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☰
Roxbury Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Roxbury Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.2 
Organization 4.8 
Spectators 3.0
Number of comments: 26 [displaying comments 21 to 26]
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K. C. from New Haven, CT USA
(10/10/2010)
 "As advertised" (about: 2009)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Roxbury Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I ran this course as my 1st marathon. I completed it in 5 hours, but I would not recommend it as a 1st-time marathon attempt. Hills, baby, hills! However, I had a great time. | |
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Rob Klein from Aurora, Colorado
(12/14/2009)
 "Northern Races in December Can be Cold!" (about: 2009)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Roxbury Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 Being a country race, and with the cold weather, there just were no spectators (to be expected). The course was probably as good as it could have been, and the organizers did the best they could with the geography of the area. Still, the organization was great, the atmosphere was laid back. Well done. Roxbury is just a speck on the map, but it is close enough to some more urban areas/airports that it still drew a lot of runners. I anticipated 15 to 25 runners from the stuff I read ahead of time. There were 57 marathoners; then there were many half marathoners too. These people are truly maniacs - and I am one of them. This is especially remarkable given the weather forecast. It was not supposed to get above 34 degrees F on race day, even with the sun out. Within an hour before the start, it was only 19 degrees F. I was quite chilled by the event. There are no motels in Roxbury (to the best of my knowledge) so I stayed in Woodbury the night before the race, about 6 miles east. As I drove into Roxbury, I was looking for the business district, and there wasn't one. And I had trouble finding the recreation center . Once I saw cars in the parking lot, I figured it out. The staff allowed an early start, so several runners were already out on the course. We were directed to sign up , pay the $5.00 fee, and were set to go. Still, there was no warm place to hang out until race time. Some guys did build a fire in the outdoor fireplace, and once that got going, it drew a few folks over to chat and try to get warmed up. I think the organizers kind of got overrun with marathoners Saturday, but they handled everything in stride. The course was an 8-mile out-and-back, and then five loops of about a 3.5-mile course, that came out to 26.2 miles. The first part of the course was heading north of town on paved road, then turned onto a dirt/gravel road and went a couple miles into the woods (with country homes along the way), then back to the recreation center. After that there were five loops, most of which was paved, with perhaps a mile or more of similar dirt/gravel road. The gravel road was a good surface for running on too, and was slightly downhill at this point. There were several inches of snow on the ground (to remind us that it was December) but the roads were bare and dry and safe. Also, this course had a reputation for hills . I did not think the hills were that bad, but combined with the cold, it was slowing runners down by perhaps 40 to 60 minutes from averages. Loops can be boring, but it was not that bad either. The country estates, scenery, and going in and out of the wooded areas helped. People in cars were quite accommodating too, as we passed through town, and then did so again going out of town to the north, crossing main streets. That is good, because sometimes you have hot rod types to deal with. The folks at the aid station to the north were pleasant, encouraging and accommodating; and they cheered us on. (I mean, just being out there for us, and especially later on when the runners are so spread out, is great.) They were encouraging and servicing runners spread out by a mile or more with nothing to do in between. By the time I finished, they had run out of food (sub sandwich-type) so that was disappointing. So I just grabbed a package of crackers and some water before I left. This marathon would have been a good candidate for hot food/soup, etc. for the post-race. Still, overall, I was not disappointed. For $5.00, I did not have high expectations (shirt, medal, bib - all of which would have been nice), the hills were prior knowledge, and the cold was anticipated. And since Connecticut does not have more than 2 or 3 other marathons to choose from, 50-stater types like me were happy to be able to participate in this race. | |
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J. D. from Maryland, USA
(12/27/2008)
 "HILLS!!! COLD!!! Great no-frills run!!!" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Roxbury Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This is a very low/no-frills event and is advertised as such. The scenery made up for the repeated loops and brisk weather. The friendliness of the runners and support staff more than made up for the lack of frills. Roxbury is a speck on the CT map, but its surrounding towns have plenty of amenities. I read comments about this course stating how runners should add 40 minutes to their normal finishing times due to the hills - and I ran this event 39 minutes slower than my average marathon finishing time. I plan to come back and set a PR. | |
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N. K. from NY, New York
(12/16/2007)
"Challenging and Fun" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Roxbury Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I did the Roxbury Marathon this year. It was very low-key; not a lot needed to be organized, as there were only about 15 people running the marathon! Great people and organizers, a real village feel, friendly! Challenging course, hilly, and at the end you do 5 loops. This can wear you down, but it also means you know what's up ahead. I would recommend this race to anyone who has run a few marathons before and is not looking for lots of spectators and hype! | |
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Rob Leder from Stamford, CT
(12/11/2006)
"Low-key event on a scenic but brutal course" (General Comments)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Roxbury Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I've run the December Roxbury Marathon the last two years (in '06, it was also held in September), and will probably keep showing up as long as the good folks who put on the Roxbury Road Race Series care to hold it. This is by far the most challenging road marathon I've ever run (Yonkers doesn't come close), and second only to the Nipmuck Trail Marathon as the most challenging overall. The difficulty of the course is reflected in the finishing times. I finished in 4:10 this year, which is 30-40 minutes slower than my typical marathon time, and even a slower pace than I was able to run in the Knickerbocker 60K two weeks earlier. Another runner I know, who typically runs 3:10-3:20, finished in 3:55. The course record is 3:03, and was set this year by a relatively high-profile runner (Hans Put) who's enjoyed some national-level success in the ultramarathon scene. It's also one of the most scenic races I've ever run. Roxbury seems like an idyllic New England town, and this race runs over rural roads with horse farms, wooded areas, a river (on the out-and-back), very expensive homes, and the occasional view of distant rolling hills. Just about a perfect place to run, if you ask me. Winter seems to hit this part of CT early, as both years I ran temperatures were in the 20s. The roads were a bit slushy and icy in '05, as a snowstorm had hit a day or two earlier, and even this year a light dusting of snow was evident off to the side in places. The course consists of a very hilly 8.5-mile out-and-back section, followed by five only slightly less hilly 3.55-mile loops. On the loop, there are steep uphill segments that will send you anaerobic if you're not careful (I'm thinking especially of the final hill on Apple Lane), one long and potentially quad-trashing descent on a rocky dirt road (Hemlock), and several long gradual ascents that positively wear you out after your fourth or fifth encounter with them. There is one water stop on the out-and-back, and two on the main loop. Only one of these had some Gatorade this year, while the other (Rt. 67) was unmanned and out of water one time I ran by it, and was gone altogether by my final loop. I mention this not so much as criticism - it's an extremely no-frills race, and doesn't purport to be otherwise - but as an FYI for those who are used to big-city marathons with well-stocked fluid stations every mile or two, with gels and solid food. If you rely on this kind of support, you may want to carry your own food and drink. Both years I've run it, there were only about 20 starters, about a dozen running the marathon and the rest doing a relay. It's such a small field that after the initial 8.5 mile out-and-back, things were so spread out that I barely encountered any other runners during my five loops - the two fastest runners lapped me once, and I lapped at least two runners, but other than that, the last 3 hours of my race were solitary running. Although there weren't any "spectators" to speak of, I rated this aspect two stars rather than one simply because some of the townspeople driving by or out walking their dogs were aware that we were running a race, and gave words of encouragement. Naturally, none of the roads are closed to traffic. Part of the course is somewhat well-traveled, which makes intersections and required crossings a pain. It's not too bad, but sometimes little headaches like dealing with vehicular traffic can seem amplified when you're running a long race! It's such an informal race that there are no numbers, and nobody really counting your laps. As you cross the line, you just give the race director your name (although he already knows most of the runners), and tell him you're done, and he marks down your time. The race is put on by a friendly and close-knit group of local runners, and if you live in the area you may want to check out their other events as well, most of which are free. The entry fee for the marathon is $5, for which you get an official time/place (obviously), some aid on the course, and finally a nice warm fire and some decent food afterwards (this year it was pizza, cookies, lasagna, and fruit). It's a pretty good deal as far as I'm concerned, and I'm surprised there aren't more hardy runners around interested in giving this challenging but pleasant little race a try. | |
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Dan Concessi from Wakefield, Massachusetts
(12/12/2005)
"Bare bones; challenging and then some." (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Roxbury Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 This is a small winter marathon (12 runners finished) run in cold weather with absolutely no frills. The race is organized and directed entirely outdoors. Most of the runners are local and run together often. They seem to be a hardy, rugged bunch of friendly runners. There are no t-shirts, medals, or goodie bags. But you can't beat the $5 entry fee. You can't beat the enthusiastic volunteers and the organization is top-notch. The course is very hilly; there is actually not much flat running. The race is in a rural area and included some narrow dirt roads. I saw no spectators other than the volunteers. Having a roaring fire at the start area/finish line is a nice touch. If you enjoy running for the sheer joy of running, this is a beautiful race. I hope to be back next year. |
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