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☰
Manchester City Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Manchester City Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.8 
Organization 4.4 
Spectators 3.6
Number of comments: 84 [displaying comments 31 to 41]
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L. R. from Florida
(11/8/2011)
 "AWESOMELY HILLY" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Manchester City Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 My 50th marathon and it was a beautiful day for a run. The course was hilly as promised and I trashed my quads by mile 16 but I still enjoyed the run. The medal was small but the tech shirt was a light blue, it fit well, and it was nice. I finished in 5 hrs and there was no band playing, there was only chicken soup left (it was good) and no muscle milk either. The host hotel, the Radisson was great. Running next to the traffic on the white line with no shoulder was not for the faint hearted. | |
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J. W. from The Berkshires, Massachusetts
(11/7/2011)
 "Small city spirit" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Manchester City Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The first 15 miles of the course are hilly, but like the other comments have indicated, no one hill is particularly fierce, except, perhaps, for a brief but memorable climb around mile 14. Overall, the loop course is well-planned. There are a lot of turns though neighborhoods, but there were volunteers and aid stations at key locations and we didn't get lost, even though we took the early start and there were only a few runners on the course early on. The straightaway finish on Elm Street in downtown was exciting. Parts of mile 5-6 were on a gentle wooded trail, and the final 5K featured some fast downhills, a footbridge over the Merrimack River back into the city, and enthusiastic crowd support. I appreciated the varying terrain. I can only think of one minus: Icy roads in a few of the hillier spots, and that could've been dangerous. Post-race in the park there was delicious chili, Muscle Milk, and massages. I recommend this small city marathon. | |
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R. J. from Georgia, USA
(11/7/2011)
"Pretty, hilly, friendly." (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Manchester City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 What a wonderful small/midsize race! Held the same day as the NYC Marathon, it's a really nice, low-key alternative. A beautiful run through the picturesque neighborhoods of this pretty New England town in late Autumn. Outstanding organization, a nice expo, outstanding volunteers and local law enforcement where they were needed. And there's no leaving your room 4 hours before the race and waiting in a refugee camp until the start. You can hang out in the hotel lobby until a few minutes before the start, then at the finish there's hot chili and soup, and you're back in your hotel room in a few minutes. You won't get that in NY City! The expo hotel (Radisson) was right by the start/finish line and offered airport shuttle so no rental car was necessary. It is quite hilly so not the best BQ course if you're looking for that. My only complaint is that they could have had more portajohns along the course, I gave up waiting a couple of times when there was only one portajohn and there were spectators using it. | |
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A. D. from Chicago, IL
(11/7/2011)
 "Hilly well organized event" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Manchester City Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The day started on a cold side, but it turned out to be a great running day. I think they should start the event earlier, at least an hour earlier, especially given the end of daylight saving time. The water stations were as frequent as promised, along with GU at mile 9 and 17. Personally, I think they should have vanilla flavor, but that's a matter of preference. The shirt is ugly, no doubt about it. The medal is nothing special either. The sponsor's name is the most prominantly displayed item on both - come on! Chilli, chicken noodle or tomato basil hot dishes at the finish line were an awesome idea. The band was great, but... there was no beer tent. It is a nice small event. No problems finding parking. You will not find a lot of spectators, but a few patches here and there are nice. Course - hilly, as promised. I did not find it all that scenic. Don't know Manchester well, but I think they could pick a better course - you run mostly thru residential areas. Also, if you have a fear of running with and against the traffic, the event is probably not for you. Hardly any road is actually shut down. The main intersections had someone directing the traffic, but there were some lonely ones as well. I realize the event is probably too small to shut down the city, but... | |
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S. B. from Vermont
(11/7/2011)
 "Do NOT run this marathon!" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Manchester City Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 I was not at all happy with this marathon. Do NOT run it!! I repeat, DO NOT RUN IT!!! The only reason I could see why one would want to do this is if you have a 50-state goal or some other checklist goal or abstract mission that you are working on. The course was not very scenic, it ran through some back roads, shabby residential areas, standard city streets. There were some parts over and along the river and through a city park that were nice, but overall, the course could have been a lot better. There is no reason why runners should be routed though construction areas or have to dodge cars. There were not nearly enough orange pylons to protect runners from traffic. At times it was unknown which side of the road we were supposed to be on. Too frequently we were running diagonally across roads that weren't even blocked off!!! So dangerous! I lost my cadence at least 4 times due to having to stop short for a car at a cross road. Some cross streets had people directing traffic, but not all. The race course was not clearly marked in all places and for as many turns and street crossings as there were, they really should have had more noticeable markings. Sometimes we were running on sidewalks and they were all broken up. Other times on road shoulders that were cluttered with construction and road debris (easy to trip). I only noticed a medic once along the course and in the beginning. I started looking out for medics as early as the 14th mile because my Achilles was acting up, I wanted to get a wrap. But, didn't find any medical assistance until the finish line! The finish area was confusing. No signs to direct runners where to go. The post-race food was a total disappointment. Only a few bananas, oranges, apples, and cereal bars with no bag to put the goodies in. The chili stand was out of vegetarian chili before I got there and I was a middle of the pack finisher. There were no post-race festivities as advertised. The band wasn't playing, nothing was going on except a small tent for massages (with a 30 minute wait for their 3 or 4 masseuses) and the disappointing food tent. The medal for the full is almost exactly like the medal for the half. The difference between the two should be distinct. And, it is a cheap medal that devotes more space to advertising for Anthem than for displaying the race name or distance. On the plus side, the volunteers were friendly and encouraging at the aid stations. Even though there were just a few spectators, they were enthusiastic and cheered for everyone. The pre-race line up was easy to get to and figure out. I picked up my bib same day and that was simple and hassle-free. The race tee is a long-sleeved tech-shirt (I like it). There were clocks at every even mile marker (except mile 24) and aid stations at every odd mile marker (except mile 1). So it was easy to feel like the miles passed quickly. It was a disappointing race overall! Don't expect much if you do it and be ready to dodge traffic and road obstacles along the way. | |
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R. J. from Georgia, USA
(11/6/2011)
"Pretty, hilly, friendly." (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Manchester City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 What a wonderful small/midsize race! Held the same day as the NYC Marathon, it's a really nice, low-key alternative. A beautiful run through the picturesque neighborhoods of this pretty New England town in late Autumn. Outstanding organization, a nice expo, outstanding volunteers and local law enforcement where they were needed. And there's no leaving your room 4 hours before the race and waiting in a refugee camp until the start. You can hang out in the hotel lobby until a few minutes before the start, then at the finish there's hot chili and soup, and you're back in your hotel room in a few minutes. You won't get that in NY City! The expo hotel (Radisson) was right by the start/finish line and offered airport shuttle so no rental car was necessary. It is quite hilly so not the best BQ course if you're looking for that. My only complaint is that they could have had more portajohns along the course, I gave up waiting a couple of times when there was only one portajohn and there were spectators using it. | |
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j. l. from Boston
(11/3/2011)
 "Hills were too much keeping many runners away!" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Manchester City Marathon
COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 The hills were severe, much worse than 'heartbreak hill' in Boston. I know many full marathoners who stayed away specifically for this reason which is why the back half of the event was nearly empty. I realize that some people like a challenge but one of the reasons that many runners cough up the big bucks for en event like this is to achieve a personal record or a time that is better than their brother-in-law in Seattle. Pls find a flatter course and the event will become huge. | |
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Jim Skibo from Cedar Hil, TX (Dallas)
(12/19/2010)
 "Beautiful small-city race" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Manchester City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 48th marathon and I chose it because I wanted to run in New Hampshire and also I wanted a race that looked like it was logistically not too difficult to get to. Manchester fits that description. It is a hilly course, but no one hill knocks you out; they were all reasonable. The course is quite varied and interesting all the way. Traffic control was generally good although there was one stretch in the full marathon where I was way too close to oncoming cars. It was due to construction and I am sure it won't be that way in 2011. Packet pickup is a snap; free street parking is available. The host hotel has event parking, but you don't have to use it. We stayed at a local B&B (Ash Street Inn) and the owner was kind enough to give us a ride to the start line - can't beat that! An hour earlier, he also gave some walkers a ride to their start, too. We flew into Boston, which is only 45 miles south of Manchester. If you are staying an extra day, Maine is only 45 minutes northeast of Manchester. Post-race chow is great and the medal is really nice. | |
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S. M. from Lorraine, Canada
(12/14/2010)
"Very nice" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Manchester City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is a tough race. A lot of hills as described on the website (no surprise there). But I'm so glad I did it and you will be also for sure. The first part was great with a lot a runners. The second one was much more quiet and problematic: the traffic control needs to be improved (especially if the events grow). The chilli at the end was absolutely wonderful. The volunteers were very helpful. For instance, a kid with his father gave gummy bears near the end of the race. Very nice. We feel very welcome there. The medal size is not proportional to the effort but it is beautiful. I recommend it: For the challenge. For the New Hampshire population. For the after-race food. | |
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Jim Skibo from Cedar Hill, TX USA (Dallas)
(12/9/2010)
"Great city; great race" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Manchester City Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my 48th marathon and I chose it because it was in NH and the logistics of getting there were simple enough. We flew into Boston, and Manchester is only a 50-minute drive from Logan International. I am glad I ran this because it really was a nice race - exceptionally well-organized and support was flawless. The course is fun but it is challenging because it is a roller coaster. We stayed at the Ash Street Inn, which is an upscale B&B. I'm giving them a plug because the owner was even kind enough to drive guests to the start line. He made one trip for the walkers who had an earlier start, and then an hour later drove us to the marathon start line. It was only a half-mile, but it was chilly and the ride was a nice touch. Finisher's medal is quite nice, as is the technical shirt. Do the tourist thing. The city has a lot of history worth exploring and Maine is only an hour north of Manchester. Gorgeous ride - kind of the East Coast equivalent of the Pacific Coast Highway in California, except the NH and Maine portions of US 1A go right along the beach. |
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