan of small marathons and overall I thought Frederick was pretty good. The police and traffic control were unbelievable for a race of this size. The course is a bit boring, with runs through 2 office parks - not sure if they could tweak it and make it better. The course was a bit more hilly than I expected - I think the course elevation map needs a better scale. The last hills on mile 26 are pretty rough. Water stations were plentiful and well stocked. I was dropped off a couple blocks away and walked to the start so I didn't experience the shuttle issues described below. Nice goodies - technical shirt and hat, and finisher t-shirt. Enjoyed visiting historic Frederick on Saturday. Spectators were sparse but generally enthusiastic. Overall, good experience. I would run Frederick again.
C. L. from NC (5/8/2007) "Cool Finisher's Medal!" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I signed up late and was impressed with the organization and ease at which they accepted me. This is truly a small town race put on with care and consideration Abundant, well-stocked water stops, friendly volunteers, and sweet little touches to make us feel welcomed. The finisher's medal is very cool, and I appreciate that it does not have your sponsor's name emblazoned upon it. The course has only a few hills, the hardest of which comes at mile 25! But overall, it's a well-designed course that makes an 8-shape. Headwinds were strong for our race, but it was marvelously cool and sunny. I particularly liked the course in the last 6 miles running past open fields and keeping company with the cows. Suggestions for next year: please offer more lodging options on your website and improve (add more street names to) the race course map. Thanks again!
D. K. from MD (5/8/2007) "average" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 This was a highly disorganized run with me having to wait to get on a shuttle bus, that shuttled not only runners but their spectators. To top it off, we were all late getting to the start. The race did not foresee the roads to be closed?? So, when our bus arrived at the race, we had to get out and cross through all the runners, to get to the starting line. Afterwards we had to wait to get onto a shuttle bus to get to the food, and then to get back onto another shuttle to get to parking. The spectators were lacking. Would have been much better had it not been so disorganized.
J. B. from Utah (5/8/2007) "Horrible organization for my first half-marathon" (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Frederick Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 This was my first ever half-marathon and, while the course was decent, the elevation profile was off. While the profile made it look completely flat, there were more steep hills in the first 5 miles than in most of the rest of the run. I believe the race organization was terrible. We understood that anyone slower than a 14-min pace would end up running on the sidewalk and we were fine with that. What we didn't realize was that all of the racing personnel were going to desert their posts (including those at water stations) and we would be left to determine our own way to the finish line through the myriad of turns. We ran just over a 15-minute pace in the end, after stopping and asking various people on the street if they knew which direction the other runners went. Would it kill them to leave signs with arrows on them out for an extra half hour or so? Apparently, it would. . . AND we were given the wrong medals when we finished and had to go back to exchange them. Not very organized at ALL!
H. F. from Mount Airy, MD (5/7/2007) "Good First Marathon Experience" (about: 2007) First Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Good First Marathon Experience Frederick is a great small town marathon. The runners expo was well-designed, with quick number pick-up, but there were not very many vendors. Following directions, we arrived at the local mall at 6:15 AM to be bused to the stadium and the starting line. The race started at exactly 7:30 AM. As the runners made their way to mile one I did see a number of buses trying to get to the start line. I later found out that the buses had problems making it to the start area because so many people did not pay attention to directions and tried to park at the stadium. The course was well patrolled by local police officers and well marked. Running the first half of the race with the half-marathoners I found all water stations to be well stocked and staffed by fantastic volunteers. The course changed as the half-marathoners veered off to finish. (My wife who ran the half commented that the race was geared to the marathoners as there was no food and very poor shuttle service from the park where she finished.) Mile seventeen was through a cemetery. Interesting course. Once we headed to mile eighteen the course became very baron of cheering fans. There was a bit of traffic running along side the runners, but controlled by cones and the police. No real issue there. There was water stations placed every mile for the last six miles of the race. Plenty of water, Gatorade, energy gel, and bananas. The final two tenth of a mile were ran in the local minor league baseball stadium. It was exciting running around the warning track and making the turn towards home and the finish line. The stadium announcer was calling out names of the runners as the came down the home stretch. Overall, a very good experience.
D. B. from Maryland (5/7/2007) "Well Supported Marathon" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Frederick Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 For a smaller marathon (721 finishers) I have never seen as much on course support in terms of traffic control - personal thanks to the officer near TJ middle school for going after the impatient butthead that nearly ran people over, plus emt's on bikes all over the place, well supported water stops with 1 per mile for the last 7. Excellent race premiums - sport shirt & hat. Nice to have a personalized bib as I had my name called out more than a couple of times. Not a huge crowd, BUT enthusiastic none the less. Decent post race, although would like a sports drink at the end (saw only water). Nice to get a couple of free beers and a finishers shirt. As for the course, it can best be described as rolling. I'd give it 4 stars as 2 sections through business complexes was a bit boring. I'd do it again. One of the best marathons I've run.
L. H. from Maryland (5/7/2007) "great experience for a first timer!" (about: 2007) First Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon and I thought it was great. The weather turned out to be perfect except for the wind especially the last 5-6 miles. The hills were not as bad as expected. I thought the organization was good, the miles marked and the volunteers were excellent. The water stations were prepped with gatorade, water, gu(selected stations), and snacks. Shuttle service was great but the expo was not so great (only expo I have ever been so not much to compare) Overall, great marathon, I would defintely recommend it to a first timer!
F. M. from Falls Church, VA (5/7/2007) "Poorly Organized, Nice Course" (about: 2007) 3 previous marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 I arrived at the mall for the shuttle service at 6:45 and it seemed that they did not have enough buses, so we waited, and waited, and waited, and ....By the time the bus took us to the start line, the race had begun and the bus could not even get us to the start line. So we got out of the bus and ran to the start line. By the time I checked my bag and started, it was a ghost town. The course marshals were gone already at the first few miles, so I even got lost! They did not have any food at the finish line and it took for ever for the buses to come and take us back to the stadium where we could take another bus back to our cars. I suggest hiring another race management company to organize the race, have more buses, and food!

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