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May 8, 2024

New Denver Marathon Runner Comments

Back to New Denver Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.3

Organization 4.4

Spectators 4.0

Number of comments: 108 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 11 > ]

P. V. from Denver (10/29/2008) "30 min in line and never got to use porta-potty" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 New Denver Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 There were nowhere near enough porta-potties. I stood in line for 30 minutes before the start and never even got close to using one. Still, they had at least 150 people in line ahead of me when they gave the 2-minute warning that the race was about to start. This probably explains the long lines at the ones along the course. Fortunately, I found a coffee shop along the route that let me use their restroom. On the plus side, lots of water, great volunteers, and plenty of gel. Great course!!!! Other negatives: Stopped by the cops 3 times to let traffic through. Not much value for the entry fee. Just a cotton t-shirt and not much food at finish line. Worst of all, only handed a single bottle of water going through the finish chute, with no other water in sight.
M. E. from Denver, CO (10/26/2008) "First Marathon" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 New Denver Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 All in all, I thought it was a well-run event, although this was my first marathon, so it was hard to compare. I didn't mind the half marathoners or all of the turns at the start. Actually, it kind of helped me stay on pace and not get bored. Split times would have been nice to see afterward since I don't use anything but a simple watch. Tech t-shirts are better for the race sponsors because we'll wear them more often. I was concerned about the bag check, but it went flawlessly for me. If I don't win the NYC Marathon lottery, I'll be back next year.
N. M. from Mile High City (10/24/2008) "Good race but pricey" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 New Denver Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Overall, I thought this was a really nice race. The course is nice, with lots of shade and some smaller hills for variety. Lots of water stations. In fact, almost too many as my stomach started sloshing from taking repeated small drinks. The expo was decent size with a good deal of vendors. Wish they could have found a room in the convention center that didn't require walking the entire length of the building. I do think the entry fee was too high for what you get, though. Over $100 plus the service charge? You gotta be kidding me.
J. B. from denver (10/24/2008) "I'm little disappointed!" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 New Denver Marathon COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The volunteers were wonderful, and the organization was solid. There were police everywhere. I would guess that most of the money went to the cops because the shirt and what was provided at the finish line was pretty sad. I've had better stuff at a 5K with less then 100 people. Here's my real complaint: the course. First, at the start, they should let the marathoners go, say, 15 minutes ahead of the half marathoners. The early miles were more like a cattle drive. Turns, turns and more turns, with several out-and-backs make it impossible not to run way over the marathon distance. My GPS read 26.59 miles. Why couldn't they have a timing mat at the halfway point? I guess because of paying for all the cops, there was zero entertainment on the course. Denver is my least favorite of the four marathons I've done this year. I know it's my home town, but I don't think I'm interested in doing this one again.
H. K. from New Orleans, LA (10/23/2008) "Thank you, Denver!" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I flew in for the race, and was not disappointed! The only two "complaints" I have are: No one sold race posters! I have a wall of the places I have run, and a poster from Denver would have been a great addition! The t-shirt... cotton? Thanks for a great race!
J. H. from Enid (10/23/2008) "Fun Family Event" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 New Denver Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I had a great time in Denver!! The course was awesome. The weather was perfect. The crowd support was amazing. There is some fine-tuning to be done to improve the race. All races should follow the example of the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon - a perfectly-run event. Denver, and other races NEED: 1. More port-a-potties at the start. (I didn't need to see that!) 2. Shuttle bus transportation to and from the exchange points and the start/finish. 3. Finisher's t-shirts. (I was told at the expo by Mr. Chip Scanner Man that there would be one.) 4. Pretzels and oranges? 5. Easier access to the beer. ;-)
b. z. from North Carolina (10/22/2008) "Great Course, Great Town, Great Weather" (about: 2008) 3 previous marathons \| 1 New Denver Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 A great, mid-sized marathon in a great town. A must-do!
B. D. from Boston, MA (10/21/2008) "Nothing special... just okay" (about: 2008) 2 previous marathons \| 1 New Denver Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I wasn't impressed with the Denver Marathon. For the money I spent traveling from Boston for this experience, I could have saved my money, and had as much fun running about a dozen different marathons within 300 miles of my home. Although I do not regret my experience, I think Denver needs to make some serious improvements if they want to be taken seriously. I must note that I have only run 1 other marathon (Hartford, CT in 2007), so I can only compare my Denver experience to last year's run in Hartford. But for the record, Hartford matched or beat out Denver in every category that I will discuss below: 1). Expo: The expo was okay. 2). Pasta dinner: The dinner was held at the Sheraton Hotel downtown. The hotel was not the greatest (I experienced a lot of problems that I will not detail here). The dinner was good, but very bland. Not many pasta/dinner options either. Because I was running the next day, I was satisfied with my meal. But for families and friends attending this event, they could have offered some more choices, perhaps with some local flare (Hartford offered lobster ravioli). One other note on food: The next day, the hotel/marathon was so cheap, they made people (staying at the hotel) pay for bananas, juice, and bagels. I know the economy is tight right now, but the hotel or marathon organizers couldn't have spared a continental breakfast for the runners staying at the hotel? Disappointing. 3). Course organization: Somewhat poor, in my opinion. It wasn't very clear where to line up before the start of the race (I saw people trying to climb over railings to get to the starting line). Also, there were about 3 or 4 places where runners had to stay to the left or right, depending on whether they were running full, half, or relay runs. I understood what was going on, but it was rather annoying. I am not sure if this is common practice, but I didn't like it. The water/hydration stations were very good though (the Gatorade was too sweet). The stations were spaced out evenly, they were well attended, and the volunteers were very helpful. That was a definite plus. The course design was nice, and the parks were pleasant to run through. 4). Spectators: Some were cool, but a lot seemed annoying to me. I know there is an election coming up, but sometimes it is nice to escape reality. I am not interested in reading political signs while running a marathon. Get a damn life! Further, I am not going to make a decision on who to vote for while running 26.2! Also, some of the signs I saw were really stupid. "Your feet hurt because you kick ass!" or "You are feeling pain because you are running hard." Gee, thanks for reminding me of all the negative things I am experiencing during my run. Comments like "you can go faster," or "run, Forrest, run" - stupid. I also saw more than one policeman yelling angrily at motorists (who were obviously not going anywhere). There were some great spectators along the course (shout out to family and friends), but overall, I thought it was a passive showing of support. Finally, the Denver newspapers had little post-race coverage the next day. I didn't need the spotlight, but it would have been nice to see more coverage. Race-day stories, events, and pictures (especially for the children who ran kids' races on Saturday) would have made for great news coverage. 5). Shirts/medals: The medal was nice, but the t-shirt sucks. I spent a lot of money on this marathon; give me a better shirt. 6). Post-race area: Nice park setting, but I am sure every city offers a nice view when you are visiting. They had abundant food. Didn't see much entertainment going on, but I also didn't stick around too long. The post-race attendants were attentive (I didn't forget to turn in my timing chip). Overall, Denver was average, but not special. I will be turning to other cities in the future to deliver a better race-day experience.
P. A. from Chicago, Illinois (10/21/2008) "Appealing venue; no spectators" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 New Denver Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 Medical facilities along the course were virtually nonexistent; spectator support was nil; appealing venue; volunteers were cheerful; and there was plentiful water and Gatorade. But I couldn't believe volunteers were handing out half-opened GUs around mile 22. Yes, it really happened!
A. M. from Iowa (10/21/2008) "Fast course, but lousy T-shirt" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 New Denver Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 A well-run race, on a flat course, through nice neighborhoods, with plenty of Gatorade/water stations makes for a fast time. Elevation didn't bother this Midwesterner. But for $105 registration fee, I'd expect a technical running shirt instead of a cheap cotton T-shirt.

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