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May 5, 2024

Surfside Beach Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Surfside Beach Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.5

Organization 4.7

Spectators 2.7

Number of comments: 91 [displaying comments 51 to 61]

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J. B. from Texas (2/11/2008) "Great race for a first-time marathoner!" (about: 2008) First Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon and it was a great experience. I trained with a Houston-based running club, but did not want to run the Houston Marathon because I do not run on Sunday for religious reasons. I stayed in Lake Jackson the night before (with a great pasta dinner at Cafe Anice). The sand and potential headwind made me nervous, but I was very pleased by the relative ease of the race overall. I thought it was organized well, although it was never entirely clear to me exactly where which direction we'd be running, even up to start time. An actual diagram would have been nice, since I assumed we'd run straight for 13.1 miles and then back. (I was wrong.) The bugle playing the national anthem at the beginning was a great touch. To see the sunrise right before the race was unforgettable. There were plenty of aid stations, and enough bathrooms here and there. I wore my glasses instead of my contacts to keep the sand out of my eyes, and boy was I glad. Even then, I had to wipe my glasses down every mile or so toward the end when a fog made the sand stick to them. Yes, sunscreen is a must; I even had my husband drive his jeep along the beach so I could spray some on half-way. It was wonderful to have my family be able to drive along the course and stop to greet me every few miles. There were moments along the way when I looked over at my running partner and just smiled, soaking in the beauty of the moment. I don't think a city marathon could ever compete. Surprise, surprise, I beat my goal time by 35 minutes and even placed second in my age group! Who would have thunk it? Thanks for the great memories!
S. D. from Pearland, TX (2/11/2008) "On-course support was lacking" (about: 2008) First Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This is only my second 1/2 marathon. I ran Houston 4 weeks ago. Running on the sand did not seem to slow me down, and the recovery is much quicker. The heat (at least 65 degrees) and humidity was tough, forcing me to walk/run the last 3.5 miles or so, even though I was making a concerted effort to keep a slower than normal pace. More water stations would have been in order, especially considering the heat, and I agree with another person that the Gatorade was watered down. Unfortunately, I had my Nike+ sensor in my other shoes and didn't realize it until it was too close to the start time. In that situation it would have been really helpful to have splits called out on the course. Lastly, two days later and I can find no results online. After the BBQ and post-race massage (a real plus) I forgot to check the results. My time was slow, considering the unplanned walking, but I would like to know how I compared and how others did. I have emailed and called the contact information but I've gotten no response. A little more attention to detail would make this a great race, assuming the temperatures are about 10 degrees lower next year.
S. H. from Austin, TX (2/11/2008) "Nice Tune-Up for Austin" (about: 2008) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 Surfside Beach Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Practically everything is top-notch for such a small race. Well organized package pick up, good start, good course, great finish area, and good post-race BBQ feast. There was plenty of food for the marathon finishers. Unlike some other races the food wasn't scarfed down by all of the 1/2'ers. Mile markers were placed at every mile. Aid stations were about every 1.5 miles. Only complaint is that the Gatorade was watered down.
M. S. from Houston, TX (2/11/2008) "Good race for walkers and slow runners" (about: 2008) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was a really good race for the slow. I started early, and we even had an early group photo, which is cool. Everyone told me to expect to go slower than at other marathons, but I think that if I'd not had a major blister problem, I would have actually been faster than others. I don't feel nearly as beat up as after other ones. The support was great, and the bbq divine. That fog was unpleasant, though. It isolated runners and made it harder to judge how far to the next food/potty/water. I couldn't see the finish line until we were practically there, which made judging pace harder. Overall a great race - bring sunblock!
N. L. from California (2/11/2008) "Perhaps my most satisfying marathon yet." (about: 2008) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 If it all ended tomorrow, my life would be complete for I have actually parked my car less then 250 feet from a nationally-recognized-marathon start line. The organizers and volunteers were very caring and accommodating. Both of my other marathons were in large cities - one in Nevada, the other in California. The weather was so much better in Texas! This was my first experience in a race with a relatively small participant pool. That said, I felt this event was extremely well planned and well run. If you don't run marathons for a living, then this event is a top priority for next year. This stretch of Texas coast line is very beautiful and suited for running. The weather was unbelievably perfect - almost magic: sunny for the morning first two hours, and then refreshing and cool just in time for the home stretch. The fog was a little surreal. The sand starts to make a difference right about mile 22, and yes, it does slow you down. This event has the potential to be a huge profit center for a deserving charity. The beach easily has the capacity to handle the increased traffic without sustaining damage. Thank you to all the organizers and volunteers for a truly memorable, well organized experience. - marathon participant #125
Jeff Raymond from Decatur, GA (2/10/2008) "A "Must Do" Course" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The fans that were there were enthusiastic (a smaller race, I expect fewer spectators). This was my first experience running on the sand. I was first worried that sand would get in my shoes but once I arrived and checked it out, I quickly realized that there was no way that the sand would get in (unless I tried and even then it would be tough). I thought the race was very organized. The only item I could recommend is that some people yell out official race time at various mile markers (I left my watch at home and actually had no idea how fast/slow I was running... ugh!). Everyone said that my time would be slower than normal, but I ran right at the same time I normally do (3 1/2 hours). The fog came after 2.75 hours and it was unreal running while only seeing from 15 to maybe 30 feet in front of you (pretty cool, actually). The fog seemed to change the feel of the race... visibility from 1-2 miles down to 15-30 feet. Plenty of water/Gatorade stations and for the marathon runners, gel/fruit along the way as well. Also plenty of porta-potties along the race. Excellent massage therapists and BBQ afterward. Great "hardware" for the top finishers and a nice special gift for out-of-state runners. I loved this race. If you are a marathoner, you have GOT TO RUN THIS COURSE... it certainly is a "must do."
S. M. from Pearland, TX (2/10/2008) "The first time I've ever loved running a race..." (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I'm the kind of runner who loves the training and hates race day. The course on the beach is absolutely gorgeous, and since I knew the sand would slow me down a little bit, I didn't feel the pressure for a PR, so I took my time and had fun! The race organizers and volunteers were also superb - very friendly and helpful. I'll definitely be back in the future.
K. S. from Texas (1/9/2008) "LOST MY 1/2 MARATHON TIME IN 2007" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 It was my first time running the Surfside 1/2 Marathon and the experience was a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10. I want to start off by saying that course and food were good! The HORRIBLE thing was they lost my time! There is no record of me doing the race in the 2007 results! I wrote the organizers a couple of times complaining about this and even sent my pictures and bib number from the race confirming that I did it and received no response! They still have not updated the results so all I have are pictures, the finisher's shirt, finisher's medal, and the coaster to prove that I ran and completed the half marathon. I will try again in 2008 but if the same thing happens again, I will NEVER run this race again and I will tell everyone I know not to either.
K. R. from Oklahoma City (3/14/2007) "Highly Recommended" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 My family has been coming to Surfside during the summer since the early 60s, so I already love the location. The run is great. While the sand and wind present some challenge, the course is flat. I had undertrained due to the cold/ice in OKC this winter, and almost decided not to come. I am glad I decided to run as I had no problem finishing, and will return to run again. The run is well organized, and the barbeque at the end was fantastic. This is a great event.
b. t. from Galveston, TX (2/26/2007) "Runner-friendly" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Surfside Beach Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was my second year to run the half, and what brought me back was the beauty of running on the beach. Sand is definitely not a PR surface, but I noticed that the marathon winners were only a few minutes off their Houston Marathon times. You can tell that this race is organized by runners - there's a lot of thought evident in the unique goodies like the coaster/paperweight and free downloadable photos.

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