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May 5, 2024

Via Marathon (formerly the Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon for Via) Runner Comments

Back to Via Marathon (formerly the Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon for Via) Information & Reviews

Course 4.1

Organization 3.8

Spectators 3.5

Number of comments: 82 [displaying comments 21 to 31]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 > ]

D. B. from Oviedo, FL (9/15/2015) "Beautiful Course" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Being from Florida, I was surprised at the 'hills' I encountered. I had read all of the reviews of a flat and fast course, but I think that's a bit misleading. The course is fast because of the field of runners, not the course itself. The inclines were short but they seemed to come at the worst times for me. Yes, the course is a lot of downhill but downhills can be challenging too. Overall, the course was beautiful! The trails did get congested in some areas where I had to run on the grass to pass 2 runners side by side. The loose cinder, rocks and roots were a little annoying but the view was serene and relaxing. The course is mostly shaded and where there were spectators, they were awesome! This is definitely an 'all business' race to get into Boston as seen by the game faces everyone had on. I did qualify but not with enough time to get in. It did however boost my confidence that on a flatter, more paved course I could get back into Boston. :)
J. S. from Philadelphia, PA (7/8/2015) "This race is my favorite of them all" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Via Marathon (formerly the Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon for COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 So, this race reminds me of just a really good solid long distance run if you like to be in tune with nature, feel leaves on your feet crunch, and kinda zone out, this race is for you. There is so much shade, which in the summer heat, you appreciate. The trail was soft, and they spray painted any potential hazards with neon colors. I appreciated this race because I didn't bonk or my legs didn't feel like lead. The flat and soft ground is a life saver on your legs, and also the following days of recovery. If it's your first, try it. If you're looking for a change of pace, try it. If you are used to big city races and need fan support, this race is more for the runner who relies on themselves for support. Plus, don't expect a lot from a race with a smaller field some reviews are comparing it to larger fields (portapotties, volunteers, etc.). Simply, you just can't. I've ran everything from NYC to a marathon that forgot mile 24. There comes a point in this race you actually get comfortable and get a zen moment. I dig that. While I did get frustrated that I had to wait awhile to get to a bathroom, I could have fueled better to prevent that from happening. Marathons are never easy and this one is a challenge for a newbie and a repeat marathon trying to get into Boston.
S. P. from North Carolina (12/21/2014) "Awesome course!" (about: 2014) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Via Marathon (formerly the Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon for COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Flat and shaded course - I loved it! Attempting a last ditch effort to qualify for Boston and I was successful! Most of the course is on flat trails through the woods - easy on the legs and away from the sun. Highly recommend this race!
J. S. from Florida (11/18/2014) "Great Course for a BQ" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Via Marathon (formerly the Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon for COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 My wife needed to run a Boston Qualifier for 2015 and I had heard this was a fast, well organized marathon. It did not disappoint as she did run more than 20 minutes under her qualifying time, and we both will be running Boston 2015. We noticed only a couple of things that could use some improvement. 1) The traffic control/direction was somewhat lacking for participants near the Hospital parking area, making the start of the race about 10 minutes late. 2) There were no corrals or designated areas for runners of varying paces. Making the start a bit of a free-for-all as there is a half marathon and relay that start at the same time as the marathon. The course is a net down hill with long sections of dirt on the towpath along the Lehigh River. There is lot of traffic on the Towpath which is narrow and there can be some congestion near the aid stations, however nothing which caused either one of us to come to a stand still. If you need a last minute BQ, this marathon is certainly worth considering.
S. S. from Alaska (11/12/2014) "Great course - very pretty" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Via Marathon (formerly the Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon for COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I was really impressed with the course. I read reviews talking about the unpaved portion and was worried since it had rained really hard the night before. There were a few puddles, but the footing was great and you didn't really need to look down and lose focus. During the course, I saw seventeen species of birds, a beaver, and a fox (before the start). I didn't train much for this marathon and a normal course would have totally beat me up. This was my slowest marathon, but it was likely the easiest course. If I ever want to qualify, I think I will actually prepare for this marathon (except it is hard to reach from Alaska). Negatives - The course lacks portapotties. A lot of the race is on an old rail line which makes it difficult for spectators to watch in those areas and likely to get portapotties into the course. Overall - great experience, beautiful run, and an easy course (as much as you can say easy when talking about a marathon).
M. T. from Baltimore (11/8/2014) "OK" (about: 2014) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Via Marathon (formerly the Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon for COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 As a race that I solely ran to get into Boston at the 11th hour it was certainly serviceable. The scenery was boring Pennsylvania. I did enjoy the trail running aspect. The post stuff was decent. The expo was going on the same time as a wedding in a movie theatre that was showing movies. My only real gripe was I think the miles were very inaccurate. I just had a watch and my mile times were bizarre. I would run a minutes faster when I was slowing down. There is zero reason to travel to this race unless the last-minute qualifying appeals to you, but if that's your sole goal I recommend it.
n. s. from Florida (9/16/2014) "Loved the Course, Nice Race" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Via Marathon (formerly the Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon for COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This race was just the right size. Not too big, not too small. If you are a person who wants a lot of spectators, go elsewhere. The ones there were wonderful. The course was well thought out with a loop after the start in a residential area, and roadway (significant downhill in mi. 2) that was scenic before getting on the towpath along the Lehigh River, where the course leveled out. There is a leg into downtown Bethlehem (NICE town!) which is rolling- nothing severe. Back onto the towpath, which was shaded and just BEAUTIFUL. It made the warmish temps tolerable. The trail eventually becomes paved, a slight uphill grade and then more pronounced downhill in the last miles before the course levels out again in Easton. I loved the course. My time was faster than I expected, and I credit that largely to the course being a net downhill and having few turns. Organization - pretty good, but 1)they need to divide up the starting area by predicted per mile pace, 2)one large segment on the trail with no aid station...not good for a runner who was down at 9.8 miles & long stretches with no portolet (those in Bethlehem were being utilized by spectators so I utilized a shrub in the 14th mile), 3) parking was fine, but they could stand traffic directing cops to a greater extent. We were running a bit late and got there just fine, although nerve wracking - our fault. Shuttle back was awesome. Post race festivities- awesome. AG awards were getting another finishing medal (a different one), which was kind of strange. I would definitely go back, just because I really loved the course, and it didn't beat up my legs since half was on the crushed gravel trail. Easton looks cool too!
M. T. from Pittsburgh, PA (9/14/2014) "Great Medium Size Fall Marathon" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Via Marathon (formerly the Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon for COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 2014 race time- 3:03 I chose this race because I was looking for a fast course in early fall. The course is relatively flat and follows the river from Allentown to Easton. There are some early down hills and a couple late small climbs that can be challenging. About half of the course is on road and half on the towpath trail. Parts of the trail are very narrow, however it is later in the race when runners were spread out so there were no problems. Fan support was lacking in some areas, but that can be expected with a marathon of this size. The spectators that did show up were great! Leading up to the race I was a little concerned about some of the reviews from previous years regarding parking and shuttle service back to the start. I arrived 90 minutes before the start expecting to sit in traffic, but had no problems at all (Either they fixed the parking problem from previous years, or I arrived earlier than most people). The post race festivities were organized. After the race there was no wait to board the shuttle back to the start (once again, they must have fixed this problem from previous years). This race was advertised as a super fast down hill marathon. Although I enjoyed the race and I would recommend it to others, it was not as advertised. I think the main reason that it is one of the 'fastest in the country' is because it is the last race prior to Boston registration. I met a significant amount of runners who chose this race as a last attempt to qualify for Boston. The 'One of the fastest marathons in the country' title comes from the fact that a lot of fast runners choose to run it, not because of the course. Other things to be aware of....Weather- it can be very hot this time of year. Race day temperatures were in the 70s. However, the day before the race it was 90s and humid..... Water stops- there are segments of the course were you go 3-4 miles without water. This isn't a major problem as long as you know that ahead of time..... Trails- half of the race is run on packed gravel. It would be beneficial to get some training on this surface.
c. w. from pottstown, pa (9/14/2014) "Nice run thru the woods." (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Via Marathon (formerly the Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon for s COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I paced my running partner for the last 6 miles of the race last year and I decided to run the entire length this year. The organization resolved the parking issues at the start and the bus transportation that plagued the race in 2013. Packet pick-up was easy. The course is mainly on a trail in the woods so you don't need to worry about cars cutting you off but you also don't get much crowd support. The food at the end was average but the beer selection was fantastic. The race could use more porta-potties at the start and during the race but that is an issue for 90% of all races. I did see runners going into the hospital before the race to use the bathrooms.
Eliot W. Collins from Raritan Borough, NJ (9/12/2014) "Extremely Well Organized Race" (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 Via Marathon (formerly the Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon for s COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 With regard to organization, this race was excellent. Great aid stations and great volunteers. They were almost too enthusiastic. I enjoyed the course along the canal and the railroad tracks as well. Once the runners spread out I was able to run alone for most of the race. I like the solitude. I will be back in 2015.

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