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☰
Grand Rapids Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Grand Rapids Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 4.9 
Spectators 4.0
Number of comments: 329 [displaying comments 281 to 291]
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B. W. from Holland, MI
(10/30/2006)
 "I heard good things about the course." (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I volunteered for and also watched the 2006 GR Marathon. Everyone seemed to really like the course this year. Most people seem to agree that the race has improved in each its three years. One suggestion I would make is to close the GVSU parking lot that empties out onto the last quarter mile. Many runners had to tolerate cars that left the lot and crept directly on the runners' heels. Many of these drivers were finishers of the race. | |
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J. F. from Florida
(10/30/2006)
 "Great Marathon for the True Runner" (about: 2006)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Grand Rapids Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This race is dedicated to and honors the true marathon runner. It is put on by runners, for runners. If you are a first-time marathon runner and want lots of fluff, run Chicago. If you want to have fun, run a well organized race, PR, get all the amenities a runner needs, have LOTS of great, well-stocked aid stations, run a flat course, get a hot shower at the end, meet great people and have a beer at the finish, then run Grand Rapids. This is the best orgainized and managed marathon I have ever run and I will be back again and again. Thanks Don and crew! | |
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L. M. from Chicago, IL
(10/30/2006)
 "Smaller race with big-race organization" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Grand Rapids Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I have run over 20 marathons and several ultras. And Grand Rapids now ranks among my favorites. This is a hometown race but it still has the organization and perks of a big race. The size of it makes it very manageable. Easy to park, easy gear check. Start and finish in the same spot. But you avoid the inconveniences some of the larger marathons require you deal with. The course is lovely. A few too many out-and-backs but it is still fun. The volunteers were top-notch. Absolutely perfect handoffs at the water stops every time. This is the kind of small thing that makes a race great. Because the folks in charge clearly care and want to make the experience the best possible. Very nice awards. Decent food after. Performance fabric race shirt that is actually a very nice design as well. This is a new race and this race director should be proud of the overall excellence of this race experience. I would do it again in a heartbeat. | |
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S. M. from Chicago, IL
(10/30/2006)
"Nice, small, fall marathon" (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Grand Rapids Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a well-organized fall marathon that showcases the beautiful fall colors of Michigan. The organizers of the race were friendly and helpful and the volunteers were great. The course was flat, although the number of out-and-backs was a mental killer toward the end. Also, it did not showcase the best parts of Grand Rapids.... Why not take the runners through the downtown area at the beginning and/or end of the race? This would generate a lot more crowd support, I would think. Also - a minor annoyance - some of the water stations were on a turn, which created a bottleneck at some of the narrower parts of the course. Otherwise, a nice and well-done race - and GREAT shirts. | |
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S. S. from Madison WI
(10/30/2006)
"Scenic Course, Fun Atmosphere, Ability to PR..." (about: 2006)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Grand Rapids Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my 7th marathon and by far the most scenic. A large majority meanders through a park along the Grand River. It has a few small hills and you pass by fellow runners coming and going in a couple of spots, which is tricky, but very manageable. If you draw your energy from the surroundings and not a huge bunch of spectators, then this race is for you. I PR'ed by 13 minutes despite 25 mph winds the majority of the race. Other positives are a great long-sleeved, technical-fabric shirt, an entertaining race director, and lots of hotels close to the start. | |
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J. M. from Hudsonville, MI
(10/29/2006)
"Good people, iffy course" (about: 2006)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Grand Rapids Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I thought that for a small-market marathon, Grand Rapids was very well managed. The water and aid stops were great. Though the fans may have been few and far between, the fans that were around were awesome. My biggest complaints are that the course route is canted (road beveled/tilted) the same way the entire time - killing my right knee/hip - and there are too many out-and-backs including one in the parking lot of a "waste water" treatment plant. Other than those two things, it's a great marathon and the people involved more than make up for my petty comments. | |
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m. b. from usa
(7/23/2006)
"fun, beautiful, unique race director ;-)" (about: 2005)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Grand Rapids Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Beautiful fall marathon. Paved trail and road. Pace groups are great. I had Navy Seals pacing me!!! I also PR'd after running 5 marathons and came off and injury! Got a free DVD of the marathon and the award was unique, big and awesome. When done, there was lots of food, water, chili and BEER! THE RACE DIRECTOR LIKES BEER. MAKE SURE YOU RUN THIS RACE AND BRING HIM YOUR FAVORITE BEER! | |
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A. G. from Grand Rapids, MI
(6/19/2006)
"Not many fans, but worth it anyway" (about: 2005)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Grand Rapids Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Despite the marathon being only in its second year, I took a chance on Grand Rapids because I am a college student there. Another reason was the course seemed similar to a race I ran earlier in the year, the Fifth Third River Bank 25-K, a very exceptional race that I enjoyed and highly recommend. But back to this race, and I will never regret deciding to run the Grand Rapids Marathon. Of the three full marathons I have run (I also have completed Detroit and Chicago), this race was the best-organized. The course did have a few out-and-back areas, but the course was still really beautiful along the Grand River. And since it was full, the fall colors were spectacular. The course is mostly flat with some minor hills, but nothing I wasn't prepared for. The expo was not as big of an expo as the previous races I had run, but I felt like the people were really trying to get to know runners and supporting them well. I just had a feel that the organizer knew what he was preparing that he was an experienced runner who cared about others. The fans were fairly often few and far between. In fact, I may have a little positive bias in the fan rating. This is because as I said, I am a college student in Grand Rapids, and numerous friends of mine came out and supported me at different areas of the course. The people at aid stations, however, not only provided you water, Gatorade, and other goodies you might have wanted, but really tried to act like fans as well. At one aid station, I was offered Vaseline but turned it down, not needing it but just wanting a simple hi-five, and it was granted! Sadly, unless I live in Grand Rapids in the future, I will probably not have another opportunity to run this marathon soon because I graduate in 2007. Another reason is I am planning on running all 50 States. However, if you want a small marathon that is very well-organized and the people try hard to get to know you, this is a great pick! Recommended. | |
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J. K. from Grand Rapids, MI
(5/1/2006)
"Great race" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Grand Rapids Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I'm tempted to lie and say bad things about this race because I don't want it to grow too much, but this is a great marathon. I've run 21 marathons - mostly the bigger ones, multiple times. I plan to run this one every year because it is my hometown and I feel like I can PR on it every year, as I did in 2005. Anymore I don't sweat the small stuff, you know, some people might not like the medal or post-race baggy; I don't really give a crap about that stuff... just give me a course and logistics that put me in a position to run my best. This race is all about that. I guarantee, you run this race once and you will know it was organized by a serious runner. If you are looking for a big-city experience, look elsewhere. If you need a lot of crowd support, look elsewhere. If you just want to PR, Chicago may have a slightly faster course - though perhaps not, when you factor in the inevitable logjam at the start. This is definitely a place where you can break free and run YOUR pace right from the get-go. The worst thing I can say about this race is that in 2005 the wind was tough in the last 6 miles, where an industrial park and open areas offered little buffer from the wind. Lastly, I will say there were kinks in the inaugural race (2004), but kudos to the organizer, because I think they were all eliminated in 2005. Now it's all good. | |
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Doug Gordon from Rochester Hills, MI
(3/1/2006)
"Low-key, scenic event" (about: 2005)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Grand Rapids Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Maybe I'm cheating here because I only did the half-M, but we shared our half route with the full. If you want a scenic and well-organized event, but without having to battle huge crowds, this is for you. My wife and I enjoyed staying at the 5-star Amway Grand Hotel, and then just walking 5 minutes to the starting line, which is a lot closer than I usually have to park at the big races! The weather really cooperated with near-perfect conditions. I started out with a pace group, but later pulled ahead to do a PR for the half on this fast & flat course. The best part was the path along the river, under the trees, crunching on the fallen leaves. I'll be back in '06, skipping the Detroit race again if I have to. |
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