Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Apr 27, 2024

Spinx Run Fest Runner Comments

Back to Spinx Run Fest Information & Reviews

Course 4.1

Organization 3.9

Spectators 3.0

Number of comments: 78 [displaying comments 51 to 61]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 > ]

E. B. from Birmingham, Alabama (10/27/2008) "For connoisseurs!" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Spinx Run Fest COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This race is very well organized. Package pick-up, well-placed water stations, nearby hotels, and a nicely designed course make this run a great experience. It is small (240 marathoners for 2008), so one tends to get lonely during the second loop. Plan for the gentle hills during the second loop! This is a run with true Southern charm.
J. H. from Greenville, SC (10/27/2008) "Beautiful venue; mediocre organization" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Spinx Run Fest COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 Pros: I'm a Greenvillian and had never seen some portions of this course before. Very beautiful and eclectic. Plan for some hills. Integrating Fluor Field into the race was brilliant. The final lap around the field, announcing of your name, telecast on the scoreboard, and seating for spectators was great. The food afterward was also excellent: Jersey Mike's sandwiches, soup, pastries, etc. The medal was unique, pretty, and well-conceived. The names on the bibs was a good idea. Liked the strangers calling my name. This race did the city proud. Cons: Where were the bathrooms on the course? I saw TWO! And the website was horrendous. I'm from this area, but it gave no parking instructions for visitors - never a bit of news, much less a news update. No elevation graphic either. Check out Baltimore's Under Armour website. To see your time you had to click a link for the GTC. Also, where's the race photograph? I'll definitely do this one again. It's a good one but needs some work. Finally, not a lot of fans along the route, but the weather wasn't the best, and I really didn't expect a great number.
E. J. from Greenville, SC (10/27/2008) "Improved course, but poorly marked and marshaled" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Spinx Run Fests COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Pros: 1. Running through this course was much better and more scenic than the previous year's course. 2. Plenty of aid stations and fluids. Cons: 1. After loop one, the course marshals were gone. In a few places I saw other runners turn the wrong way because there was nobody there to direct them. I live here and train on sections of this course all the time, so for me it was easy, but I had to scream ahead to try and help other runners. THIS IS A MUST FIX!! 2. Course markings were in dark blue on black asphalt - duh, it's harder to see that than, say, yellow. 3. Finishing inside the baseball stadium could have been done SO MUCH BETTER than it actually was - maybe some music or some piped-in fan noise?!
C. M. from FL (10/26/2008) "Beautiful course; great volunteers" (about: 2008) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Spinx Run Fest COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was quite an expensive race compared to most "small" races that I have participated in, but I did not decide to run it until the day before, so I had to pay full price. But, other than that, I enjoyed the course (a double loop), through what I am sure are some of the most beautiful parts of Greenville. And, where else can you run on a few miles of rubber surface alongside a bike path? Yes, parts of the course paralleled a bike path and it had a rubber/track surface! Volunteers were great and hung in there even for us slower runners. Not many spectators, unless you brought your own, but then long-distance running is not a spectator sport! I recommend this run and will place it near the top of my list of "most scenic."
J. O. from Oakland, California (10/25/2008) "good half-marathon, but terrible full" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Spinx Run Fest COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 For a marathon that cost nearly 100 dollars, I do not feel as though I got my money's worth. Granted, I have not run hundreds of marathons before, but I have run small ones ($30) and large ones ($100+) and expected more based on people's comments in the past. Volunteers: Need better training/training period. Around mile 20, there were 3 volunteers walking in front of me - three-across the track/lane. I yelled, "Track" and "Runner coming" a few times. I know they heard me because they turned around, but they continued walking in the way and I was forced to run around them. To add insult to injury, I passed them, and then they started running in sandals and proceeded to sprint past me. At least they were out of my way at that point. Once they reached the next station, they stopped to the right of me as I went to grab water. I probably wouldn't have been as angry if it were mile 5, but it was mile 20; that should not happen with volunteers. Even the public/random people would move out of the way when the runners were coming through. Expo: Disappointing to say the least. For 90 bucks, I expected a lot more. There were maybe 10 tables there, tops, and 5 of them were for the packet pick-up. Spectators: The kids were great. The volunteers didn't cheer much; I understand it was cold and wet, but running 26.2 miles in it is more painful than sitting in a chair. However, I will say that the volunteers on the track were great and cheering both times I ran past. Course: The course was fine, but once the half and the marathon split, I didn't really know where to go. There were 3 volunteers in one spot telling me to go around this loop, but then I ran for at least half a mile without seeing a single volunteer/sign telling me where to go. I thought I might be lost. I ran 2 miles and there was one spot where people cheered. I had more people cheering in West Virginia in a marathon with about 80 people in it. Wow. In all: the first half was fine, but the second half really needs a lot of work. It was like everyone left and didn't care after the half was done.
S. B. from Greenville, SC (10/23/2008) "I ran the 2007 half-marathon..." (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Spinx Run Fest COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 ...and it was wonderful. Nice weather, cool breeze, excellent fan support and excited runners. A couple of hills; however, the course is different this year. Before last year's run, I had only competed in one other half, so I did not have much to compare with. I am definitely excited about running the half again (actually this weekend!). If you are a runner living upstate, you have to run this race.
Jacob Sullivan from Greenville, South Carolina (11/28/2007) "Amazing first marathon; highly recommended!!!" (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Spinx Run Fest COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I'm 14 years-old and The Spinx Palmetto Bank Marathon was my first marathon. My personal thoughts are that this race was amazing! The people, the spectators, and the volunteers.... What I really love about this marathon is that they would let a 14-year-old run in the marathon. I usually have to search everywhere to find a marathon that actually allows athletes under 18 years-old. I had a time of 3:57 and by the time I got to the finish line I was about to die (not literally). But when I crossed the finish line, my legs cramped and I got light-headed and passed out; I had apparently pulled tendons and lost a lot of my body heat because it was 45 F when we started. But I highly recommend this course. It's a beautiful course... except when you get around Poinsett Highway and Washington St. - that's when you run the edge of a rougher side of town. But overall, a great MARATHON!!!!!!!!!!!!
Real Runner from Greenville, SC (11/14/2007) "boston qualified by 30 minutes" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Spinx Run Fest COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 I had just moved to the area so I was able to bike the course the week before. I thought yikes, no chance of a PR, especially since I was trained for the flat Chicago race a few weeks prior. After the half marathoners parted around 6.5, the course just opened up and it turned into a weekend long run for me. I was completely by myself from mile 13. Occasionally I looked down and was reminded by my bib number that I was in a race. It was very easy to get into a groove and just cruise. Wife and son had no problem finding me along the course to exchange a few easy words. Aid stations were well-stocked and distributed nicely. This was my 14th marathon and it was probably the most enjoyable. Somehow PR'd by 40 seconds. Unlike many who seem to suffer through the entire marathon experience, I actually enjoy running. If you're like me, then this is a good race for you. There may not be pace teams or dozens of massage tables afterward, but all the essentials are there for you to have a solid race.
J. P. from Homewood, AL (11/11/2007) "What a great experience!!!" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Spinx Run Fest COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I read the comments from prior years and running this race confirmed what I suspected. There are a lot of whiners out there. Yes, the course was challenging from the elevation to the lack of crowds; HOWEVER, that's what marathon running is all about. It's a physical and mental challenge. I am very proud of my time and I know I earned it. I have run marathons where it wasn't the traffic that scared me, but the other runners. Palmetto Bank Marathon was great, because I had plenty of room, but was never out of sight of other runners or the numerous and fabulous volunteers and my husband was easily able to follow me. It's obvious that the Greenville Track Club worked hard to put on an excellent event! Congratulations to the GTC and the other runners!
J. D. from Fayetteville, NC (11/5/2007) "Second of double marathon weekend" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Spinx Run Fest COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Good stuff... Volunteers were awesome. Course was good. Not so good stuff... At mile 23, a car almost hit me while 2 police officers stood there. When I commented about the car almost hitting me, they said the driver saw me. They never stopped traffic. Told us food was at one point and then they moved it Very little crowd support. Although my check cleared, they had no record of my registration at packet pickup.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 > ]

Become an Advertiser

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Become an Advertiser

© 2000-2024, All Rights Reserved by MarathonGuide.com LLC

Privacy Policy Refund Policy Terms of Use