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☰
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 21 to 31]
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E. L. from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
(10/21/2008)
 "Where were the fans?" (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
| 1 New Denver Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Maybe the problem was just that I was expecting too much, but I was frankly disappointed in this marathon. Pros: 1. Gorgeous weather: 50s in the morning, pitch dark for first couple miles. 2. 22 aid stations! Plenty of water, Gatorade, and GU. 3. Accommodating terrain: first half is flat; second is almost exclusively downhill. 4. Great finisher medal: colors and everything. Cons: 1. Crappy cotton t-shirt. 2. Spectators were weak compared to the Twin Cities Marathon - both in number and in enthusiasm. 3. Scenery was disappointing. It was not that pretty and the looping of the course was bland. 4. Altitude definitely makes a difference if you're not from the area. In summary, it's a decent marathon, but you're better off doing the Twin Cities Marathon instead. Better fans, better scenery, better shirts... better just about everything. | |
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M. L. from USA
(10/21/2008)
 "Had a great time..." (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New Denver Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Weather was about as good as it gets. I thought the course was great. This was my first time in Denver, so running through the city and parks was cool. The medal is alright... not as good as some, but better than others. As far as the shirt goes, I'm kind of on the fence about it. I do enjoy a good tech shirt, but I wear cotton shirts more often. The graphics on it are nice. I think everyone associated with the race did a good job and I'm glad I ran it. | |
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E. H. from Boston,MA
(10/21/2008)
 "Wonderful Marathon" (about: 2008)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and I loved it as much as one can love a marathon. The weather was perfect. I really liked the course. It was a large loop that took in 3 parks and went through some lovely neighborhoods. I like starting and finishing at the same place. No need for shuttle buses to get you to the start. I also liked the idea it was not the same route twice. That would totally demoralize me. There were so many water stops. That was great. I wished there could have been a few more porta-potties dotted around the course. Excellent crowd support pushed me along when I just didn't feel so good anymore. The course is quite flat which was good since the one little hill at the beginning of the race took my breath away. That was the only time I noticed the elevation. I am so glad I came to Denver to do this. | |
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D. G. from denver
(10/21/2008)
"A fun course through Denver and its parks" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 New Denver Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 It was a good experience for my first marathon. There were plenty of water stations and the pace runners really helped me maintain a comfortable pace. The crowd at the finish helped me pull through the pain and made it a great race. I can't wait for next year's race. I just hope the weather will be as good as it was this past Sunday. | |
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C. B. from Kansas City, MO
(10/21/2008)
"Porta-Potties" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
| 1 New Denver Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 I loved the course, the people and the start and finish venue. I waited in line for a porta-potty at mile two for three minutes and left before getting to my turn. I then waited at mile five for seven minutes while the other racers just passed by. There were only four porta-potties at the water station. Other people were peeing and more in the alleys and parking garages. As a visitor to Denver for this event, I thought it in bad taste to "go" on a host city. My running was great, but my time was ten minutes slower than it should have been. Denver Marathon people: Fix this problem. Otherwise, it was a terrific event. | |
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L. L. from Austin, TX
(10/21/2008)
"Great race, but bad packet" (about: 2008)
2 previous marathons
| 1 New Denver Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The race was awesome, the spectators were fantastic, the post-race party rocked, and the weather could not have been better. It was relatively flat, but not completely flat. The altitude only got to me on the few incline/uphill areas, which were few and far between... that was my biggest worry (being as I'm from Texas), and it was a silly one. The shirt was lame, just like everyone else said. If they were not going to spring for Dri-FIT, they could have at least been long-sleeved. The medal was great, but considering the poor quality t-shirt, I was thinking we would at least get a finisher's hat or another cotton shirt that said, "finisher." The run itself was great though, and so were the other marathoners and the officers controlling traffic. | |
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L. C. from Denver, Colorado
(10/21/2008)
"A Great Race!" (about: 2008)
3 previous marathons
| 1 New Denver Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The 2008 marathon was a terrific event. The course winds through a nice mixture of downtown, residential areas and parks (which were spectacular with the changing leaves). Kudos to the organizers: plenty of well organized hydration areas, very supportive and enthusiastic volunteers, clearly marked relay/half/full marathon split sections and a nice start/finish area. Spectators were very supportive, but sparse in places. Hopefully the event will grow and get a bit more local press. Denver weather is always variable, but in general the chances of a gorgeous day (as in 2008) are probably a lot better than the cold and wet conditions of 2007. | |
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S. S. from Western CO
(10/21/2008)
 "Awesome experience!" (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 New Denver Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon and Denver provided a wonderful experience. The course was very well marked. Aid stations were well supplied. Very helpful course marshals. Port-a-potties were a problem at the beginning. Not a lot of time to take care of business and make it to the starting line. But, there were lots of potties on the course, which was helpful. The t-shirt issues needs to be remedied for next year. I've fun many smaller races and they were able to provide a tech t-shirt. What's up, Denver? Crowd support was great for most of the course, but there were some "dead" spots. Particularly Santa Fe. Overall: awesome race! I plan on doing it again someday! | |
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J. L. from Irvine, CA
(10/20/2008)
"Not so fast and flat" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New Denver Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 "And if you are not familiar with Denver's landscape, the course is essentially flat with little to no elevation change." That's from the Denver Marathon website. I found the statement to be misleading. The course was staggered with various hills. I mentally noted several rolling climbs at miles, 9, 10, 13, 16. However, I enjoyed the view of the city. The race was well organized from all aspects. Oct 19th, 2008 The availability of the Sheraton is fantastic for the Denver Marathon. The hotel is less than a 5-minute walk from the start/finish line. In fact, I was able to see the start-line from my room in the tower. The hotel itself was kind of disappointing. It is in desperate need of a renovation. The grab-to-go breakfast was pathetic... don't bother. Just go across the street to Starbucks or Peet's coffee. As I mentioned, because of the proximity to the hotel, I did not leave the hotel until about 6:50. The weather was fantastic. High 40s and basically no winds. Civic Center Park was buzzing with excitement... the starting area was full of runner, supporters, news crew etc. The race started exactly on time at 7:00 a.m. The first three miles circles the Pepsi Center and Coors Field. There are many blocks of revitalized brick buildings that looked to be once industrial, but now storefronts and residential flats. I did miss the mile 2 marker but caught the mile 3 marker right in front of Coors field. Miles 4-6. I catch the glimpse of elite runners routing back from across the street. That is always depressing. Man, they are all lean and fast. Miles 6-9. There are plenty of water stations. We run through City Park. This is a huge park. I am thankful for the large tree/bushes. Hey, I am not the only one. Coming out of 9, I made the first mental note of hills.... Didn't they advertise this to be a "fast and flat" course? Around Mile 11, I take off my headphones when I see the half marathon split. I want to make sure I do not go the wrong way (like I did in Salt Lake). But the organizers did a good job. Only one split and it was well posted. Mile 13, we split from the half marathoners. I like it. The streets open up for everyone. We climb from 13-14 while watching runners circle back across the street on a downhill. This sucked. Mile 16. More hills. Now I am getting kind of pissed. I note that I am off my PR pace. While I did not set out to break my PR, I am certain that this race cannot be labeled "flat and fast." Forward to 17-22. I am holding up very well. Better than my previous race in New Mexico. We've just circled in and out of yet another park (Washington). This park was full of spectators and non-marathon runners. Past mile 19 was the final relay station. It isn't nice to have people gun pass you at mile 20 with fresh legs. Mile 22-25. There are many many water stations between these miles and a couple of Clif Shot stations. Probably too many in my opinion but nevertheless, I think more is better than not enough. A lot less turns in between these miles and all street running. It gets warm enough to take off my long-sleeve shirt. I also notice many spectators. It was a surprise to see how many people were cheering. It always helps to hear encouragement and get high-fives from the crowd. Thank you, Denver. Mile 25-26. I catch my final wind. I fight off a few runners who attempted to pass me. It's just the mental game I use to keep going. But I know I am close to the finish line. I know I am off PR pace but I am glad nevertheless. Mile 26 marker. One more left turn and I know the finish line is in sight. Back to where I started 4-plus hours ago. I feel great. What is next? | |
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J. M. from Iowa City, Iowa
(10/20/2008)
 "So much untapped potential..." (about: 2008)
1 previous marathon
| 1 New Denver Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This was my second marathon (although I've ran numerous half's and shorter races). First of all, Denver is such a gorgeous city! Fell in love with it. The expo was ok. A little smaller than the previous marathon (Nashville) but it was expected. The packet pick-up went very smoothly, however. The race: The course was absolutely amazing. The race went through many of Denver's beautiful parks (and there are many). However, it was very disappointing that there was no (zero, zilch) on-course entertainment. I don't need to be babied but an occasional band wouldn't hurt the morale of the runners. There was so much potential that was not utilized effectively. Post-race: Very disappointing. No post-race pictures (unless I missed them - and if that's the case, then it wasn't where it should be). :( Bagels, bananas, and apples for food. Nothing too impressive. It was like you finished and there was nothing left. A little celebration and great post-race treats are much appreciated. |
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