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Akron Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Akron Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 4.8 
Spectators 4.5
Number of comments: 309 [displaying comments 61 to 71]
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B. K. from Canton, Ohio
(9/27/2010)
 "Excellent organization lets you focus on running" (about: 2010)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Akron Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my second year running the full Akron Marathon and fourth time running in this race at any distance. The only other marathons I have run are Cleveland and New York. Overall the organization can't be beat. Everything was flawless from start to finish. All the little things make it an easy race. There was signage indicating there was a water stop coming up so there weren't any traffic jams at the tables. Water/PowerAde order was always the same. You pass the rows of porta-johns at the start line again at mile 11 so you don't have to wait in line at that location. There were 4 well placed GU locations, a very organized finish area and plenty of food at the finish. Parking and getting to the start line was a breeze. I mention all of these pluses because these were the problems I ran into at other big races. It did feel like that the entire time on the course I was either going up something or down something, but I enjoyed the variety. I always run my fastest on this course so the hills aren't that bad. Even the famous 3-mile-hill portion isn't extremely steep, so its manageable. It just keeps going. They do make it very obvious from all their descriptions that it is a hilly course. The long downhill at West Market around mile 24 was very welcome though! The long hill portion is the most scenic as you are in a park on a winding road completely closed to traffic in the middle of some woods. Also love the sunrise from the bridge at the beginning with the steam scenic railway train crossing underneath! Was that planned? Running through Stan Hywet grounds is always a plus. There was a very frustrated tourist at the front door. I overheard her saying, "Well I finally made it to Stan Hywet and guess what's going on? The Akron Marathon." (Insert sarcasm) Oops! The jacket given to the marathoners is great but the Brooks one given out in 2009 is better. Felt sorry for the half marathoners who got a flourescent yellow shirt. It looked like there were random security guards mixed in the crowd at the beginning because the crowd was dotted with bright highlighter-yellow shirts. :) Overall this race is a blast and all my friends who run the relay while I run the marathon always say, "Let's do it again next year!" | |
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T. W. from BrookPark, OH
(9/27/2010)
"This race is the BEST!!" (about: 2010)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Akron Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I've done this race 5 times: one marathon, one relay, and 3 half-marathons. I think this race is number one all around - from the organization to the awesome course and Jim Barnett shaking everyone's hand at the finish. The number of volunteers handing out water, PowerAde, and GU is just amazing!! The finish in Canal Park makes this race worth the effort!! Thanks for another AWESOME RACE!!!!!!!!!! | |
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T. M. from Ohio
(9/27/2010)
"Great experience - definitely would run again" (about: 2010)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Akron Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I just wanted to share that I had a great experience at the Akron Marathon. This was my second marathon, and I really loved everything about it. I think that people's negative comments about the course, especially the hills, are a little unfair. While they certainly were challenging, they were more than reasonable. And I do believe that you can set a PR or a BQ at Akron, especially when the weather is perfect like it was on Saturday. My only complaint is that I didn't like having the marathon relay finish in the same place as the full marathon. It wasn't a great feeling to have relayers flying by me as I was struggling to finish (3:16). Other than that, I loved the race and I'm sure I'll run it again in the future. | |
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Travis Williams from North Canton, OH
(9/26/2010)
"Very fun, great spectators, challenging course" (about: 2010)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Akron Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my second marathon. My 1st was the Ridge Runner in Cairo, WV. This race was very well organized and had great fan support and workers. The hills were somewhat tough - at least everyone says they were - but like I said, my previous marathon was in WV and those hills were three times bigger. But I had a blast and loved how the course showed the highlights of Akron:downtown, Akron U, the towpath and the scenic parkway. Loved it and was able to cut 51 minutes off of my previous time! | |
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J. H. from Reno, Nevada
(9/26/2010)
"This is a top-notch marathon" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Akron Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Of the 19 marathons I have done, this is one of the top five. The course is beautiful, the organization could not be better, and the fan support is very good for a medium-sized town. I recommend the Quaker Inn, but they sell out two months before the race, so plan accordingly. The weather was perfect for the 2010 marathon and this allowed me to run about 10 minutes faster than I thought I would! There are hills, but they did not seem too bad to me. Kudos to the race director! | |
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Ian Levison from Chicago, IL
(9/26/2010)
"Fantastic!" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Akron Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This race is run with military precision where not one detail is spared. I was very impressed by just about every aspect of this race for being just 8 years-old. I think that the tech jacket that you get is by far the best gift that I have ever received for running a marathon. This would probably retail for about 40-50 bucks all on its own. The course is a bit more challenging then other courses that I have run in the past mainly due to the gradual uphill climb about 3/4 of the way into the race. If you incorporate enough hills into your training this should not pose too much of a problem for you. I thought that the fact that Jim Barnett shakes every runner's hand at the end of the race really is a testament to how much he cares about this race, its participants, and its volunteers. If you want to run a fantastic medium-sized race, this is for you. | |
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A. M. from Colorado
(9/26/2010)
"Unparalleled Excellence" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Akron Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is the best marathon I've done, ever. It beat them all, hands down. Jim Barnett (the race director) hosts a perfect race. The hills were super mild. I beat my last marathon by 40 minutes! Anyway, the world is not flat; I trained on hills and delivered a fast finish. Perks for the race include an awesome technical running jacket and my medal being engraved at the finish with my name and time. Wow!! The race director sends a personal e-mail to each person who enters and shakes each person's hand at the finish. He even works out the small details: the full marathon medal was large and gold, the half was smaller and silver, and the relay was smaller still and bronze. They were all so beautiful. Logistics were awesome. I flew directly into the convenient and small Akron airport, and my hotel cost next to nothing. I've been to over 30 countries and almost as many states, and can tell you this: from Mile 24, as I viewed downtown Akron (the finish), it was the most beautiful city in the world. The people of Akron are so proud of their marathon, and it made them glow; I loved being a part of that. | |
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Terry Pescosolido from Columbus, OH
(9/26/2010)
 "Great race" (about: 2010)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Akron Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 63rd marathon. Very well organized. Expo was great. They gave out Brooks running jackets (instead of shirts). Very nice. Also bought a couple of nice shirts, but would've loved to have gotten one with a large roadrunner on it. Course was scenic. Second half is much harder. A lot of uphill from 17-21. Then a great downhill from 24-25. Water stops were great, although, due to size of the race, the first few should be on both sides of the road. Marathoners also got a nice winter headband at the finish. Jim, the race director, congratulated everyone at the finish. Nice touch. Also finishing inside a baseball stadium was ideal for accommodating the runners and spectators. The food and free beer at the finish topped off the wonderful experience. | |
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Gid Oswitch from Kent, Ohio
(9/26/2010)
"An A-1 Event!" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 6+ Akron Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Yesterday was my 8th time running the Akron Marathon, and simply put, it is an A1 event - top-notch organization, attention to runner's details, and the most "bang for your buck." The second half of the course is tough, but finishing in Canal Park Stadium is magical. It's a great race for runners and family. | |
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Michael Maillis from Campbell, Ohio
(9/25/2010)
"Jim Barnette is the man" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Akron Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 First, I am 2 for 2 on this course qualifying for Boston ('08 and '10); It is a tough course but it seems to give you a lot of downhill breaks and a lot of diversity. Beautiful views. The schwag Brooks Jacket is incredible, organization is incredible and JIM BARNETTE is the best hand-shaker. (The race director shakes every finisher's hand.) I can't tell you how many people called my number, cheering me on and pulling me through those last miles. Thanks, Jim. loved it. I'LL BE BACK! |
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