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Apr 29, 2024

Run With the Horses Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Run With the Horses Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.3

Organization 4.4

Spectators 2.2

Number of comments: 61 [displaying comments 21 to 31]

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J. h. from Salt Lake (8/28/2009) "Toughest course ever" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Run With the Horses Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 The marathon was run as part of the river festival, which provided some entertainment the night before the race. The organization was good. There was a good variety of options available at many of the aid stations, bananas, crackers, granola bars, etc. My favorite thing at the aid stations was that, as the race wore on, there was ice in the water and Gatorade. Perfect for the hot day. Also, there was not a race shirt, but rather a nice windbreaker that was embroidered, which was a nice change from other events I have done. I will not sugar coat it: The course was out-and-back, and it was the hardest I have ever run. After the race my GPS listed the total elevation gain for the entire race at 3,510 feet, and it starts at 6,000 feet. There are some nice views, but not much variation. If you can bring someone with you or find someone to run with, it helps the time pass. The medal was nice, but not my favorite. Overall, a small but good race.
M. W. from Irvine, CA (8/26/2009) "Running with heat, hills, and some horses..." (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Run With the Horses Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 The course for this race was a challenge - starting at a high altitude (6,000 feet) and then going up even farther (1,000 foot-climb) for the first half. Then it was sort of downhill in the second half. It was also a rather warm day on that hill! The views were pretty nice, and we could see a horse or two. The ground was mainly rocky, so that was another layer of difficulty! Along the course, there were a fair number of water stations. They probably could use a few more, as well as more potties! But the stations were pretty well stocked, and the people were nice. Packet pickup was easy - a few goodies were handed out from a small trailer. Pre-race was also a cinch - just drive to the start! And the post-race area was good, with lots of fruit, drinks, and snacks. I think a welcome addition would be some nuts, peanut butter and pretzels, but that is a personal preference for some protein and SALT after a hot race. (The only salt available was some chips!) Overall, the race director is pretty cool and helpful, and the course has a lot to offer.
G. M. from Seattle (8/25/2009) "High, Hilly, Hot, Horses" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Run With the Horses Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Starting in town at 6,100 feet, and topping out around 7,500, the elevation was noticeable for a sea-leveler like me. It started with a relentless climb up the canyon from mile 2-4, and then it was mostly rolling hills (mostly up). Despite Rock Springs shattering its record by three degrees for August 22 (92), it was cool in the morning, with a 6:30 start. Once you break out on top of the plateau, there is no shade; but it was still early enough that most of us avoided the worst heat. Also, there was a welcome headwind after the turnaround. There were wild horses in the distance. For an "out and back," it felt like all new scenery coming back in. There was a little confusion with the course markings in town, with a few runners at the head making a wrong turn. There were lots of Maniacs and 50-Staters, with plenty of conversation as usual. There were plenty of munchies at the end.
M. H. from Seattle, WA (8/22/2009) "I recommend this race." (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Run With the Horses Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was a fun event. It is pretty small and low-key, but I like that sort of thing. My sister and I enjoyed the shrimp boil and the arts festival the night before. The course is a tough one, but I like a marathon with personality. This was the first year it started and ended at the same spot. That was nice to have the car right there at the finish to change clothes, but it also made for a significant climb from about mile 2 through 8. Twenty-two miles of this run were on dirt roads, which they watered down in the morning. I would encourage spectators not to drive on the dirt road during the race to keep the dust down. I loved the homemade awards, too. Green River is a little out of the way, but overall, I would recommend this race. :)
R. V. from Mission Viejo (9/6/2008) "Great Run, Great People" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Run With the Horses Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was a great, low-key, laid-back marathon. The race organizers did a wonderful job, with outstanding communication and response to emails, questions, etc. Packet pick up couldn't have been easier. The volunteers were awesome and aid stations well stocked. The reason I gave "spectators" a 5 was for the volunteers. I didn't find any issues with course marking or mile markers. Actually, it would be hard to get off course. The course is on a dirt road that was a bit uneven, so those of us who shuffle along had to watch our step a bit more. Don't let the altitude or hills keep you away unless you are going for a PR. I live at sea level; however, the altitude was of little consequence other than slowing my pace a bit. That gave me a little more time to enjoy the course. The hills were a bit tough, but far better than a flat boring course through metropolis. The downhill at mile 22-25 was great and certainly welcome as the end of the race was in sight. I was about 25 - 30 minutes off my average time, but I wasn't in a hurry either. I don't think I have ever run a race where the participants were friendlier; this was a great group of people to run with and hang out with after the race. Overall, this is a great run for 50-state marathoners, given the opportunity I would run this one again.
W. B. from Texas (8/31/2008) "Climb, Drop, High Elevation..." (about: 2008) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Run With the Horses Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This was the hardest marathon, out of 80, that I've run so far. If the overall elevation (all over 6000 ft) didn't get you, the climbing in the first 5 miles (700-feet gain) and the drop in the last three would do you in. Buses to the start were great. The occasional "rich" smell of sagebrush help to revive me, as did the cups of ice cold water dumped over my head, as I ran along the dirt gravel road. It had the same constant view of rocks, sagebrush, hills.
russell petelle from vermont (8/27/2008) "something for everyone" (about: 2008) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Run With the Horses Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I knew I was going to have a hard time when my breathing became labored walking up the motel steps to get to my room. Sure enough, the marathon was a challenge for someone not living at altitude. However, knowing that going into the race minimized the pain of the run itself. For me, finishing the race was a source of great satisfaction. The stuff that happened after the race was incredibly fun. There was a beer fest, an antique car show, beautiful art exhibits, and music for everyone. In a small community such as this, people still come up and talk to you. I was alone and it provided a great source of pleasure to me. There were volunteers everywhere and all my questions were answered. I would highly recommend this race to anyone.
Rob Klein from Aurora, CO (8/24/2008) "Horses? Where?" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Run With the Horses Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was an interesting marathon and it was a lot tougher than the elevation profile suggests. The first 13 miles were roller-coaster type hills, with each successive hill higher than the one before. You'd crest one hill, and look up to the next one. (I totally missed the drop to 7,300 feet at mile 9, and it looks pretty significant on the map.) Then there was a flat spot from mile 11 to 12. The sun crested the eastern horizon right after the race started, and was almost immediately obscured by the clouds - a good thing. This made the uphill climb in the first half more bearable, with no solar radiation heating up the runners. The sun came back out about 2 hours, 45 minutes into the race (my mid-point time), and was pretty much with us the rest of the way. The uphill portions were not as steep in the third quarter of the race. About mile 19, the grade started back down, and then at 21.5, the course took a steep turn downward, flattening out at mile 24.5, passing under Interstate 80. Then, down community streets - with excellent law enforcement support - to the finish line near the bridge to Expedition Island. One interesting thing happened about 1/4 of the way through the race: It started to rain, and while not enough to make mud, it quickly cooled us off, then a strong blast of hot, furnace-like air came from the south and reminded us that we were in the desert in the summertime. Then it was gone. The aid stations were every two miles, starting at M.P. 2, all the way up to 26. They all had PowerAde and water; some had Pringle chips, M&Ms, granola-type bars, and the like. The aid station workers were the only fan support that we had. There were frequent patrols of marathon officials and/or medical EMT-type folks on ATVs ensuring runner safety. The race was small - maybe 100 marathoners - and people got really spread out early in the race. I ran most of the race alone, but met up with another Marathon Maniac runner about mile 23.5 and finished the race with her. Of course, it was high desert, and territory for roaming wild horses with desert vegetation covering the landscape. Others reported horses coming up to the road, and there were plenty of road apples indicating the presence of horses, but I did not see one horse. Having run the ET Midnight Marathon last week and turned in a poor performance, I was told that this race would be easier. Personally, I thought that this race was tougher than ET, and I think I did better today because I was more rested and nourished for this marathon (minor details, as they say). I have a couple of comments about the organization for this race: The Chamber of Commerce puts on this race, and the Green River Runners Club does much of the work. It seemed to work out okay, as far as getting everything done, but some of the folks doing the work seemed less than thrilled with the COC. Personally, my application and check got lost, so I was not on the list at packet pickup. I had no receipt or canceled check to show, so I was at their mercy. A registration official named Terry quickly had me fill out another application, issued me a packet, T-shirt, and dinner tickets, and said we'll sort it out later. It was supposedly a COC error, and the lost application showed up in a COC file only minutes later. I still gave them 5 stars for organization because they were right on top of the situation and made the effort to ensure continuity in the process. It might have been less favorable if it had it been a huge race. Also, Race Director Ellen was accessible to the runners - both during registration, and after the race. That was really cool. And she was there at the finish line cheering the runners, taking pictures, and chatting with folks. The medal was a bright brass medallion with three horses going down the middle, with a runner on the left and the right. The post-race food was bananas, apples, bagels, watermelon (a great choice!), M&Ms, chips, Jolly Ranchers, granola-type bars, soda, and water. Thank you to Ellen, her staff, and volunteers for another great marathon event! And if you are interested in adopting a wild horse, you can probably find one in Sweetwater County, Wyoming to bring home with you.
m. s. from Mansfield, TX (8/24/2008) "Tough, hilly course" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Run With the Horses Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 Great people in Green River, and the race organizers are very laid back - a no-hassle marathon! Nothing fancy, but well set up for the remote terrain, from the bus ride to the start to the finish line with no "finish" banner. (First one I've done without a banner, but that's not a big deal.) There could have been more port-o-jons at the start, and for those of us who lost sight of the runners ahead, the course markings were lacking in a few places; thus, there was a bit of confusion on the route. A lot of hills, and 3 miles of a steep decline from miles 20-23. Don't plan on a PR or BQ at this one. Great medal and unique finisher's awards made of horseshoes! No horses this year, though.
P. H. from Phoenix, AZ (9/16/2007) "Great Race" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Run With the Horses Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was a great race. The repeated hills and the climb to 7500 feet were challenging. Coming from 2000 feet, my breathing didn't set into a rhythm until about mile six. The temperature and the breeze/wind made the conditions ideal, despite having no cloud cover. Running on about 24 miles of dirt road made this a nice change from other marathons. I highly recommend this race. It's a great small race but is probably going to grow very fast!

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