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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 331 to 341]
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J. D. from Houston, TX
(1/20/2003)
 "2003 Houston Marathon comments" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 (1)Expo: Fri/Sat at convention center for packet picket. Easy to get in and out. Not crowded. (2)Pre-race: Everything associated with the pre-race was flawless. Parking was not a hassle. Plenty of free parking. Convention center open to runners and guests. Venders inside selling drinks/food, baggage check-in, porta potties, chairs and tables to sit at, church services, water available. (3)Course: Perfect weather. Course is mostly fast with the exception of some overpasses. One loop with start/finish at convention center. Water stops approx every 1.5 miles. All stops had water/powerade. About 5 stops had Clif shots in a variety of flavors!! Ample medical staff along the course. Seemed like every radio station was along the course. Course also includes bands, belly dancers, Bolivia dancers, tap dancers, and Elvis impersonators. Spectators were located along most of the course. Some locations lacked spectators due to course route. (4)Post race: After the finish, runners were escorted into the convention center were they received finisher's medal, long sleeve t-shirt, mug and finisher's certificate. the food was excellent. Scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits, bagels, bananas, oranges, cookies, water, and coke/sprite. Plenty of places to sit down and relax. The only thing I would add is a place to change clothes. I recall they used to have this, but it appears that this had changed. This marathon is very organized. There were approx. 12K runners, 6K in the marathon and the remainder in the half-marathon and 4 mile. The volunteers do a great job assisting the runners along the course and inside the convention center. | |
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A Runner from NYC
(5/8/2002)
"An excellent race" (General Comments)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Great course-- mostly flat and takes in lots of different neighborhoods in Houston. The roads near the beginning are a little potholed, but everything was great after about mile 6. The beginning was a bit crowded and slow, but to be expected given the size of the field (including lots of half-marathoners running the first third of the course at the same time before breaking off). Organization was very good, with the exception of the race website, which is all done up in Flash and is more concerned with being stylish, not informative. The much-heralded 'real-time updates' of friends via e-mail and cell phone did not work. But the course was well-staffed with both volunteers and entertainers (belly dancers at mile 20, an Elvis impersonator at mile 15). Finishers' loot (a finisher's t-shirt and glass mug) were inconspicuous in the convention center, but a nice perk over and above the typical race offerings. Post-race food was great-- breakfast tacos! | |
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A Runner from Plainfield, IL
(4/8/2002)
"Excellent 1st marathon in a 12 month quest!" (General Comments)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I am attempting to run 12 marathons in 12 months, and Houston was my first. This event was very well organized. It started with a good expo--comparable to other big-city marathon expos I've been to. Start and finish at the convention center was great. The course itself was very good (mostly flat). There were not a huge amount of spectators, but the ones that were there were loud and enthusiastic. What made up for the slight lack of crowd support was the fact that just about every time you turned around, there was a band, or radio station, etc. which helped keep you going. I set an age-group PR on minimal training, and missed a lifetime PR by 17 seconds. This was my 7th overall marathon (including Chicago, and Grandma's), and I would rate this race highly, and recommend it to anyone. If you have any advice/comments/motivation for my quest, feel free to email me. Next up in February: Mardi Gras Marathon | |
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A Runner from New York, New York
(3/22/2002)
"A surprisingly pleasant experience" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have run 26 marathons in 8 different states including New York and Boston. Coming into the race I was warned that Houston is not a nice city. I found the city to be the exact opposite. I worried that with the changes in sponsors the race would be lacking in amenites and organization. In fact I found the race to be very well organized, well supported, and lacking for nothing. The race route was well thoughtout so you got to see a large part of the city and its diverse neighborhoods. The course had good crowd support (not like NY and Boston but nothing else is). The water stop and aid stations were plentyfull. The workers were helpfull and curtious. All told I would strongly recommend this Marathon as a very pleasant winter location to run. | |
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A Runner from Kansas City
(2/20/2002)
"Fast Course, Great Organizations" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 In additions to the flat course and great organizations, Houston Marathon has one of the most unique convenience for the runners. The start and finish is by a big convention center which they allow the runners in to stay warm before and after the race. Houston also has hotels right by the start/finish line( with rooms available and reasonable prices) so one does not have to mess with shuttle buses or baggage check in. I stayed in my hotel lobby until 15 min before race time. Houston Marathon had the most food and drinks at the finish than any other marathons I have run ( I have run 18 marathons including NYC, Chicago, Dallas,and Boston.) It was a great experience for me this year. Highly recommended! | |
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A Runner from Boston
(2/12/2002)
 "Compares with the best" (General Comments)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Having run Boston, New York and Chicago several times, I didn't expect Houston to be one of my more memorable marathons. But it certainly was and I look forward to doing it again. You get much of the benefit of other big city marathons (support, entertainment, facilities) without the hassles (crowds, long waits, shuttle buses). The course was excellent and although there were a few hills, they were very manageable. All in all, I rate the race as a less discovered gem. | |
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A Runner from Las Vegas, NV!
(2/9/2002)
"My 1st marathon was awesome in Houston!" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 1st marathon and the volunteers made it an awesome experience! I need to give a special shout to the volunteer medical group. After finishing the race, I collapsed immediately. I could feel the blood rushing to my vital organs as my hands took on a tingling sensation. An I.V., bloodtest, an E.K.G., and a check of all my vital organs was all done in the convention center by some great doctors & nurses who volunteered for the event. They were very efficient, friendly & professional. The crowds were incredible and without their encouragement, it would have been very difficult for me to finish. I think the only thing I would change for the event is expanding the minimum finishing time to 6 hours instead of 5 1/2 hours. There were still people running up to the finishing line as I was leaving. I highly recommend this marathon to 1st timers as the support provided ( volunteers. crowds, etc) will help you get through the race. Thanks Houston! | |
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A Runner from Montreal area, Canada
(1/29/2002)
 "Great day and good course-a bit hilly in last part" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I will say as so many others are saying: the organization is great. The convention centre, among others, is perfect for handling so many people, housing the expo (wich was fairly large and interesting) and the area where a good variety of post-race food was handed out. Everything seemed to be running smoothly and the downtown parking, near the convention center, was free. Very neat. The course was good, not always spectacular, but diverse, and in that great weather (great for running), it was a pleasant experience. A cool and sunny day, with some wind. Perfect! The only thing I was disappointed with was that in the last part of the course, there were a surprising number of hills, as if they had kept them for that last part. The advertisement said that the course was flat and fast. Well, it was a little less flat and fast than that! Overall, however, it was a well-organized event happening on a great day. | |
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A Runner from Chicago,Il
(1/23/2002)
"Great winter marathon." (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I originally planned on doing Chicago last fall but fell behind in my training due to illness and business travel. I checked this web site to find a quality winter marathon and decided on Houston based on the positive reviews it got in the past. I just completed the 2002 Houston marathon (my seventh) and find it to be a first rate marathon from start to finsh. The expo/packet-pick up was outstanding. Large expo, especially considering the size of this race. Compares favorably with my Boston/Chicago experiences. I did not have to wait in any lines. The convention center is large enough to prevent over crowding. The use of the convention center for pre/post marathon activities as well as race day is an enormous benefit. As soon as the race is over you are in a warm indoor facility loading up on the best post race food I've experienced. This would also include 4 Chicago's and 1 Boston. The course is mostly flat but has 3-4 fair inclines. I was able to take 6 minutes off my previous PR (2:58)which I originally set in Chicago 2000. Having aid stations every mile(after mile 2) and every 1/2 mile towards the end of the race works well for me because I can not take a lot of liquid at one time. The size of this race is perfect for me. Although the number of fans on the course are not even close to Chicago or Boston, I actually felt more support because I was not lost in a sea of runners. My number was called out many times by the fans along the course. This will not happen in a mega marathon unless your an elite athlete. A marathon of this size allows you to hit your stride immediately. If you are looking for a top notch winter marathon, this is the one. If you need lodging,I recommend spending the extra $ to stay at the Four Seasons. This first class hotel is located just two blocks from the expo/start-finish area. It is located on the course and you can watch the other runners after you've finished. It also has a large hot tub in the fitness center. | |
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(Cindy Mashe) from Texas
(1/22/2002)
"Great Support/Bathrooms/Water/Entertainment!" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon & I was so ever impressed by the support of the city of Houston. The race was put together very well with sufficient bathroom services, hydration, medical staff, and entertainment - both from the marathon as well as the Houston community. |
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