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May 4, 2024

Sri Chinmoy Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Sri Chinmoy Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.0

Organization 4.2

Spectators 3.6

Number of comments: 47 [displaying comments 21 to 31]

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

Eliot W. Collins from Raritan Borough, NJ (9/2/2008) "Nice Way to Spend a Friday in August" (about: 2008) 50+ previous marathons \| 3 Sri Chinmoy Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This was my third time running this race. My only complaint is the finisher's medal that I am too embarrassed to show to anyone (same as in 2007). I especially enjoyed the meal that was served at the conclusion of the race. I look forward to returning for the fourth time in 2009.
J. C. from New York (8/26/2008) "Expect something different here." (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Sri Chinmoy Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The course is very pretty, shaded in large part, with great folks helping out in all aspects of the operation. The track is dead flat, which most folks like. I have never run a marathon with so many laps and found one problem. I needed to be able to tune out the fact that I was seeing signs proclaiming "mile 22" or "mile 24" when I was still working on mile 6 or 7, wondering if I would ever get there. It took some mental discipline to stay focused. I will be better prepared for that next year. This is the marathon world's best-kept secret. Count me in for 2009.
N. S. from Richmond, VA (8/25/2008) "Great for a first-timer" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Sri Chinmoy Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I'm a first-time runner who signed up at the last minute. I had run in a huge 10K before, with lots of concerts/entertainment going on for runners, and a small 1/2 marathon with nothing but aid stations (and no fans) along the way. So I wasn't sure what to expect. The course was beautiful. One thing I really liked, and absolutely recommend for slower, first-time marathoners is the circuit-style race. Mentally I was able to take it in 1.5-mile doses. Around mile 20 I was getting tired, but was able to suck it up and finish in 5 hours. It was a bit demoralizing when I got lapped by the leaders in my 2nd lap, but then I remembered that it's my first marathon, and the goal is to finish. When the first girl lapped me in the 3rd lap, I started to wonder what was going on, until I started lapping walkers during the 3rd lap as well. Along the way there was a guy yelling Sri Chimnoy sayings, a violist, a group of girls singing and playing drums, and lots of aid stations. I got a kick out of the guy reading the sayings - picture yourself around mile 20 and as you run by a motivational announcement, "The only thing holding you back is you." Pretty cool. Food was good after. Sodium pills are handed to each finisher. The medal is a bit cheesy - a sticker on a piece of plastic on a rainbow colored ribbon - but I suppose it will do. Seemed like there was a lot of first-time marathoners here. Also a lot of foreigners - Germans in particular. I too saw the guy wearing the shirt proclaiming that he was born in 1932. I lapped him once, and the poor guy sounded like he was born in 1932 too - grunting, huffing and puffing, but working hard to get to the finish line. I may be back for this next year. A bus to NYC from DC through Boltbus is cheap; it's the car rental and hotel that added up. Maybe if I could find a partner to run it with...
F. S. from New York City, USA (8/25/2008) "This was my first marathon - wonderful experience" (about: 2008) First Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I am so glad that I chose this marathon as my very first marathon experience. I am now quite happy that I was not selected for the NYC Marathon. I was just in awe of the entire experience. Wonderful organization, and wonderful people all around from the volunteers to the organizers and participants. Everything was well marked, from the entry to the parking field, to the registration area, to the start. As long as you knew the lap you were on, the miles were very clearly identified. When I saw the baggage area with backpacks placed in plastic bags so as to keep them dry on the damp/wet grass, I knew these people had their act together. My only negative in regards to the course (4 stars instead of 5) was the last approximately 150 yards to the finish, which took us off the very nice asphalt paved pathway that we were on for 26-plus miles and onto thick, long, heavy, damp GRASS, which I feel cost me my goal of a sub-five-hour marathon.
A. S. from Montclair, New Jersey (8/23/2008) "My third STM, and I will be back there in 2009!" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 Sri Chinmoy Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 For the third consecutive year, two friends and I headed up to Rockland State Park near Nyack, NY, for this small, rather unusual marathon. The race is produced by the followers of Sri Chinmoy, a self-proclaimed spiritual guru whose international practice involves a lot of meditation and striving to transcend the physical through feats of endurance. Uh, whatever, but this is a well run, interesting marathon. Those who really want to guarantee self-transcendence can run Chinmoy's 3,100-mile race in Queens; runners go around a city block for 51 days. Chinmoy died last year, and this was the first marathon held without him. We all were unsure about how much of the race we would run. I planned to run 15 to 17 miles as a training run. The weather was absolutely PR perfect at the start, cool with a low dew point. Though the sun would heat things up later, the course had plenty of shade. Parking at the start was easy, bib pick up was quick and painless, and the back of this year's t-shirt read "In life we must never give up! Acceptance and self-transcendence should always remain Our motto. - Sri Chinmoy" The marathon course consists of 8.75 laps on a flat asphalt bike path around a beautiful, 2.96-mile lake with reeds, ducks, and swans. The course is well marked, with fairly accurate mile markers, but you do have to keep track of your laps. This race is not certified, not a BQ course, and it's on a Friday morning, so it attracts a smaller number of runners than it deserves, given the course support and dedication of the race director, not to mention the course and its proximity to New York City. This year, there were fewer runners than I've seen in the previous two years - maybe 350 compared to 800 last year - probably because Chinmoy died. Death has a tendency to reduce one's popularity. However, because there is a fully stocked aid station every mile (water, sports drink, bananas, watermelon, bagels, sandwiches, pretzels, seaweed, and Coke), plenty of park bathrooms as well as porta-potties on the course, and the race is cheaper than most if you pre-register, it is a fantastic opportunity to run a supported training run and have some fun at the same time. As always, this race has a very international flavor to it, with many participants coming from Europe where Chinmoy's organization has a large following. I heard a lot of runners speaking German, but I also heard French, Italian, and some Indian languages being spoken. And again, there was a mix of body types and age groups, from the lean competitive runner types to heavier and older runners like Dr. Roy, whose bright yellow shirt proclaimed that he was born in 1932. I liked being able to see the lead runners so often on the lap course. Supporters not only ran the race, but quite a few cheered alongside the course, chanted, or played instruments, and they were out there next to the course for at least the entire 4.5 hours that I was there. The conch shell blowers and drummers were missing this year, but there was a great violinist, an accordion player, and a sitar player who gave an Austin Powers feel to the run. New this year was Poem Man, who stood behind a box in front of marked "take one," filled with one or two line poems and recited his poems for the runners. I grabbed one, number 44,530 according to the number in the upper corner, as I went by on one lap; it read "Aspiration/Has to be dynamic/And not lethargic." I thought of that SNL skit, Deep Thoughts, by Jack Handey. I really intended not to run more than 17 miles here at a slow run pace. However, there's something about running laps in such a tranquil setting that is absolutely hypnotic, and in what seemed like no time at all I found myself at mile 20 and still feeling ok. And at that point it's too easy to say, only 6 left, just finish up, they have a really cool-looking medal this year, which is what happened to me. As I ran through the finish line, a sweet grandmotherly-looking lady handed me 4 little white pills (think grandma's saccharine tablets), which I swallowed without much thought (except one pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small...). I sure hope they really were salt pills, as the woman said when she handed them to me. The round part of the medal was a bit flimsy this year, but the ribbon was rainbow colored. The post-race food looked good too, though I didn't stay for the BBQ. My friend finished this marathon with a great 40-minute PR. I highly recommend this marathon to anyone looking for a low-key race, or a marathon to use as a training run.
B. d. from New Yorl (8/22/2008) "very enjoyable marathon" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Sri Chinmoy Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have to say I really enjoyed this marathon. I decided at the last moment to do it and everyone involved with the race made me feel very welcome. This was a very pretty course. I kind of liked the idea of the eight-plus laps because mentally it broke the marathon down, and to me it did not feel as long. The race began right on time, which I like. The only negative thing I had for my day was the girl lying face down just off the course, close to the start area, who was having a great sleep. It made me tired and jealous every time I passed her. I truly had a great experience and will be back next year.
L. F. from Virginia, USA (2/27/2008) "Run this one; you'll have a good time!" (about: 2006) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Sri Chinmoy Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Race started late due to the late arrival of the of Sri Chinmoy. I understood that he always started the race. It was going to be his 75th birthday the following week. Many laps around the lake, with each mile marked. Heavy rain for awhile that shorted out my cell phone and ended calls to my wife during the race. Laps allowed you to store a bag with cloths and food at the start/finish - nice. I liked the seaweed and tea that were served on the course, a nice change from sports drinks and gel. Good race for slow people like me. Great food at then end - I especially liked the German potato salad.
P. W. from PA (10/16/2007) "A Different World, So Close to Home" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Sri Chinmoy Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This one was unique. Close enough to New York City that several buses full of runners arrived from the city, yet it was like running in another country. The very nice run was secondary to the cultural experience. A fantastic course, consisting of 8 laps through alternately open and wooded park area, around a scenic lake. There was plenty of food and drinks, as the many volunteers always offered water, cola or "energy" at the twice-per-loop water stations. I passed on the many offers of seaweed, heeding the advice that while running a marathon is not the time to try a new culinary experience. I heard a lot of different languages among the runners, and, on the few occasions that the language I heard was English, it was heavily accented. The volunteers and runners were polite and cordial, though not necessarily friendly. The check-in was efficient. The medal was fine, the t-shirt interesting, though not of a material that will hold up for a long time. The post-race picnic looked nice, though I did not stay for it. The nearby Palisades Mall boasts a huge variety of restaurants and kept the family occupied during my run through the park. My only complaint is the accommodations - no fault of the race organizers. The room at the nearby Best Western was dark, dirty, smoky, noisy and tiny. But, at least it was expensive. Although hard to fathom, the Super 8 across the street looked worse. There are not a lot of August marathons in the northeastern United States, and this one is a gem. It is held on a Friday, so it does not take up a weekend, too. I had the experience of seeing Sri Chinmoy and am sorry to have heard of his passing only a few weeks later. I hope to run this race again, and I hope the Sri Chinmoy organization will keep the races going.
Eliot W. Collins from Raritan Borough, NJ (9/27/2007) "Nice Way to Spend a Friday in August" (about: 2007) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 Sri Chinmoy Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This was my second time running this race. Since I knew exactly what to expect, I have no complaints, except for the finisher's medal that I am too embarrassed to show to anyone. I especially enjoyed the meal that was finally served at the conclusion of the race. I look forward to returning in 2008.
M. K. from NYC (9/11/2007) "Peaceful and Relaxing" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Sri Chinmoy Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The Self-Transcendence Marathon is run by the Sri Chinmoy and approved by the NYS parks. The race is run around Rockland Lake in Rockland State Park in Nyack, NY just north of the Tappen Zee Bridge off Route 9W. The commute is easy from NYC (maybe a 1-hour drive with no traffic since it is early morning). The race itself is 9 laps around the lake (asphalt road). One lap is about 2.96 miles. It is mainly flat with a slight incline that is not that noticeable. The park is beautiful and scenic with some animals visible. (I saw 2 deer off the path calmly grazing.) It can get boring to run around the same course multiple times but you are never alone. The race relies on the honor system. There are no timing chips and there seems to be no one recording how many laps you have accomplished, though the fast runners are guided by cyclists. For us slower runners it is more for personal honor and integrity to finish by the rules. Since the race is run on a Friday morning in late August, it can get very hot and humid as it was this year. The temperature reached about 80 when the sun came out, but it was quite humid. The atmosphere is very relaxed and calm. Along the course there a 3 water stations on every loop. The stations are packed with water, sports drink, watermelons, bread, Coke, M&Ms, seaweed and other foods. The volunteers were great, and along the course there were a few members of the Sri Chinmoy either chanting, playing instruments or singing, though the gentlemen banging the drum towards the end of the loop needed more practice. Food after the race was plentiful, but a little scarce for the slow runners at first; then more food suddenly arrived including a goody bag (juice, donut, cookie, nuts, etc.) for each runner and a full hot meal selection about 6 hours after the race started (pasta, vegetable, hot dogs, rice, etc.). The distribution of the hot food was separated between men and women; I assume that was a function of the Sri Chinmoy organization and one should respect there beliefs. Again the people are great and the race is unique. The only disappointments were the race shirt and medal They gave out an ordinary cotton t-shirt; they need to upgrade to a runner's shirt. The finisher's medal seemed generic - a sticker with the date and race name placed over a generic medal seems unfeeling to the runners. All in all, it is a nice marathon to try and if the weather cooperates you can have a great time. Peace to all.

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