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May 18, 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 71 to 81]

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n. s. from south carolina (2/20/2006) "Had a great time." (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was my first marathon and I had a blast. Running on the beach was like running on a dirt road with no hills and although the wind was kicking up, the conditions were not too bad for February! The water stations were well-manned with friendly people who had lots of encouraging comments. There were really no spectators beyond the volunteers and family members that were there for their own racers, but even that went well with the beautiful beach run. Dinner at Kitty's the night before was delicious. I was actually so slow that I didn't eat after the race but it sure looked good. The t-shirts, medals, and trophies were all unusual and beautiful! My '2' rating for spectators applies only to turnout; the ones who were there were a definite 5!
T. S. from Denver, Colorado (2/20/2006) "Great Race" (about: 2006) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was an extremely FUN marathon! The entire race was on the beach, which was breathtakingly beautiful and the sand was packed so hard it was not any more difficult to run on than a dirt path. There were not very many fans, but the scenery and the friendly, jovial attitude of the other racers made the lack of fan support not such a big deal. The medals were unique and creative. My only negative comment would be the high wind, which made this race more difficult, but at least we ran with the wind to our backs on the last half of the race!
Charlene Zundel from Phoenix, Arizona (2/20/2006) "Terrific small marathon" (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I'd recommend this race to anyone! Running on the sand made this the easiest recovery for me yet. Although this wasn't a fast finishing time for me due to having the flu, I won my age group (which will probably NEVER happen again)! The medals and awards are just gorgeous. The food was good and the few volunteers were terrific. It was very windy, which made for slower times and one of the water stations ran out of water (mile 16). Thank goodness I always have some with me, but those who don't carry it would have been in trouble. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys running alone on the beach.
Jim Sullivan from Cypress, Texas (2/17/2006) "Fun race under extreme conditions" (about: 2006) First Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I ran the half marathon. At 37, I had not run at all since the age of 19. Inspired by reading testimonials of the Houston Marathon, I decided to start running again. I ran this race with only 2 short jogs of preparation, which would explain my not-so-brisk 2:53 completion time. This was my first time running on sand, which definitely slows your time somewhat, but is much easier on the feet and legs than concrete. The weather was very cold, and there was a very stiff headwind for 1/2 the race. However, everyone had good spirits and the organization was very good. There were plenty of drink stations and the post-race food was very good. The medal and T-shirt were first-rate. My only recommendation for other first-time runners is to carry an MP3 player to listen to music. Outside of the volunteers at drink stations, there were only a handful of spectators. I ran without music and the motivation against a stiff headwind at times was lagging. Had I been listening to Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" or "Thunder Road," I am sure I would have done better.
D. J. from Kenosha, WI (2/14/2006) "Well organized delightful marathon" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 My hat's off to Daryl and all those that helped organize this race and all the volunteers that helped. This race was entirely on the beach and the surface was hard-packed and firmer than the majority of running trails. Running along the ocean was a comforting experience. My feet didn't hurt for the first time after a marathon. Excellent pre-race spaghetti meal at Kitty's before the race. Excellent food and good portion sizes. Post-race barbecue was excellent as well. If you are looking for a marathon at which it is easy to get to the start, this is one. I arrived for the race at 7:40 a.m. and was ready for the 8:00 a.m. start with no problems. Well-worth the investment of time for training, and worth traveling to.
B. K. from Katy, Tx (2/13/2006) "Not a good beginner's marathon, but still great." (about: 2006) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 This was only my second marathon, my first being Houston. The difference between the two is like black and white. Surfside had zero spectators except family/friends of runners, which were still only about 10 - 20. I wasn't very happy with the post-race meal, and the pre-race meal was split between two restaurants, so I would have done just as well with going to dinner anywhere. I'll still run it again next year because the experience of running an entire marathon on the beach is great. Organization was good, very personal, and the organizer was on hand and approachable. The course was great but the wind was a bit much. Overall though, still great and like I said, I'll be back next year.
S. S. from Argyle, Texas (2/13/2006) "Very Enjoyable!" (about: 2006) First Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I had a wonderful time running the half marathon. It was a little windy going out but coming back was very pleasant. I am definitely coming back next year I had such a good time!
R. K. from Houston, Texas (2/13/2006) "Unique race on the beach" (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 If you like a small race that is different, being run on the beach with basically no spectators, then this is your race. Recovery was the easiest of the 40+ marathons I have run. They need to improve the water stations - volunteers were not there, ready to give out water for the most part. For most of the stations, you had to stop and grab the water and then hand it back, as it was very windy.
Patti Muck from Richmond, Texas (2/13/2006) "A beautiful beach running experience." (about: 2006) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 This marathon is organized by runners - you can tell by the care they take with the shirts, giveaways, awards, pre- and post-race dinners. Everything is designed with the runner at heart. Surfside also provides a quick recovery by offering an easy-to-negotiate sand surface. A top-of-the-line race and one I would recommend to all marathoners.
R. F. from Texas (2/13/2006) "Scenic beach course, friendly atmosphere" (about: 2006) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Surfside Beach Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 This will go down as one of my all-time favorite races. It's a small, low-key, laid-back race, which is a refreshing change from big city marathons. The packed sand was an ideal running surface and I can still see the surf crashing onto the beach when I close my eyes. I'll definitely want to run this one again! (As an added bonus, the post-race barbecue, T-shirt and finisher's medals were all great.)

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