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May 18, 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 81 to 91]

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D. J. from Libertyville, IL (5/2/2006) "Great Marathon Organization and Volunteers" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Frederick Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Hats off to all the organizers and volunteers who made this race very enjoyable. From the dancing parking guide to donuts at the end, everything was well done. Volunteers at all corners, great traffic control, friendly help... can't say enough. The stadium was a great site before and after. Minor adjustment for next year would be more water/Gatorade at the first water station. Two great shirts and a hat! Thanks, Frederick, for a great day.
T. P. from New York, USA (5/2/2006) "With a few adjustments, will be a great race." (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Frederick Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 The evening before the race, the blind led the blind as people were very confused as to the location of the pasta dinner, 5K race start, etc. But the next day at the race itself, it turned out to be a pleasant event with great weather, a beautiful course through residential neighborhoods and farm country, cheerful volunteers, and a great finish in the stadium. Better (more doesn't necessarily mean better) communication in the future, including improved directions and this will be a great event.
Joe Church from Harrisburg, PA (5/2/2006) "Nice Race on a Nice Day" (about: 2006) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Frederick Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I truly enjoyed the race. I think one of my favorite memories will be "high fiving" with a line of little kids (4 - 7 year-olds, I'd guess) who were cheering on the curb. It may have slowed me down a few seconds then, but it gave me a boost in spirit that carried me through to the end.
M. V. from Abingdon, VA (5/2/2006) "Just do it!" (about: 2006) 3 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 If you haven't run Frederick, you should. The course takes you through some lovely areas... but be ready for a few hills toward the end. This is a good-size race, and although the spectators were few, they were quite enthusiastic. The race was well organized and started right on time. Thanks for the great weather!
A. A. from United States (5/2/2006) "Progressive Marathon Feedback" (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Frederick Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 The Frederick Progressive Marathon is a non-competitive race in which individuals complete 26.2 miles of the marathon over the course of several weeks and track mileage on an official weekly log that is handed in at race check-in - an ideal race for those who are unable (or unwilling?) to endure the full 26.2 course all at once. (I understand so far Frederick and San Francisco are the only marathons that have progressives.) Every participant receives a beautiful medal upon crossing the finish line. I did like the fact that the first .5 and the last .7 miles of the race were run togther as a group and all on the same course. I do have two disappointments with this race: (1) "Frederick Marathon in Progress" shirts were promised to all participants at the progressive launch but were not available until later. As an alternative to picking up shirts later at a local shop, another option available was to pick up your shirt at final check-in with your bib. I chose to wait until check-in since I live far from Frederick, but that day I was told that all the shirts were gone. If one was earmarked for me, why were they all gone? I was given a 5K shirt instead as a consolation, which was kind but it was not the same. (2) I would have preferred to have a more prominent finish line and have the medal placed around my neck. The finish line was unmarked and medals were just handed to you. In the future, a more ceremonious close to the progressive marathon should be organized. On a brighter note, I found the spectator base to be great and encouraging! Do I recommend the progressive marathon overall? Yes I do. It is fun and encourages you to keep running!
C. M. from Virginia (5/2/2006) "PR Course" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Frederick Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 My comments are actually about the half marathon. Overall this was a very nice event; great scenery, nice course, good fans. I will definitely run it next year. However, there were some glitches that need to be addressed. The organization was okay. I especially loved the frequent emails before the event. These were fun and informative. The bus driver had no idea how to get us into the race start and we were re-routed twice before we yelled to just let us off the bus and we'd walk. Then buses were not available until over 1 1/2 hours after we finished the half marathon. This was the most frustrating part of the event - the bus situations. Need to work on this for the future. Lastly, the first two water stops were out of water by the time we got there. I suspect that since the 1/2 was added, the calculations were off on how much was needed. I'd consider this minor since future stops seemed to be okay.
M. S. from Alexandria, VA (5/1/2006) "Decent first-time experience in Frederick" (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Frederick Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I actually had a great time doing the marathon in Frederick. The weather was GREAT, most of the course was pretty nice, and I was just feeling great. But there were a couple of things that occurred that kept me from ranking this marathon higher. First, the course.... I don't know who decided the last 9 miles should be in the middle of farm land but I think it was big mistake. There were very few spectators out there and it felt very isolated with an "I'm never gonna make it!" kind of feel. I would have liked if that loop was first and then the rest of the course happened afterwards. Also, that last loop seemed to have a couple more hills, which wouldn't have been so daunting in the beginning, but seeing 2 hills as you run over 2 overpasses in mile 25 was VERY tough. Traffic was pretty much kept separate from the rest of the course, with the exception of one driver not paying attention to the police and almost running me over in mile 16, but everything was okay. The organization wasn't too bad but lost a lot in their ranking when they ran out of water and Gatorade at miles 2 and 4. Granted, I'm not a speed demon but even the slowpokes need to keep hydrated! The rest of the water stations were better however. Finally, spectators were merely okay. They ranged from very excited and motivating at the beginning to somewhat bored and uninterested in the middle, excited again at the half, nothing for 9 miles, then more motivating for the last 1.5 miles. Maybe this is normal for smaller marathons but I felt like I expected just a bit more. Overall, I did enjoy my experience and was happy that my first marathon was in Frederick. Would I do it again there, maybe... but most likely not if the farmland part was the last loop. But, I'd still recommend it to other runners. I hope this helps!
F. S. from Virginia (2/22/2006) "Do yourself a favor -- run in Frederick!" (about: 2005) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Frederick Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran in 2005, and it was a great experience. The course is well laid out, going through the center of town as well as some of the farm country. Finishing in the minor league baseball stadium makes you feel like you're entering the Olympic stadium going for the gold! This is a good-sized race, with enough people so that you don't feel lonely, but not so many that you're tripping over other runners, and it takes only a few seconds to cross the start line. Fans were enthusiastic and friendly, enjoying the scenery from their front lawns. The organizers did a great job with plenty of water stations and food. At the end it's a real party atmosphere. There's tons of food, including Krispy Kreme donuts, and your friends and family can join you in the stadium at the end. Run Frederick; it's loads of fun!
Jeff Kellogg from Shepherdstown, WV (6/26/2005) "Great experience, great weather" (about: 2005) First Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon, so I can't compare to others, but what an experience! The weather was perfect (apparently the 2003 race had 4 inches of snow, so date was moved from late March to early May), except for a headwind briefly starting at about mile 18, which was not welcome. The fans were very encouraging, with lots of water stops. My only organizational gripe was that the marker at mile 1 HAD to have been placed considerably long, causing some brief self-doubt. I'm a little surprised to read other comments stating emphatically, 'course is not flat'--it rolls just a bit in the final third--guess I'm from the local area and accustomed to some hills, which this course didn't have. Other first-timers need not hesitate. I'll definitely be back next year.
Kamika Smith from Kauai, Hawaii (6/12/2005) "Well supported course - Cool Weather" (about: 2005) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Frederick Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 First of all, I had just run a tough and muddy trail marathon the day before this race, so was still somewhat delerious when running this one. Cool packet pick-up area ~ at a baseball stadium. The course was very well supported with great aid stations and police and marshall support throughout. Comfortable weather on race day, especially since the year prior was snowy. Friendly people in the marathon as well as in Frederick! Also liked the finishers shirt ~ simple and something that you wouldn't mind wearing.

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