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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 61 to 71]
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C. P. from Atlanta, GA
(1/20/2012)
 "This is a WELL DONE race! lots to love about it." (about: 2012)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I'm so glad I did this race. The many little things the organizers do well make it a terrific experience. Great Expo. The bib pick up was easy, the portalets outside the conv center on the way to the start were laid out nicely - NO lines, having portalets before the timing strips INSIDE the corral is a stroke of genius... water and gatorade stations well staffed and plentiful. I would have appreciated GU at some point, but spectators were out in large numbers offering all kinds of goodies. The course can be called flat. It did have a lot of concrete, and some considerable camber and potholes, but nothing unmanageable. Fan support was fantastic, and local hotels were stellar. I LOVE the finishers shirt, it's top notch- as are the medal and glass mug. The finish and post run area was well laid out and easy to get through. From what my friends say, even the online tracking was excellent. All in all, I just dont see too many improvements to be made. (the GU, the GU...something, anything.?) But THANK YOU Houston! I enjoyed it immensely and recommend this one highly. A+ | |
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Ed Robins from Philadelphia, PA
(1/20/2012)
"Well organized, fast race" (about: 2012)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Houston Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran the 2012 race so I could also be there to see the marathon trials but even without that extra perk the race was well worth it. I prefer the smaller races but this race was well organized and made for a great experience. Is it possible to have a small race in Texas? I guess doing the race for 40 years has taught the organizers how to put on a nice race. I went to packet pick-up right after the trials ended so it was quite crowded but still I get through in a timely manner. I suspect Friday would have been a breeze. The morning of the race you can wait inside the convention center which was great on the cool morning. You did have to use the outside porta-pottys but there were plenty of them. The corral start also worked well. The course is very flat and would be a great PR course. It is not terribly scenic but neither is Houston. However I have a friend who lives there and he feels the course is designed to show off the best the city has to offer. The fan support was good through out and there were pockets of greatness. If you love swag this is the race for you. A pedestrian cotton t-shirt; an excellent under armour finishers shirt, a glass finishers beer mug (for the full marathon) and a nice medal. Also they have separate medals for the full and the half not just the same medal with a change of lettering like so many races do (think Rock 'n roll). I am not able to eat much directly after a marathon so I did not partake in the breakfast that was offered but others were enjoying the spread. My results were on line by the time I got to my Hotel. | |
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N. L. from Florida, USA
(1/20/2012)
"Great weekend, very well organized; one concern" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Houston Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Watching Olympic Trials - Loved it! Course - Good, but rough/potholed in places. Not exactly scenic. Waterstops - excellent, consistent signage, could put a bit more water/Gatorade in cups. Expo, flow through Conv. Ctr. on race day, all very well done. Portapotties along side corrals, good CORRALS - Only real concern. GOTTA have more corrals based on time, and allow people to get in closer to race start. Elite for women cutoff at 2:45 when any American who could run that, ran Saturday? Please! Then putting anyone under 4:00 in Corral A - dangerous! I had to hit the brakes to avoid walkers (mis-)lined up behind elites, and then almost went down from a shove as people accordioned in behind. By MM1, though, it was possible to run ok at my pace (7:20), but anyone not right up front could have been hung up for several miles. Forcing 2:30 marathoners (not me!) to line up 40 minutes before the start (& fight to hold their places) is ridiculous. Impossible to warm up, not even room to stretch. Post race - medical crew was great, very helpful. A friend went down after the line, they were really quick to get to her. Spotter on a cherrypicker to check for people in trouble inside Conv. Ctr. - great process! No problem getting bag and food, finding results, then getting out to watch later finishers. Well planned! | |
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b. e. from mexico
(1/19/2012)
 "THIS ISN T A FLAT MARATHON" (about: 2012)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Houston Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I don't know why the organizers say that this is a flat marathon. IS NOT. If you want to run it, train in hills, or you will be disappointed, it has fast time winners because like Boston, they know how to run the course. | |
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M. K. from Chicago, IL
(1/19/2012)
 "Record setting course" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Houston Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 In 2012 the course record was set for the men/women's full and half marathons. That is a great day to run. This was my 10th state (40 to go) and I set a PR over my time in the California International Marathon(a down hill course). Course is flat with as few turns as is possible in a figure eight. The first miles were crowded. Well organized expo, pre-race, race, and post-race. Great fans and volunteers. | |
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D. G. from Richmond, VA
(1/19/2012)
"Worth Doing" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Houston Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 They do a good job in Houston for this race. The course is definitely a PR course and the only things that were not flat were man made. Weather on race day (and on the Saturday before for the trials) was perfect for a good race. (but the Monday after the race was 60+ at about the same time as the race would have started, so you would need to be lucky on the weather) Highs and Lows Expo was good for a big race, meaning there was lots of stuff but lots of people They have speakers but most (but not all) seem to be on health realted issues from the sponsoring medical center Watersops were great. Well marked and always had gatorade first / water second. The people working them were great and they would look at your bib and say your name and give encouragement. I like to mix water with my Gatorade. But the water stops were space 50-75 yards after the gatrorade stops which made mixing difficult The half and full start at the same time, seperated by mostly medians for the first two miles thne combined before the half splits off just before mile 9. It makes the roads very crowded. There were no Gels on the course (and they had not said there were going to be Gels.) Only marathon I have run in the last few years that did not offer them at some point on the course. Crowds on the course were great. The town really gets behind the race. The post race finish inside the Convnetion Center was great. Easy to get around an great to have a real breakfast afterwards. Someone else commented on the roads...I agree, lots of concrete roads and multiple places were the roads were full of potholes. | |
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J. M. from DeRidder LA
(1/19/2012)
"Great race" (about: 2012)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Houston Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Great orginization. Course was well marked for milage, water/gatorade, and medical. Fans were enthusiastic. Love having my first name on my bib. Course is rough on the legs. Started in the open corral an had to go around walkers after a half-mile. Olympic trials was a huge plus to the week end. | |
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A. M. from Cleveland, Ohio
(1/17/2012)
"My favorite marathon course, so far!" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Houston Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 What an experience this year Houston! Getting to see the Olympic Trials on Saturday & then running in the open race on Sunday morning! It was truly a runner's dream weekend! So many pros to this race. Here are just a few - PROS - A great PR course with very few hills (I am just coming back from an injury, so I did not PR, but I believe I could on this course if completely healthy) - THE BEST fan support! Everywhere you looked there were fans going nuts with hilarious posters - Plenty of H2o, sports drink & medical tents throughout the race - Helpful instruction booklet & well organized expo To be fair, just a few CONS - The finisher shirt was great (Under Armor - tech) but the initial shirt at packet pick up is a stiff cotton nightmare - I did not do bag check, but my friend did & she said it was a long hike to get to the gear check & the line moved very slowly - Should maybe include in the packet pick up a guide of 'Fun Things To Do In Houston'. I have never been to the city before & would've liked to have know about interesting sites to check out after the race. Overall, it was a awesome experience. Nice work Houston Marathon! | |
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S. E. from Champaign, IL USA
(1/17/2012)
"Highly Recommended" (about: 2012)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Houston Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Pros Weather: Ideal (50s-lower 60s F, sunny, not windy) Course/Organization: The course felt a little dense in the beginning, but thinned out quickly (I ran a 3:12). After the first 2 miles, I didn't need to do a lot of weaving. The course is mostly flat with a few extremely gentle rollers. Plenty of water/gatorade stops! (I PRed!) The course was not especially scenic, but is nicely laid out and perfectly handles the race size. Also, I appreciated the volunteers calling out paces at every 5K mark. The traffic around the convention center (start/finish) was not bad and road closures were really easy to navigate around. Fans: Almost the entire course was lined with thick crowds of supportive fans; it was unbelievable! Finish Line: Plenty of food (free hot breakfast), well-organized and easy to navigate, not overwhelmed with vendors trying to sell memorabilia (didn't see any) Cons Course: Lots of concrete and a few sections on poorly paved asphalt. Organization: The restroom lines in front of the gear check area were ridiculously long because volunteers were directing everyone there, claiming that was the only option. A lot of us feared we'd miss the gate closure for our corrals, and almost did. There should have been better signage regarding the restrooms, as there were plenty beyond the gear check area. Packet Pickup: Extremely crowded, though the lines moved quickly | |
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A. M. from Pflugerville, TX
(1/17/2012)
"Excellent Experience All Around" (about: 2012)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Houston Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran the 2012 Houston Marathon and had a great experience. Expo and packet pick up were well organized. Race day set up was seemless. Getting to wait in the GRB Convention Center before and after the race was a nice option. The 2012 course was mostly flat, hardly any hills to speak of. The first 1-7 miles was crowded until the 1/2 marathon split off, but it did not slow down my pace. The volunteers and crowd support were great. After the race we were all routed into the Convention Center. I had no issue finding my family. There were plenty of options for drinks and food. Only negative was that the phone App did not work for anybody, iPhone or Android users. The website and email notifications worked fine but no one was able to get updates via the App. Great race! I would do it again without hesitation! |
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