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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 61 to 71]

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r. h. from Bend Oregon (2/15/2007) "Total Blast of Southern Hospitality" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I flew in from Oregon to experience the only all-beach marathon in the United States.... My tenth marathon... have done everything from the big extravaganzas (Phoenix, San Francisco, Portland) to the very very small (Leavenworth, Bend). This is my favorite. This featured 26.2 miles on the beach in the quirky little Texas Gulf Coast town of Surfside. Hard-packed sand most of the way, and it was great cruising right next to the water. A bit cold and windy. I was 18 minutes off my PR. Great organization, incredible support and volunteers, food galore at registration and before the race (donuts, muffins, fresh fruit, PowerBars)... and what a BBQ at the end! Pulled pork, beef brisket, BBQ chicken, Texas fried cabbage, beans... and all you could eat!!! Great shirt, cool towel, sharp paperweight, and a classy medal - all freebies. Great small marathon. You will love it. But don't tell anyone - let's keep it small and fun!
D. W. from Houston, TX (2/14/2007) "Unique race on the sand" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I was concerned about doing a marathon on the sand, but it wasn't too bad because it is firm enough to drive on. You park on the beach and at about 4.5 miles you pass your car, which is nice if you need to drop some clothes. The sand does take a little more energy (like a marathon doesn't already take enough!) but it is easier on the body and my recovery was faster. A bigger issue was the strong headwind for half the route. I was about to die by the time I got to the turn-around at about 15.5 miles, and the woman running with me drafted behind me for the last couple of miles before the turn. But the return trip with the wind was easier. The race organization is very relaxed but everything was well done. There were a lot of water stops with enthusiastic high schoolers, and you pass them twice so there were effectively more than most big races. Each one had water and Gatorade and most had Gu packets. Some had bananas and orange wedges. The finisher medals were nice, the t-shirt had a bright, unique design, and the barbeque afterwards was great. I didn't win a age group award but a pretty high percentage of people did. If you like small races and want to give running on the beach a try, this is the one for you. There aren't many places to stay in Surfside but there are more in Clute, Lake Jackson, and Freeport (all just a few miles away).
Ryan from Michigan from Warren, MI (2/12/2007) "No Frills - GREAT RUN!" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 OK, I gave the course 5 stars. I mean it was pretty simple; no worries about making a wrong turn - you're on a beach. Water on one side, sand on the other! Running on hard-packed sand beats concrete and ashphalt anyday! Plus afterwards you have the world's largest ice bath to soak in... the Gulf of Mexico! PERFECT! Organization: I gave 4 stars (4.5 would be more accurate). Daryl and his crew were well organized and the start went great and on time. Only advice add a few more water stations in the last 5 miles or even the last 4 miles. It was a cool day, but I was getting a bit thirsty and one of the aid stations was not manned and no water as I went by! Pre-race meal at the Red Snapper was AWESOME. One downside: They do not accept any form of plastic and the ATM they have on the premise charges a hefty transaction fee on your debit card! So have cash if you decide to eat there! Post-Race: OMG - KUDOS to the chef! Texas pit BBQ beef brisket, BBQ chicken, Texas coleslaw and BEANS! Now this is by far the BEST post-race meal I have ever eaten! I think next year I will come for the food and skip the run!!!! Overall: Listen this course has no frills/thrills/music (bands or DJ's)/no cheering crowds, etc.... This is running at its PUREST! Nothing to look at except water and sand and maybe the isolated beach house here and there. So, if you TRULY like to run and do not need the excitement... then this is the PERFECT small marathon! If you need hundreds/thousands cheering you on then go to Chicago or any other major marathon and do not run this one! As I said, running at its purest form, and I left happy and satisfied! Even though I did not set a PR, I ran WELL and enjoyed every minute of it!!!!
Triathon Mom from Humble, TX USA (2/11/2007) "An awesome experience" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 This marathon was definitely worth doing. I loved the uniqueness of it. From parking on the beach, to running on the beach... and the finisher's medals and age-group awards were beautiful. Organizers were very easygoing and helpful. The HARD-PACKED sand wasn't that bad and I wasn't very sore after the race. The wind was brutal... 13.1 miles of it in your face. I would do this one again.
N. B. from Houston, Texas (2/11/2007) "Slow and Easy - Great For 1st-Timers" (about: 2007) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 Pre-race: Plenty of parking right on the beach. Packet pickup was quick and easy. I didn't like the t-shirt very much; too big and too loud. The race: The temperature was in the low 40s with no sun; perfect for a long run. Running on the sand is fun and easy on the body. It will, however, add about 10-15 minutes to your overall time, which means this is not the race to break your personal record. It was also quite windy, which means a tough headwind through mile 16 and a helpful tailwind for the last 10 miles. The water stations were very well stocked with Gatorade, gel and... water. The volunteers manning the stations were very nice and eager to help. But other than the support personnel and friends/relatives of the runners; there were no spectators. If you need crowd support, then this is NOT the race for you. Post-race: Plenty of good food and an OUTSTANDING, courtesy chiropractic session. Summary: This is the opposite of a big-city race. GREAT for 1st-timers. I enjoyed it immensely and DEFINITELY plan to be back!!!
K. T. from Houston, Texas (2/25/2006) "Very walker friendly!" (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first full marathon to walk. It was a very welcoming marathon for walkers, which is soooooo much different than Houston! I would definitely recommend it to walkers and runners. This is the best course support I've seen when compared to Houston, Nashville, and Virginia Beach. Thank you, thank you for making it a memorable experience for my first full marathon.
Ben Knippel from Spring , Texas (2/22/2006) "Cold, but fun." (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I would like to thank everyone who volunteered and those that put the race together. I would like to thank those who hung out at the water stations for me. I was the slow one with the do-wrap on my head. My time was way off that day. Thanks again. The barbeque was great. Thanks for saving me some. I enjoyed the run. It reminded of the sand I ran in when I was in the Marine Corps. I'll be back.
M. K. from League City, Texas (2/21/2006) "Well organized marathon/great post-race meal" (about: 2006) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was my first Surfside Marathon. I was looking forward to the beach surface to run on. While the hard-packed sand was for the most part excellent to run on, the high headwinds made for a tough run. The local high school honor society students manning the aid stations did a great job; they were very supportive and enthusiastic. You could smell the aroma of the post-race barbecue for about the last mile, and that pulled me to the finish line. It tasted fantastic! All in all, I had a good time. I plan to be back next year. Good job to all involved in putting on this race.
E. T. from The Woodlands, TX (2/21/2006) "Wonderful Experience" (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I ran the half, after running my first full in the Houston. The experience was wonderful; the beach is a great place to run. The organization was outstanding. The awards were fantastic. I kind of wish there were 5-year brackets, not 10; it's hard being in the top end of a 10-year bracket. My running partner and I would both have taken home trophies with 5-year brackets. With the wind, it was not for PB's. To what the others have said I add: think about renting a beach house. I had one near the south end of the course and many are available if you plan early enough. I had to work really hard to keep my pace near my normal time but I am better for it! I plan to be back next year!
D. P. from Harlingen, Texas (2/21/2006) "Great, well organized race!" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 The organizers of this race did an excellent job at making sure this was a well organized event. Running on the beach was beautiful and relaxing. Thank you for allowing this race to happen.

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