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May 3, 2024

Marshall University Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Marshall University Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.2

Organization 4.4

Spectators 3.0

Number of comments: 208 [displaying comments 21 to 31]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 21 > ]

B. B. from Texas (11/12/2013) "A very good race" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I've run 45 marathons and I thought this was good to excellent, maybe an 8.0. This was my 42nd state. Good weather (if windy), easy to sign up and register -it only took me about 15 seconds to pick my bib from a very nice young woman. Pacers at the 'expo' were super friendly and answered my course questions and allowed me to store my backpack on the field at their booth - thanks guys. Nice map giveaways so you knew where you'd be running. There was a free pasta dinner that I never see with a good speaker (wish I had been there earlier to see Bart Yasso). Nice dry fit shirt and no flyers/garbage in our bag. The host hotel (Holiday Inn) was fine. Waiting in the stadium/ample bathrooms before the race was a nice touch/plenty of room at the start.I knew there was no starting mat from past reviews here so I moved up, and was running quickly from the start, with a long straight a way to sort out traffic. The course was good - loved running on that excellent DIRT path around the pretty park, you never get that, and no, there are no rocks that get into your shoes as I read here in the past - and the course is super flat with one or two minor hills. The volunteers and aid stations were all fine. The finish was the most unique one ever - I loved catching the football and 'sprinting' in and of course the memorial to the victims, very classy. The post-race celebration, including free massages, good food, instant timing results, parking out of the door, late checkout until 1:00 p.m., ease of getting back to the airport in Charleston. All in all, a wonderful experience that I'd recommend highly. I'd give the course another star but unfortunately about half is the typical industrial side of a city and I'd give the organization five stars except for a few minor snafus that the RD has already promised to fix for next year.
Matt Johnson from West Lafayette, IN (11/11/2013) "Would not do it again" (about: 2013) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 The packet pick up did not end up taking as long as it could have, but was extremely unorganized. After that, we did not feel the pasta dinner was a great idea so we looked for other options. There is not much in the area, especially on a game day. The race went on GUN TIME! I have not seen something like this outside of a backyard 5k in years. The director stated that he did not want to hold the race up 4 minutes in order to install the mat! This is unreal and caused many people a lot of heartache. The course is two loops which wasn't as bad as I expected, but you had to run back past the half marathoners as they were nearing the finish which was demoralizing enough in itself. To add to that miles 14-18 were up hill with a heavy wind in our faces. The mile markers were also not clearly marked in this area. The post race did have hot dogs, hamburgers, and chocolate milk. The post race did NOT have beer, which put a damper on my day. Finishing in the stadium was cool being an ex football player.
B. M. from Kansas City, MO (11/11/2013) "Top notch small marathon" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was state #31 and it did not disappoint! If you are a 50-stater, sign up for this race for West Virginia. No hesitation, just sign up. I will go through the Pro's and then a very little Con. Pros: -We Are Marshall. You must watch the movie and research the history behind the football team. It will impact your trip to Huntington. Visit the sites, memorials, etc. -The course. Even though it was a 2 loop course, it's flat and fast. We had perfect temperatures but the wind picked up the 2nd half and there were some stretches that were difficult because of the wind, but other than that, the course is great. Especially for my wife who saw me at 5 different places throughout the race. -The finish! Where else can you catch a football, run 100 yards, score a touchdown at the finish, and then spike the football? Then you can stretch out on the turf, rehydrate, and soak in the other finishers. -The bonus Asics jacket. Extra swag is always a positive. -2 high-fives from Bart Yasso and I shook his hand before crossing the finish line. Cons: -Why is the medal ribbon blue? I know the answer is because St. Mary's is a sponsor and their colors are blue but come on, put their logo on there but have the ribbon Marshall Green! I know it is a small 'con' but I a medal snob and this one could be so much better with a better ribbon. The medal is great but have a green ribbon that says, 'We Are Marshall' and this race would score a 10.
M. B. from DMV (11/11/2013) "Good, needs some work" (about: 2013) First Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Cons: -Disorganized packet pick-up -Not many spectators/no bands -5K starting the same time has half/full was annoying, kids were everywhere! -The two loops for the marathoners created problems -Not completely closed course - cars!! -Confused at where the race actually began, it was a good .2 miles off from when I started my counter Pros: -Flat course, fast course -Love Huntington, as a MU alum -The Medals were awesome -Chocolate milk post-race was a plus -The excitement of everyone there
M. B. from Prairie du Sac, WI (11/10/2013) "not horrific but not great" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 Disappointing issues with organization (no starting mat, disorganized packet pick-up, chaos on the course splitting race distances, no post-race results). Course is adequate, though is a 2 loop race for marathoners-some nice areas with most of the route on the streets of the community. Few spectators. Adequate post-race food in the stadium which was fun. Nice Asics jacket for marathon runners but would like male/female sizing. Loved our time in West Virginia despite the imperfect race experience.
C. I. from Morgantown (11/10/2013) "Marshall University Marathon 2013" (about: 2013) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This race is by far top notch. The course was well marked, the volunteers were some of the friendliest that you will ever meet, and the organization of pre/post race was indescribable. The course took you through the great city of huntington, two amazing parks, and the Marshall University Campus. The best thing about this course is that it is all flat, you literally fly. This race is one of the best that I have ran and I hope to run it in the future. I highly recommend this race for anyone who wants to run their first marathon or for someone who has ran marathons in the past. This marathon is clearly a cut above and it won't disappoint.
L. S. from Delaware (12/4/2012) "Best Bang For The Buck" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 All in all this was a great race. Two negatives for me. I registered very early and requested a small shirt. At pick up on Saturday they were out of smalls and they gave me a medium. I help organize a marathon every year and this should never happen. My shirt is WAY too big to wear and its a shame because it is very cute. Second, I could not find the food at the finish and two people I asked could not tell me where it was. No biggie, I got a pizza on the way back to the hotel. The positives are many! The volunteers were fabulous, water was plentiful, and the military and police traffic control was superb. I parked 50 yards from the start less than 30 minutes before the start. The lack of starting mat didn't bother me, I just got toward the front and only lost 5 seconds. I loved running under the gigantic American flag, nice touch!! The course and roads were well maintained and the area along the water was very pretty. It's a fast mostly flat course, in fact it was my second fastest time ever.In my opinion, gels are the runner's responsibility so I didn't notice a lack of them. The football finish was the best part and super fun! Watching 'We Are Marshall' before the race is a must. It makes the experience so much better. The medal and the jacket were both really nice and a big bang for the buck. If my shirt had been a small I would have rated this 5 stars. Really bummed about the shirt. I do think I was one of the few that stuck around Sunday night, I like to celebrate a great run. This town pretty much shuts down on Sundays, it was a bummer not to be able to find anything open that had a good steak and martini. I would definately recommend this race to 50 state members for West Virginia. It really was a great little race with great people!
D. S. from Dayton OH (12/1/2012) "Pros far outweight the cons...great small race!" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Kudos to the people of Huntington WV and the Marshall University Marathon team. You've got a hidden gem here that will continue to grow as people catch on to the secret. The good: Amazing swag. Early entry netted a real nice Brooks jacket, a race shirt, and a finisher medal when you're done. The expo was miniscule but packet pickup was easy (race day pickup available too). The pasta dinner was included in entry and the lines were nonexistent. Multiple restroom options pre-race (athletic center, porta-johns, stadium bathrooms) and the ability to warm up inside the athletic center made for a comfortable pre-race experience. The support from the police, the US Army and the other course marshals was first rate. Finishing on the football field and carrying a football across the goal line was a highlight. My best finisher photo to date in any race...spiking a football! You made this Veteran's Day extra special for this veteran who dedicated each mile to a fellow warrior. The bad: The course wasn't exciting although the double loop was nice as you knew what you were getting into for the second half of the race. Crowd support could have been better on a gorgeous day. Really minor issues when it comes down to it. The ugly: No timing mat at the start and no organization. I don't mind gun time if I know it's going to be gun time but why have timing bibs and mats on the course? I was catching up with some friends at back of the start area when all of a sudden the race took off...I never heard a starter. Likely 2 minutes added to my time according to my Garmin. Put a timing mat at the start line, please! This race is a treasure and has the potential to be even better! I highly recommend it to anyone who needs to knock WV off their 50-states list or just wants to do a marathon.
Bob Kroeger from Cincinnati (11/20/2012) "Can this five-star bargain get any better?" (about: 2012) 50+ previous marathons \| 3 Marshall University Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I've run three of these marathons and have enjoyed each one, especially this year's as I ran with Mike Fremont, the 90-year-old, as he set a new American age record for the marathon. Fans and fellow runners showed respect for him and cheered him on from the chilly start to the warm finish at half past one. Kudos to the race directors for keeping police on the streets all that time to protect us. Very kind. You don't see a marathon record being set very often. Especially by a 90-year-old. In my 50+ marathons, I would rank the swag here in the top five: beautiful Brooks running jacket, green short-sleeved Brooks shirt with appealing design, and a first class medal. For the early registration fee of $55, this was the marathon bargain of the year! Oh, and don't forget the included pasta dinner with only a small charge for non-runners. The hills, if there are any, are imperceptible. It is the flattest marathon course Ive run and the double loop is great since you know whats in store in the last five miles. If you can't PR on this course, theres something wrong. Last year the Ramada hotel where I stayed offered a late check-out but it did not offer it this year. Maybe new ownership? I wish more Huntington residents would get involved and come out and cheer - or run. Maybe they will for the 10th running of this wonderful race - next year.
P. K. from Cincinnati (11/19/2012) "Good Smaller Marathon" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Marshall University Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This was a well-run marathon that has potential to become great. First the negatives. There was some confusion with entry fee. HealthyHuntington advertised one price, but active.com showed a higher price. One had to dig further into registration to see the original, lower price. Also they had to bump the race date back a week, which might have caused headaches for some people. Some confusion where the start was located, and we couldn't hear the announcer (was there an announcer? starting mat?). Race course was fairly ugly - then again not much can be done about that without moving to another town, or climbing some grueling mountains. No gels offered. Very little crowd support, not even Marshall students. The positives included a no-frills, intimate expo that featured a couple inspiring speakers, including 90-year-old Mike Fremont, who set an American record next day. Free hearty pasta dinner. Rec area that held the expo looked brand-new. Ease of parking - a local cop told me they don't enforce university parking permits on weekends. Race course was two loops along the river, so it was flat almost the whole way. Volunteers were friendly, with liquid stops every two miles. The course included the campus, as well as a crushed gravel path part of the way. Really cool finish inside the Marshall stadium (probably the only time I'll carry a football downfield with crowd cheering). Grilled hamburgers/hot dogs, cookies - and green bananas! Nice tech T-shirt and medal. I ran this race for my 50 states. The negatives weren't enough to prevent me from coming back, since they obviously wanted everyone to have a good experience. I'll definitely return - if I ever finish my other states.

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