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May 20, 2024

OBX Marathon Runner Comments

Back to OBX Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.3

Organization 4.5

Spectators 4.3

Number of comments: 183 [displaying comments 171 to 181]

More Comments: [ < 1 .. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 > ]

W. K. from Downtown Lew-town, NC (11/13/2006) "Totally, totally awesome." (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 OBX Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 A terrific event, along the prettiest 26 miles on the planet. Yeah, I know, it rained (hard at times), but the weather didn't seem to bother the runners and spectators who were too busy living la vida OBX - fantastic water views, a little off-road action (in the piney woods), with monuments, golf courses, and bridges making things interesting along the way. Well-organized, with a fun expo and laidback beach vibe throughout. Can't wait to try it again....
R. P. from Philadelphia USA (11/13/2006) "Had a blast even with the rain" (about: 2006) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 OBX Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 For a first-time event, I was impressed. The shuttles were like clockwork. I've never run a trail in my life but I must say the trail part was my favorite. The Wright Bros. Park was really nice, but when I hit the straightaway on 158 the rain came and even that was cool. The bridge was easy and the finish at the high school track was a nice touch for the finish. I don't know if it was me or the mile markers but I was a little confused and it was difficult timing each mile.
D. D. from North Carolina (11/13/2006) "Support was great." (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon \| 1 OBX Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and I found it to be a very smooth event. I also felt that all of the locals were behind the event as there were countless people along the course cheering us on in the pouring rain. Coupled with the great scenery, this is an event I will never forget!
J. R. from Raleigh,nc (11/13/2006) "Nice course - except that big bridge at the end!" (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 OBX Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Getting over the bridge to Manteo at mile 22 was a challenge for me, but well worth it!
E. C. from Sanford, NC (11/13/2006) "Good but could be better" (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 It's hard to give a fair assessment to this race because the rain made my experience pretty miserable. We had an absolute downpour around 15-17 miles. Could have been better organized at the end - for example, after the finish it was unclear where to go for food or where to change clothes. Also, at the start there were at least 100 people waiting to use the port-a-potties - definitely need more of those.
L. H. from Soddy Daisy, TN (11/13/2006) "Great Fun at OBX!!" (about: 2006) First Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I completed my first half-marathon yesterday and it was a lot of fun. The course was easy and flat, with one hill over the bridge, but it wasn't really that bad. The spectators were great and even stayed out in the pouring rain. There weren't that many of them, but I didn't really expect there to be. Only suggestions would be to have more tents at the finish line to protect people from poor weather/heat and to have a better shuttle plan. Sitting on the shuttle for an hour to get back to the shuttle stop was brutal for the muscles and the shuttle driver could have been a bit more cautious. He slammed on the brakes a couple of times causing sore runners to go flying forward. Other than those two suggestions, the race was great and I would do it again!!!
Ron Mason from Corolla, NC (11/13/2006) "Very good inaugural effort!" (about: 2006) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 OBX Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 As a resident of the Outer Banks (Corolla) it was interesting to watch this event unfold as it approached its inaugural running. I think that the race was conducted very well, and had it not been for the monsoon that blew in from the south halfway through the race, it would've been a banner day for both the runners AND the area. Aside from my GPS indicating I ran 26.47 miles and the aforementioned monsoon directly in my face from mile 13 to mile 20, the course was very runner friendly -- even the stretch through the woods, which seemed like it would never end. The beauty of the Outer Banks showed through even when the sky was at its darkest. Given the weather, the course support was great, and the volunteers that staffed the water stops were very encouraging and well organized. A couple of suggestions are in order, though: (a)need many many more portajohns at the start line area, (b) would like to have seen a clock SOMEWHERE on the course (since my GPS obviously was not tallying the same mile marks as the course was indicating)-- it would've been good to have them at 6mi, 13.1mi, and at 20mi, and (c) the gear check bags and bag recovery seemed a little bit suspect. Those were all fairly minor issues; I did not utilize the shuttles that were provided, and cannot speak to their quality. But, without question, I look forward to running this race many more times.
Donald Taylor from On a mountain side in W. Virginia (11/13/2006) "Super Southern Hospitality" (about: 2006) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 OBX Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 A beautiful course: sea views, several miles of wooded trail and residential areas where the homeowners were the friendliest I had ever come across. I have run some races where residents have tried to stop future races through their neighborhoods. Not in the OBX Marathon.
D. P. from North Carolina (11/13/2006) "great location" (about: 2006) 3 previous marathons \| 1 OBX Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 Those who came out and cheered were AWESOME - thank you!! I ran the half-marathon. Two suggestions: Better organization for UPS pickup, and better traffic control post-race. It was very difficult to leave Manteo (we drove due to fear of not getting shuttle, so better shuttle organization would be good). Otherwise, job well done!!!
T. D. from North Carolina (11/13/2006) "Tough day at the races" (about: 2006) 2 previous marathons \| 1 OBX Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I ran the inaugural marathon yesterday and here are my thoughts: The expo was nice, but a bit congested. It seemed like a lot of people were running into each other and a bit confused. The course was more challenging than I thought it would be. The miles in the woods were rolling and in areas it felt like you were running in quicksand where you couldn't get any type of lift and got sucked down into the loose sand. The area also had some single-track areas, which made it hard to get around those who were walking. I was really glad when that portion was over. Running on Highway 158 was somewhat tedious. Cars driving by you slowly with their exhausts filling your airway weren't the best motivation. And then the rain came. At first it was welcome due to the warm start but I was at mile 16 when it really came down and that was hard to handle. My shoes had inches of water in them and my shirt and shorts were literally stuck to my body. The wind just added to the pounding of the rain in your face. And then there was mile 21 over the bridge. It was a long hill but the grade was gentle. The decline was welcome but the aid station was closer to mile 23 than 22, so that was also a nice surprise. I also wished they would've made the mile markers stand out a bit more with flags or balloons. The crowd support was just okay. The people who did brave the weather were great but I think a lot of people bagged it because of the rain. The finish was soggy and slippery before you reached the track. I don't know how anyone in a wheelchair could have made it through that patch. Overall this race and course were challenging. You can't plan for the weather but the stretch in the woods and the bridge were both taxing on the body and mind. The volunteers were great, as were the local supporters that did come out. The scenery was lovely in parts but I was hoping for more water views. I think this race could be great with a few tweaks.

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