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☰
Flagstaff Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Flagstaff Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.1 
Organization 4.2 
Spectators 2.6
Number of comments: 17 [displaying comments 11 to 17]
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David Pajer from Doylestown, PA
(10/6/2009)
 "That's One Tough Marathon" (about: 2009)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Flagstaff Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 There are two sides to this race. One is how we expect a marathon to be: You know, super runnable, where you know you can cover the distance without worrying about flipping an ankle or tripping over rocks spud like they are out to hurt you. You may have a time goal and would like the effort to get you into Boston. The other side is a race that is run through a cross-country ski area, where trails feel different when there is not two-feet of snow covering all of those jagged rocks jetting up from the mountain. And, speaking of mountains, they increases the ascents five fold over the usual marathon. Add in an elevation of 8000' to 8600', and you have one tough marathon that is too hard and unpredictable to tame. Sure we read the race website and all of the reviews on MarathonGuide.com, the home to its race stats. But when the site said there is 2200' of climbing for the marathon and the reviewers used words like "VERY HARD" - yes, in all caps - we knew we had to up our game. So we trained hard and knew that we could run 3500' with ease. That's why I'm writing this review. We were very surprised to have hit our limit at the 10-mile mark. How could it get so tough so fast? Was it all because of the elevation? We train at a meager 400' above sea level. In review it seems to be a combination off all these factors. High elevation made our internal system to work very very hard (by that I mean a heart rate that was a good 10-15 beats above norm), and hopping from one safe footing spot to the next is a very taxing way to run during a marathon. So with that in mind, here is our simple review. This race is a tough marathon adventure that is more about being out there on the mountain with like minded-adventurers than it is a race at which to pursue a pre-conceived time goal. It is one of the most beautiful races out there, and is a race we want to do again. Next time we will run it like it's a 50-miler. That should put things into perspective. By the way, the 2200' of climbing came up as 9341' on the old GPS. Yeah, that's a tough marathon. | |
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J. V. from On the road.
(9/28/2009)
 "A great experience" (about: 2009)
50+ previous marathons
| 1 Flagstaff Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This is not a PR course. It's a magnificant run at altitude through nature. The people were very friendly, helpful. Great attitude. The aid stations were like the ones in ultras. M&Ms, fruit, gels, donuts, etc. It is tough, but if you're in decent shape you won't have a problem. This is not an R 'n' R marathon; the spectators are few but supportive. I have run 200 marathons and I was inspired by this event. | |
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r. t. from az
(8/21/2009)
 "Not worth it" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Flagstaff Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 VERY expensive and VERY tough. It's something you may try once, but not twice. It's really not enjoyable as a run, though it would be beautiful as a hike with no time limit. You will be alone A LOT, and this is all trails and grass, so tape those ankles and make sure you've done your cardio! | |
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Carl Jones from Phoenix Arizona
(9/24/2007)
"My wife and I ran this...." (about: 2007)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Flagstaff Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 ..and it was a great time. It was my first marathon of any type (we ran the half together to help us get ready for the Marine Corp. Marathon in D.C. in October). My wife is a pretty experienced marathon runner and I am an amateur cage fighter here in Phoenix (both are hobbies; we have real jobs :)). I wanted to join my wife in what she really enjoys, and being a former high school cross country guy myself, I have to admit I like a good run too. We decided to do this marathon a few weeks ago because we wanted to build on our cardio.... Wow... be careful what you ask for! :) Lol. It wasn't really what we had expected, but we both loved the experience. The scenery and the atmosphere were beautiful. I am originally from Michigan and, having lived in Phoenix the last 5 years, it was nice to finally see some deer! We had about 15 does and a huge buck run in front of us at about mile 10, and right before that I found a nice spike antler on the course! (I didn't feel so bad about not getting a medal... I had an antler! :)) At any rate, it was well run, and even though it was not what we expected, we want to do it again. The next time we are going to make sure we tape our ankles! | |
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Jay Avitable from Connecticut, USA
(9/23/2007)
 "A Great Trail Marathon" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Flagstaff Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 This is not a marathon for roadrunners. It is a beautiful, well organized, EXTREMELY challenging trail marathon. The challenge comes from the altitude (8000+ feet) and the hills. The footing, as far as most trail runs go, is excellent, and it is 100% off-road. The course consists of something you could loosely call a "figure 8" run twice. This makes for plentiful aid stations, and little chance to get lost (course markings were obvious and plentiful). Marathoners must ignore the 10K and 1/2 marathoners all around them or else they will run too fast. Marathoners should also expect to be a little lonely after the 1/2 marathoners finish. I agree it could be a little too tough for a first marathon, but I hope to be back, and I saw at least 1 first-timer have a great race, accomplishing his 4-hour goal. | |
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c. r. from Scottsdale, AZ
(9/21/2007)
 "NOT FOR A NOVICE!!" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Flagstaff Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 An extremely challenging event. Few entrants; and I dare to say a few won't be back due to the level of difficulty. An expensive marathon with few perks and no finisher medals - and believe me, this course merits a finisher medal! | |
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B. T. from phx., az
(2/11/2007)
"Breathtaking!!" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Flagstaff Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 There were 3 things that totally took my breath away in this race. 1. You are running at above 8000 feet. 2. The start temp was around 20 degrees last year. 3. You run through some amazingly beautiful forests, aspen groves, and mountainsides. I did run my worst time but totally enjoyed the tranquility of the forest and do plan on coming back. |
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