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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 61 to 71]

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

david johnson from Seattle (6/18/2004) "Great course, well organized" (about: 2004) 1 previous marathon \| 1 North Olympic Discovery Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Where do I start? The event was very well organized. From the time I pulled into town to pick up my packet to arriving at the finish line to pick up my drop bag, people were helpful, supportive and organized. The course was beautiful! The aid stations were well positioned and the people were very supportive. The final 3 miles had great water views. The shirts and medals are great. It's only the 2nd year and it feels like they've been doing it for 20. Not too many hills, nicely paved and would definitely recommend everyone run it.
B. W. from Des Moines, WA (6/17/2004) "Fabulous in Every Way!" (about: 2004) 3 previous marathons \| 1 North Olympic Discovery Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I've been running shorter races for twenty-plus years, and just started doing 1/2 marathons this year. NODM is my third 1/2, and one of the absolute best races that I've run -- at ANY distance. From the pre-race emails and race information website updates, to the pre- and race-day events -- all was extremely well organized, lots and lots of wonderful and friendly volunteers (they had nearly 500 volunteers for about 1,100 runners!), well-stocked and entertaining aid stations. This is going to become an annual event for me and my husband!
S. E. from Salem Oregon (6/15/2004) "Beautiful and Flat" (about: 2004) 3 previous marathons \| 1 North Olympic Discovery Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Beautiful little city with lots of scenery to make the time go by fast. Well organized and friendly people make this marathon a well kept secret.
David Clark from Wheaton, Illinois (6/15/2004) "A must-do small-town marathon!" (about: 2004) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 North Olympic Discovery Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This marathon was so well organized from the package pick-up to the finish line that I truly thought they had been running the race for a decade! This race caters to the runner in every way. The race volunteers and staff were so friendly that I almost wanted to move to Port Angeles. The course is very runnable with hills at mile 1, 16 and 20. Nothing too taxing but be forewarned they are there. Also, there is some rolling terrain at miles 15-20. Again, nothing big but not a totally flat course. I have run over 70 marathons in 34 different states and I would rank this in the top three. Plenty of course aid with volunteers who must be runners, as they really pampered you. The scenery was beautiful and I will definitely be back. Plenty to do for non-running spouses and friends due to the proximity to Canada and the Olympic National Park.
D. Y. from Port Townsend, WA (11/8/2003) "A wonderful fall marathon!" (about: 2003) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I was impressed with the organization, especially for a first-year event. The course is great and is relatively flat. Great start time and location. I plan on running NODM as my spring race every year now. Nice complement to crowded fall mega races. Great support and enthusiasm from community for a smaller run. If you are looking for a relatively fast (faster than Seattle or NYC) race with great scenery and karma, this is the race for you!
W. W. from Manhattan Beach, CA (10/2/2003) "Great new event" (about: 2003) COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 OK, I'm posting a pretty late comment. I'm new to this website. I ran the half-marathon, but am familiar with most of the course from frequent travel to the area over the last 30 years. The 15-mile mark is 100' from my (99-year old!) mother's driveway. Yes, the half was long - turnaround was misplaced at 6.75 instead of 6.55 (verified with bike the day after the race). As to the marathon, the section between 16 and 21 has about 4.5 miles that are rolling and take a number of turns, with a couple of nasty little hills coming out of creek crossings. For me, a rhythm runner, it would not be good for a fast time, but that is one of the most beautiful sections. The surface is rough (chip-seal, not smooth pavement). The scenery is fantastic, between the strait and the Olympic Mountains. Race organization was excellent, runner support excellent, and the performance shirts for the half and vests for the full, for me at least, were something really special. Definitely recommended.
a. H. from st. paul (6/29/2003) "Also..." (about: 2003) COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Forgot to say that that was a nice vest they gave out. Will come in handy in the winter. The shirts are also great, in that as they are microfiber, and so I can wear mine at an event.
A. J. H. from St. Paul (6/28/2003) "Nice race, but..." (about: 2003) COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Half marathon is run on the shoulder of the road. Very bunched up for the first two miles. Not what I expected from the initial posting on the web. No 5 miles of waves crashing at the end. The trail portion was a very rough surface. Paid a big price for running in light shoes. At the end it was 'What, no shirt?!?!?!' Every other marathon my wife or I have run has the date of the race on the medal. Not to be a total complainer: The commemorative t-shirt - without a date on it - that I purchased is nice. The part that was through the woods and over the bridges was great scenery. The scenery outside of Sequim wasn't bad either. Everybody I encounterd throughout the event was fantastic. Loved the 9 AM start time.
Traveling Tourest from South Carolina (6/24/2003) "A Must for Marathoners!" (about: 2003) COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 There are several things that make this an outstanding marathon. 1. Location: Port Angeles is off the beaten path and well worth the drive from Seattle. Race Headquaters at the Red Lion Inn make it possible to park your car and never drive again. Resturants are all within easy walking distance. Be sure to catch a ferry to Victoria, B.C., Squim, and Port Angeles - the whole surrounding area is relaxing and beautiful! A great place to be before a marathon. 2. Organization: Race officals/volunteers thought of every small detail ahead of time. Ex: Pre-labeled bags for clothing worn before the race start, and as soon as I crossed the finished line a volunteer handed me my bag. Now that is service! 3. Course: If you like snow-covered mountains, fields of lavender, and running beneath a covered canopy of large lush trees, then you'll love this course. It's mostly flat, except the one short and steep hill at mile 20. It's enough to keep the marathon real. Good place to set a PR, with only one hill and beautiful surroundings. 4. Volunteers: They're great! Aid stations were well stocked, and volunteers were energetic and extremely motivating. From the many cheerleading squads to the Mom & Pop Flower station, everyone was great!
M. H. from Minnesota (6/23/2003) "Awful course for 1/2. Everything else was great." (about: 2003) COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran the 1/2 marathon - an out and back course that started at the finish line of the marathon. I expected it this race to be much more scenic since the race advertising strongly suggested that the marathon course ran along the ocean for the last five miles. If there was a total of 2 miles along the ocean, I would surprised. And the sewage waste treatment plant was a nice touch. There were not a lot of hills in the 1/2 but the hills that were there were major hills - I had to walk up a couple of the especially steep hills and I noticed a lot of other runners also walking those hills. On a more positive note, this race was extremely well organized and everything seemed to go smoothly. The volunteers were fabulous.

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