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May 3, 2024

North Olympic Discovery Marathon Runner Comments

Back to North Olympic Discovery Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.4

Organization 4.9

Spectators 4.2

Number of comments: 76 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 > ]

S. N. from Vancouver, B.C., Canada (6/9/2010) "comments about hills are much exaggerated" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 North Olympic Discovery Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I saw no hills on this course - slopes, yes, some of which were stiff enough to make me walk in the latter part of the race, but they were quite moderate compared to the Seattle Marathon. What makes this course different is the amount of time spent on woodland trails. Personally I am not keen to run in the country; a country mile is indeed psychologically longer than a city mile. Just as I was approaching burnout, I got to the shore and that bucked up my morale. The sound of the waves was a real treat. I am grateful the course was one-way so I did not have to repeat any of it. Sure, it was not easy, but running a marathon never is. As for the shirt, I loved it. I am so sick of white shirts that a bold, yellow one -with a zipper, a collar and no advertising- was most welcome. Food at the finish was not that tempting (I may have hallucinating but I think I saw hot dogs being served), and the host hotel, the Red Lion, was very expensive (though very convenient). In all, this marathon has a good vibe about it and is worth trying once.
T. B. from Hood River, OR (6/8/2010) "Awesome organization and beautiful scenery!" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 North Olympic Discovery Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my 7th marathon and one of the most well supported. Hats off to the organizers who did such an awesome job. I definitely would run it again.
L. W. from San Francisco, CA (6/8/2010) "A Beautiful and Challenging Race" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 North Olympic Discovery Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran the inaugural race in 2003 and again in 2010. In that seven-year span, the course has been changed and improved somewhat. There are parts of the course that are jaw-droppingly beautiful, but these are also the most difficult sections. The last 20 miles of the race are on the North Olympic Discovery Trail, a mostly paved multi-use pathway that follows an old railroad right of way. The first 16 miles of the race are fast and flat; but watch out, you're about to have your butt kicked. The hard parts come when the trail drops sharply to cross footbridges over several creeks, followed by a very steep ascents on the other side. These occur in miles 16-20. After that comes a nice downhill to about sea-level, with the remainder of the course along the Strait of Juan de Fucca, with a view of Canada across the water. There is one problematic half-mile stretch beginning at mile 24.5 when the course skirts around the perimeter of an old mill site. Here the pavement ends and you are running on dirt and rocks. Lots of rocks. My feet were already hurting by this point and I wished I had worn my trail shoes. Then at mile 25 the pavement resumes and it is a nice flat run to the finish. This is a small race, and it sells out, so register early. There are also a half marathon, a 10K and a 5K. The race in 2010 was sponsored by a physical therapy company, and as long as they are sponsors I would recommend signing up for the post-race massage.
T. S. from Portland, OR (6/7/2010) "Super! The volunteers and organizers were amazing!" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 North Olympic Discovery Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The NODM experience was great! The run was gorgeous, the volunteers fun and friendly, and the aid stations seemed perfectly spaced. I was grateful for the mile 18 aid station (I think it was 18 or so) - I really needed those pretzels right then! And thank you, thank you, thank you to Michelle and Bill, who toted me from the half marathon start line to the full start line, when I managed to end up at the wrong place. I felt pretty bad about that, but you were both so gracious and friendly - really, thank you very, very much! I was also so happy to see you both at the finish line too! Thank you for organizing an awesome race.
M. C. from Keyport, WA (6/7/2010) "A waste - not running this one again..." (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 North Olympic Discovery Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 Five miles of the marathon course are nice. Otherwise, it was all forgettable. There were PAINFULLY steep inclines and declines, and there were not a lot of spectators. I had to ask race officials TWICE which way to go. Mile markers were off compared to my GPS. There was a section toward the end that was not gravel, but a rocky road. The shirt was hideous. I had looked forward to running this race expecting to have a PR. The course was far more difficult than I anticipated. The race website states, "Be prepared for the hilly section and you can set a PR on this course; a lot have been set here." I doubt that statement is true. One person in my 32-person age group qualified for Boston. I do not agree with or understand the positive comments about this race.
W. Y. from Kentucky (9/22/2009) "One-of-a-Kind Course" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 North Olympic Discovery Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 NODM is one to put on your calender for 50-staters. It had a small-town atmosphere, with friendly and unique aid stations. I did not enjoy the steep inclines and declines, but the rest of the course was fantastic, especially the last few miles next to the strait.
T. N. from Kansas City.MO (6/10/2009) "Slow down and enjoy the view" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 North Olympic Discovery Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 NODM has some tough inclines and declines along the way; it is lodged between mountains and the sea, so enjoy the view. This race was well organized and the race director always seemed to be available if I had a question about packet pickup or anything else. The race is small, but I have never been met at the finish line and handed water, walked to baggage pickup, given my finisher's medal and then walked to the food tent... where there was still food for a 5-hour-plus finisher. The few difficult parts of the course washed away with this hospitality. It was the 4th marathon I had done this year, and a PR for 2009. I would actually like to come back after I finish my 50 states.
J. H. from Everett, Washington (6/9/2009) "Well organized event in a scenic destination." (about: 2009) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a very well organized event in a very scenic location. Admittedly, I only ran the half after downgrading from the full, but the subtly rolling course is fun and challenging without being a killer. The spectators who were on the course were supportive, but you need to run this event for the joy of running on a traffic-free trail in a beautiful part of the world. I have no idea what the previous commenter was complaining about - from packet pickup to porta-potties, the race went off without a hitch. Loved the band at the finish celebration too.
N. K. from Ashburn, VA (6/8/2009) "Not even close to what was promised..." (about: 2009) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 North Olympic Discovery Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I will keep it simple: Pros: Great volunteers, nice scenery (for 5 miles total), plentiful aid stations, and great weather. Cons: HILLY - steep inclines and declines, the remaining 21.2 miles were nothing to write home about, there were not a lot of spectators (although I am not one to really need a lot - I tend to enjoy the smaller marathons - this race was practically desolate), HEED sport drink was given out at stations (this stuff is wretched), there was only an itty-bitty expo, and there was a lack of porta-johns. This is NOT a good race for a BQ. The hills are really steep. I run the Marine Corps every year and that race is like a pancake compared to NODM.
E. R. from Bellingham, WA (1/26/2009) "This is an excellently supported marathon" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 North Olympic Discovery Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The baggage handling is better than excellent. Someone greeted me at the finish and walked me through the finish area - got me a water bottle, removed my tag, got my checked bag for me, showed me to the massage area, and saw me to my husband, who was waiting for me.

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