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☰
Houston Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Houston Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 4.7 
Spectators 4.6
Number of comments: 365 [displaying comments 311 to 321]
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D. E. from The Woodlands, Texas
(1/8/2004)
 "Spectator Spectacle" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This year will be my 5th Houston and 18th overall marathon. The crowd support is excellent throughout the course. You can hear the finish line noise a block away as you approach the chute. Houston's course runs through a variety of ethnic neighborhoods and is also very scenic, especially on Allan Parkway. Be prepared to push the last three miles on the Parkway hills! Mixing and mingling with fellow runners and family is great after the race inside the Convention Center. It's a well organized and competitive event which everyone enjoys whether elite or beginner! | |
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C. L. from Victoria, TX
(10/27/2003)
"This marathon was marvelous!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I didn't realize that I was running in a 5-star marathon until I ran my second marathon (Marine Corps Marathon). The Houston Marathon was well organized. The course was excellent. The spectators were throughout the marathon. There was entertainment throughout the marathon. I did not see the same places repeatedly. The post-marathon festivities were excellent. The food was good. The expo was professionally organized. Need I say more? | |
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George Hammerlein from Houston, Texas
(7/31/2003)
"Great organization." (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran the half-marathon this year, having run the full in 2000. This race keeps getting better. Having the Brown Convention Center to start and finish in is a big plus. Unlike other cities, you do not have to take buses to the start line, or stand outside for long periods of time before the race starts. The beverage support is good. Lots of music and hoopla on course. The crowds are loud. Lots of hotels downtown that are an easy walk to the race. The expo is very large; I have been disappointed in other expos having been to Houston first. Recommend for all runners. | |
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Jeff Wang from Houston, Texas, USA
(7/30/2003)
"The more I ran, the more I liked it" (General Comments)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 After having run 2 Houston Marathons in the past two years, and then gone on to run two other marathons elsewhere, I was even more impressed with how well-run the Houston Marathon was. The organization was absolutely wonderful, with an easy registration process and lots of information given out. We have a huge expo before the marathon with lots of vendors - more than the other marathons I've been. The road was a bit bumpy at times due to the road construction in Houston, but I found out that the road condition is not necessarily better elsewhere. The route was nice, as was the scenery; of course, you can't cover all the landmarks in Houston due to the size of the city, but they made a good effort at covering a lot of the attractions. Water stations are plentiful, and so is first aid. The crowd is WONDERFUL, with lots of radio and music blasting everywhere, as well as Elvis and belly dancers. Weather had been great, starting the 40's and finishing in the 60's. In short, the Houston Marathon is a medium-sized marathon with about 4,000 marathoners and 5,000 half-marathoners and 5K'ers, so it didn't get too crowded. The course is also relatively flat, with a few overpasses and underpasses here and there. I think that the Houston Marathon is wonderful, and I intend to keep on running it. I am especially looking forward to the 2004 Houston Marathon, as it will be the weekend before Super Bowl 2004 in Houston. Let's go run the Super Bowl Houston Marathon! | |
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S. T. from Sugar Land, TX
(5/20/2003)
 "Must Run Marathon - Fast, Well Organized, and Fun" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Jan. 2003 was my 3rd Houston and 5th overall marathon. The organization keeps getting better and better. Great race day conditions this year - PERFECT racing weather - clear blue skies and 37 F temps. Wonderful. Ran my 5th consecutive PR in Houston. | |
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C. T. from Channelview, Texas
(3/10/2003)
"A underrated First Class Marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This having been my 8th Houston and 23rd overall it just keeps getting better and better. Los Angeles and Philadelphia to name two could learn some lessons from this one. Austin might be a faster course but Houston is the premier Marathon in Texas. Even through four sponsor changes since 95 there has been no change of efficiency. | |
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A. S. from North Carolina
(3/5/2003)
"Great place to set a PR!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I went to Houston to qualify for Boston after a near miss in Chicago, and I did so with plenty to spare. I loved being able to go inside the convention center in the morning to get out of the cold! The crowd support was awesome throughout the race, the air quality was better than expected, and the area around Rice University was really lovely (and flat!). Some of the other sections of town were a little bit scary; I'm glad I was there with a bunch of other people and some police escorts. I do have a couple of improvements to suggest: I didn't like the separate men's and women's start areas. I'd prefer to be seeded by time as I'm faster than most women and it took me a while to push my way through the crowd. The construction all around the city was also a problem as far as getting around and parking were concerned, but that's hardly the marathon organizers' fault. Overall, it's a very fast, must-do race. | |
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C. P. from Houston, Texas
(2/25/2003)
"Can't improve on perfection!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 My 6th Houston Marathon experience was magical! The marathon merchandise and the variety of vendors at the expo were great. It was a PR day with the weather at 37 degrees. The volunteers, organization, fans/hoopla, start/finish at the George R. Brown center, post-race party, t-shirt, certificate, medal, cup, athlete tracking system, and live TV coverage, all were superb. First-timers might want to know there are a few easy hills the first 6 miles, then flat until the last 4 miles when there are several moderate inclines. So, go out slower for the first 10K and save something for the end. This is a PR course if you don't go out too fast and you have good weather. Houston gets an A+ on this one. You can't improve on perfection. | |
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Sharon Bridges from Jacksonville, Florida
(2/9/2003)
"Loved the WARMTH of the Convention Center." (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Born and bred in Houston, I returned there from my home in Florida, the only runner from Jacksonville to do the Houston marathon this year. This being only my third marathon, I can only compare it to Disney and Chicago - two GREAT marathon cities! And I can say that Houston held her own! More spectators than I thought I'd see and more organization than I expected, since it was HP's first year as sponsor. The convention center was a wonderful place to gather inside - full of all the amenities runners need, and warmth! I'd love to 'go back home' again. | |
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J.P. Buchanan from Ft. Walton Beach, FL
(2/2/2003)
"GREAT - FUN Marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Three time runner with this marathon. 82, 85 and 2003. Each time its been a blast to run. It has always has been so organized and it always gets better. GREAT spectators - can't say enough about the tremendous support the city gives the runners. Running through 'Little Mexico' at 7:30am with the streest lined with bands, families, gettto blasters waking you up is the best! It seemed like there wasn't a mile that wasn't filled with spectators. Perfect race from the start to the finish. I recommend it highly for someone's first. I even ran it with the stomach flue and it still was awsome. |
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