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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 31 to 41]

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

C. F. from US (9/11/2014) "Well organized event" (about: 2014) First Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon so I can only compare to shorter races I have done. I read a lot of bad reviews from previous years and was very nervous about doing this race, but I am pleased to report that those reviews were completely unfounded. I thought the race was very well organized, and had plenty of water stations. The traffic getting into the parking lots was not that backed up and they had plenty of people directing traffic. I did not need to use the shuttle service so I cannot comment on that, but when we were leaving the race and walking to our car, someone did approach us asking if we needed a shuttle. Yes much of the race was on gravel trail, which was actually nice because it was shaded for most of the race. There was a severe thunderstorm the night before and the trails were still in excellent condition. There were roots and some small rocks but they were all well marked. The only negative to this was there were virtually no spectators, (if you like that ) and it was sometimes difficult to pass. Also it would have been nice to have mile clocks as no matter how hard you try your watch is always a little off. I had a race band that I relied on which worked well as a back up. Had the unfortunate experience of having to visit the med tent at the end and the staff there was excellent!! Overall this was a great first marathon experience for me and I would recommend this race.
D. H. from Columbia, MD (9/10/2014) "Delivered on everything that was advertised" (about: 2014) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Via Marathon (formerly the Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon for COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I chose this race solely for a Boston Qualifying time. The course was 100% as expected from the detailed maps and descriptions available in the athlete guide. Miles 1-8 on pavement, 8-12 cinder, 12-14 pavement, and 14-20 cinder before going back to a paved bike path for the last 10k. The hill at mile 20 will take the zip out of your legs, but it is the only significant climb on the course. Packet pickup was at a great location, the Steel Stacks are an excellent venue. The Expo itself was a little crammed, too many vendors for such a small space. Getting to the starting line was easy, the police presence was a little light at 5:45, but once the rush of runners started everything moved quickly. There are no corrals or organization at the start, so you just place yourself wherever amongst the starters. I'm not a fan of this method but it seems to be common in most small to mid size road races. There is sparse fan presence along the course, definitely nothing that made a difference during my run. The finish Expo in Easton is nice, beer and water were easy to find. Results posted almost immediately and we were notified that race results had been sent to Boston. Overall, a race that delivered on everything I expected to get from a BQ.
S. F. from OKC, OK (9/9/2014) "Beautiful Course" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Via Marathon (formerly the Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon for COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Things I loved: -Beautiful course, mostly shaded, net downhill -Nice shirt -Very friendly town -Lots of experienced runners on the course -We left the post race party around 12:30 and there was a shuttle waiting for us and the ride was smooth- no issues. It appeared there were multiple shuttles and any issues from the years before have been taken care of. -Bart Yasso on course cheering on runners- very cool! - Nice shirts and medals - Stayed at the Wyndham by Wingate hotel about 1.5 miles from the start. They were extremely accomodating- opened breakfast early and told us how to get to the marathon start without using the highway (took a backroad) and we got there in about 5 minutes via car. You could walk, but it would be a decent treck. Things I didn't love: -There were ENOUGH water stations, but they were not properly spaced. There was no water available from mile 6-12 which was not how the map appeared so I had not packed my own water. Then, between about mile 12 and 13 there were 3 water stops. 6 miles was too long, and I was worried the rest of the race about more long stretches without water so it messed with my mind a bit. I know the trail is narrow in that area, but they need to find a way to get at least 1 (preferably 2) stops in there. -Porta potties: saw 4 stations- about 6 miles apart. For me, that isn't enough, and the stations were usually placed at relay exchanges so the lines were long. I required a stop and it tacked on 8 minutes to my time. Saw several runners ducking off behind trees and bushes. Would have appreciated a few more single porta potties along the course, that way the relayers and specatators wouldn't be forming lines to use them and I would have felt less stressed about how soon I'd be able to get to one. -The trail doesn't accomodate many spectators, so it felt a little lonely at times. To those who volunteered and did come out and cheer, thank you! Overall, great race in a beautiful and friendly town.
T. M. from FL (9/8/2014) "My Favorite Race!" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Via Marathon (formerly the Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon for s COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is my second time running the marathon and it is one of my favorite courses. Beautiful run along the river and mostly flat. Both times, I've gotten a PR. Not a huge spectator event but you do have fan support in certain spots especially the finish. You get free beer after the race and your food after the event is the normal stuff. The biggest improvement this year is that the shuttle service to take you back to your car after the race was totally smooth. Last year, it was a nightmare, waiting in the hot sun for over an hour and boarding a big tour bus which was nice but had no air conditioning and you couldn't roll down the windows. This year, less than a 5 minute wait, I boarded a school bus with all the windows down which was really nice. So, with that being fixed, I'll be back next year for sure. FYI... I did the 'walking tour' of history of the Bethlehem Steel Plant (where you pick up your packet). It was a 1:30 tour and costs 15 dollars but well worth it. It's a great area with really nice people!
J. S. from Vineland nj (9/7/2014) "AWESOME!!" (about: 2014) 50+ previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Amazing course! Amazing support! I thought it was well organized with great support on the course! We were able to pick up the shuttle minutes after finishing! Definitely will be back in 2015!
J. H. from NEPA (5/6/2014) "A really good marathon that had a bad year." (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 3 Via Marathon (formerly the Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon for s COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 5 This was the third time I've run this marathon. Knowing the course and how to train resulted in my best time so far. Traffic at the start was horrible even if you arrived early. I got there late and heard, 'OK, runners, 10, 9, 8... as I was pulling into the parking area. Knowing the race is chip timed, I allowed for a carb-unloading stop before beginning anyway. I started about six minutes after the official start. No problem. The course's early miles allow for runners to get into their pace groupings before the trail portions make passing more difficult. The course is mostly shaded and along water, so warmer weather is really not as much of a problem as other races. There were enthusiastic spectators everywhere they could access the course. The glaring negative, this year, was the lack of adequate shuttles returning runners to their parked cars at the start. Standing in line, in a warm parking lot, for over an hour, wasn't the best experience at the end of a marathon, but I had some great conversations with other runners about our prior races, experiences, and upcoming races. Knowing that this has been a well organized race, in previous years, helped diffuse the negativity expressed by some other runners. I'll be back in 2014 fully expecting the transportation and parking issues to have been resolved.
R. R. from Washington, DC (10/23/2013) "Great small race and excellent BQ course" (about: 2013) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Via Marathon (formerly the Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon for COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I will begin by saying that I ran this race for a BQ. I had not run in a while (two years) and wanted a small race with a fast course at the right time of year, giving me five months to get in shape to run it. This race delivered on all of those things and I qualified with a 2:56:12 (18+ under my BQ). The race delivered everything I expected and I had a great experience. The water/gatorade was frequent enough that I could skip stops and hydrate every 4-6 miles without any problems. The course was exactly what I expected and by running a smart race I was able to run within 30 seconds of my goal time. The course can be hard if you do not run smart. Like any other race with early downhills if you do not watch the early pace it can come back to haunt you. After finishing, it was easy to get to my family and get some food (and beer!) into my body. The massages were an added bonus. My only complaint was the traffic near the starting area; however, the race greatly expanded in participation this year and I am giving the organizers the benefit of the doubt. I would recommend this race to others and deifnately plan to run it again in the future.
Brian Keno from Fort Lauderdale, Florida (9/14/2013) "A fair course for time" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Via Marathon (formerly the Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon for COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I would like to give a perspective from a runner who raced strictly as a qualifier for Boston. While times might not have been as fast for many, the course really was not a slow course for me. I ran 2:58:43 and ran even splits (1st half to 2nd half). This course is easy to go out too fast on the downhills early. More roads (less trails)paved and the weather was cooler and more downhill early. I considered all that and ran slower early to save for the the 2nd hald of the race,which would take more concentration. My first mile was 7:51 and got blown away by hundreds of runners. My 2nd mile (all downhill) was 7:15 and people still flying by me. I was 35:30 afer 5 miles. I then got into 6:30 to 6:40 pace up until 20 miles. I slowed about 10 seconds a mile in last 10K. I did think 2nd half was a tougher course, but not terrible. Maybe a 1-2 mile narrow portion, but everyone was carrying the pace and not a problem. I was in 500 place or so after 2 miles and ended up 46. It was a nice finish to the line in downtown Easton. I had one of the coldest (free)beers around. Nice touch! At 11 am it was nearing 78 degrees. The problem. A lot of new runners to the course this year and flying high to quailify for Boston. Went too fast early and it got warm. Didn't compensate or run smart. Can't just blame it on slow course. The last marathon I did was 11 years ago by the way. I beat everyone in my age and the younger age group (45-49M)as well. Enough said, stop the excuses for slow course.
K. W. from New York, NY (9/13/2013) "Disorganized race with 10+ miles of trail" (about: 2013) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Via Marathon (formerly the Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon for COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 Background: I Boston Qualified at my last marathon (Steamtown Marathon which I highly recommend) and was expecting even faster times this round. However between the long waits, rushed start and gravel trail course I ended up running 20 minutes slower. Pros: ~ The only reason the race course received 3 stars instead of 2 is because it is beautiful - the course runs along a pretty stream/canal and you feel like you're during a nature run. ~ The volunteers and staff are really nice and helpful. Good amount of spectators for a small race Cons: ~ I sat in my car for 1 hour waiting to park at the starting point. They had no one directing traffic or providing any guidance. I ended up starting the marathon after the starting time - having to run from my car to the baggae drop then to the starting line ~ Many parts of the course were extremely narrow (no more than 2 people abreast) making it hard to pass and adding to the daunting feeling that we're all running in a long line ~ 10+ miles of trail - unpaved, gravel or dirt. Since I only trained for bits of gravel running, my legs really felt the hurt towards the end ~ The are large gaps without fluid stations (at one point almost 4 miles) ~ The lines for the free shuttle buses back to the start to pick-up your car took 45 mins and were in direct sunlight. I literally almost fainted waiting in line in the sun with no water nearby post 26.2 miles.
C. B. from Detroit, Michigan (9/13/2013) "Beautiful Course; Logistics FAIL" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Via Marathon (formerly the Lehigh Valley Hospital Marathon for COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I was very excited to run this marathon, and I really liked the course itself. Unfortunately I am completely soured on the whole thing because of the start/finish line problems. As others have mentioned, there was a horrendous delay at the freeway exit. I was there 45 minutes before the parking lot was supposed to close (which in my experience is PLENTY of time for a small, non-urban marathon) and still did not park my car until after 7 a.m. when the race started. The traffic was so horrendous I assumed there was an accident , but no, it was just badly organized with no direction. They knew how many people were running; I do not understand how the parking organization was so terrible. Once I got started, the course was beautiful, running along the water with all the trees. I guess if I had trained only on pavement I might have been uncomfortable on the portion of the course that was on trail, but I'm also a trail runner so didn't notice it really. The only complaint I have about the race itself was that the event website promised aid stations every 1.5 to 2 miles, and there was a stretch between Mile 8 and Mile 12 where there was no aid station for nearly 4 miles. That is a no-no for people planning their fueling. How hard would it have been for them to say 'every 1.5 to 2 miles, except for one stretch on the trail where there is no vehicle access to set up an aid station'? Especially in a 'runner's marathon'. The finish was okay although there was no fruit. (Volunteers told me they were out - I finished just under 4 hours, okay, not super fast, but not so slow they should have been out of anything.) I went to catch the shuttle back and there found the single worst organizational mess I have ever seen at a race shuttle (and this is coming from someone who remembers the mile-long lines in the Sea World parking lot of San Diego RnR in 2011, so that's saying a lot!). I waited for 45 minutes for a shuttle in a sunny parking lot with no shade, which is bad enough, but it gets worse. There were different shuttles for the marathon and half-marathon, but no signs saying which was which. The shuttle line was in an active parking lot with cars pulling in and out through the line of runners. The bus had no air and no way to open the windows for a 30-minute ride back to the start. (First crawling through downtown Easton where traffic was barely moving, then an excruciating ride on the freeway.) Conditions on that bus were nearly unbearable. Imagine that many runners on a huge charter bus after a summer marathon on a warm day with NO AIR AT ALL. People were pouring sweat and the bus floor was wet with sweat. I am not exaggerating when I say that this was the single WORST marathon experience I have ever had in 28 marathons. Shame on you, Via Marathon, for making us suffer like that. The course was pretty, the volunteers were great, but the logistics were simply the worst I have ever seen.

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