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Ft. Lauderdale A1A Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Ft. Lauderdale A1A Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.0 
Organization 3.5 
Spectators 2.7
Number of comments: 121 [displaying comments 21 to 31]
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J. H. from Boston
(2/19/2013)
 "Definitely a better race for the half marathoners" (about: 2013)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Ft. Lauderdale A1A Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 I have run this half marathon twice and ran the full this year. The half marathoners have the better part of the course. Once the halfers split off, it was a very long loney run. There were no spectators, but the volunteers were enthusiastic and supportive. Crossing the finish line in under 4 hours was anticlimatic. There was no one left to cheer for me. I feel bad for the 400+ finishers behind me. The race was well organized and the medals were outrageous. The shirts were too big and terrible quality. I would definitely recommend the half, but not the full. | |
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M. L. from West Palm Beach, Florida
(2/18/2013)
"Decent Marathon; Miami is Better" (about: 2013)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 The race itself is fairly well run, lots of cops and traffic cones keep all but the most aggressive drivers off the street. The course itself has some nice bits and some not-so-nice bits- you go through a very pretty park during the first quarter, but by mile 20 you'll be sick of the Condo Canyon that is A1A. Water stations could have been a bit more organized, and the water itself tasted *horrible*. They should think of a better place to hold the expo- the Fort Lauderdale convention center is essentially part of the cruise ship terminal, which makes it a hassle to get to. If you're pondering a winter marathon, I'd suggest Miami instead of this one. | |
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D. W. from Fairport, New York
(2/23/2012)
 "A great marathon experience" (about: 2012)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Ft. Lauderdale A1A Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was a great marathon in sunny southern Florida. Everything was organized extremely well! The race was fun, the other runners were very friendly. I enjoyed the course. Water, Gu and Poweraid stations were frequent and the volunteers were great! Music and bands were light for the marathoners between 15 and 22 miles. Couldn't predict Mother Nature though, a warm day! | |
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R. F. from Luxemburg, Wisconsin
(2/20/2012)
 "Good Effort: Can Only Get Better" (about: 2012)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Ft. Lauderdale A1A Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The course is flat and fast. Beautiful ocean views. The water points are plentiful, which helped on a hot and humid day. The start was a gaggle, and not really monitored which lead to crowding in the beginning by slower runners and walkers. Took a little while to break through zigging and zagging by the slower runners. The half marathon is run at the same time and uses the same finish line. So by the end of the marathon, I had to fight the same issue with slower walkers and runners that still had not finished the half marathon. They were clogging the finish line when I was trying to cross it. They should consider using real actual corrals next year, or separate starting times for both races. Also request those that are walking to stay single file and to the right side of the course. Some of the water stations were poorly managed. I actually got hit by a rake at one station, where they were trying to clean up. Other water stations, were slow, and I had to call out for water. The medal was great! The shirt disappointing with advertising on the back and ugly brown, yellow and orange print on the front that states 'Half Marathon & Marathon.' The organizers should consider having separate shirts: one for the marathon and one for the half marathon. The expo was great! | |
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K. C. from Chicago
(2/20/2012)
"Great Get Away Marathon" (about: 2012)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Flying in from Chicago, I knew this was going to be a tough race due to the weather. Sure enough, it was hot and humid! Despite the conditions, I had a great race. Stayed one mile away from the finish line. It was an easy walk to the park and we had no problems catching the shuttle. We even overslept and still made it on time. Had difficulty finding the bag drop, but this was due to us getting their late. I loved the course, especially the the part through the park. Race got lonely once the half'ers split off. Aid stations were staffed lightly. Wasn't a problem for me, but I heard it was a problem for others behind me in the pack. Loved the finish along A1A by the beach. My only complaint was I hit the half marathoners around mile 23. It was hard to navigating around them. The finish area was great! Plenty of food and beer for everyone! I will do this race again. | |
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M. S. from West Palm Beach, FL
(2/20/2012)
 "Well run - they can't control the weather" (about: 2012)
2 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Most of my previous events have been large (Disney, MCM, ING Miami), so I was interested to see how a smaller event would be. I think they did a great job. The weather was unseasonably hot and humid and the headwind for the last half of the race made for a brutal day. With that said, every water station was well-stocked and well-serviced. There were wet sponges available at some of the later stops. At the finish, they called out the finishers with their name and city which was a nice ending. The large flip-flop medals were a nice touch. Being sponsored by Publix, there were ample refreshments and food available at the end. If you like a fast course, in better conditions, this would be a good one. I gave the course 4 stars for those out of area. I'm from Florida and the view of ocean condos for miles and miles wasn't the most exciting. There isn't a lot of crowd support, but a lot of the half runners stuck around and cheered for those who did the full which was nice. Overall, it was a nicely done event. If I had one recommendation, it would be for some sort of first-aid station along the way that offered vaseline, biofreeze, etc. With all of the humidity, clothes were soaked early (I could hear feet sloshing in sweaty shoes less than 10 miles in), so some people may have benefited from that. | |
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R. P. from Fort Lauderdale, FL
(2/20/2012)
"Views, flat and fast!" (about: 2012)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Ft. Lauderdale A1A Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was a great race. Water stands were plentiful. The course is pretty much flat the whole way and the volunteers were great. Down side is it can be warm (yesterday was a toasty 73 at the start) and I did not see medical stations along the way. The finish line was congested and a little wild but with lots of goodies. The medal was great! | |
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j. o. from boca rathon, florida
(2/19/2012)
"1st time lots of beautiful views" (about: 2012)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I unfortunately signed up to run the full marathon and was directed at mile 9 to the right, sending me with the 1/2 marathoners - I finshed the 1/2 and didn't have a chance to run the full - would like a chance to run again and if possible, if put on by the same sponsors - would run on March 4th in Miami to make up for my entry fee - johncoyler@yahoo.com - thanks. | |
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D. R. from United States
(2/19/2012)
 "Shuttle buses a disaster" (about: 2012)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Ft. Lauderdale A1A Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 I was a spectator and tried to take the shuttle from the start line to finish. I missed the finish of my friend in the 1/2 marathon. Waited on a shuttle bus for over an hour, even the cops yelled at the bus driver. When we arrived at the finish the time clock was already at 1:45:00. Terrible experience for watchers, leave the family at home. | |
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C. F. from Margaritaville
(2/28/2011)
"Solid Half Marathon" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Ft. Lauderdale A1A Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This is the second year in a row that I have run the half-marathon. It is a nice break from the dreary winters in the North Pole. Pros: Early start time, fun course, beautiful sunrise as you finish, enthusiastic volunteers, plentiful water stops, good post-race food, free (and cold) post-race beer. Cons: Paying to park at the start, paying to park at the start and paying to park at the start. It is a real turnoff. After shelling out $80 for the half, can't the race folks convince the city to address the parking issue? Is this downtown Manhattan? It just seems like a scam, and free parking at the start would add to the friendliness of this race. |
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