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May 3, 2024

Florida Marathon & 1/2 Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Florida Marathon & 1/2 Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 3.8

Organization 3.5

Spectators 3.2

Number of comments: 49 [displaying comments 31 to 41]

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

S. T. from Seattle, WA (2/8/2011) "Great small marathon!" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I've done tons of marathons but this was my first Melbourne Marathon and overall I thought it was a great race! The course was super flat except for the 4 bridges, but I personally like the mix up of terrain and you could see them in the distance as incentive. The only negative comment as far as course is concerned is that the road is banked on the flat sections enough that I could feel it in my ankles, hips, and knees. Luckily the road is wide enough and the runners sparse enough that I could position myself as strategically as possible, but it still wasn't enough to avoid the angles. The aid stations were great in that they were well stocked with water, Gatorade, and Clif Gel (at most of the stations!). The volunteers were super supportive but they needed more as sometimes they simply didn't have enough people to both fill cups and hand them out. It wouldn't have been a big deal if the tables had been long enough to grab and go but the card tables they were using just cause bottlenecks. The second loop wasn't an issue since the majority of the runners did 1 loop (half marathon). The medal is awesome and they gave you a shirt and a hat, so a nice amount of schwag. Although I'm not a fan of cotton T-shirts, the design was nice and the cotton was a good quality. Expo was decent for such a small venue. Crowd support was on the sparse side, but for such a small race I actually thought it was pretty good. It's all about perspective here. If you're used to the Rock 'n' Roll marathons you'll think there's no one out there, but everyone that was out there was cheering and got really excited when you acknowledged them. I love that you can literally be dropped off AT the start line within minutes of the start and that your family/friends can easily follow you along the course. Very low-stress. Awesome! I would definitely recommend this race for everyone!
M. B. from Manitoba, Canada (2/7/2011) "Cool breeze, pretty course, friendly folks" (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon & 1/2 Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I did the full marathon, so by the fourth bridge, I was hurting - in a dementedly good way. :) PROS: Scenic course, plenty of pre-race updates, few but very enthusiastic fans (if you really need thousands of cheering fans, pick a different sport), nice hat, beautiful medal, good support staff at finish area, and plenty of food IF YOU ARE FAST ENOUGH TO GET THERE BEFORE IT'S GONE. CONS: Cotton shirt instead of tech shirt, a bit disorganized at the start until the lady with the mike showed up, first couple of water stations too short for the throngs of people to get to, and I felt really bad for the folks finishing after four and a half hours as booths started packing up and the promised food was going fast. Marathoners deserve the same post-race fuel that the half marathoners get.
F. B. from Chicago,iL (1/28/2011) "Great marathon, fantastic customer service" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Florida Marathon & 1/2 Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I have run this marathon twice and absolutely loved it. I was registered to run again this year but will be unable to due to doctor's orders. I have run over 20 marathons, never having to ask for a deferral. I emailed Ashley requesting a deferral of my entrance fees until next year, and within minutes Ashley responded with an approval. Thanks, Ashley; you have a fan of this marathon for life!
Linda Miller from West Palm Beach, Florida (2/12/2010) "Baby, we were born to run" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon & 1/2 Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 Great course. There was plenty to keep your mind off of the task at hand. Musicians were encouraging runners, and the police support did same - there was a very friendly feel to this marathon. If you were not making an unexpected turn, you were going over a bridge and the scenery just kept changing until you hit the final stretch of the beautiful downtown area. I actually was not looking forward to this marathon but had a wonderful time - the miles flew by. I would do it again. The 5K was fantastic the day before as well.
Kurt Erbach from Chicago (2/11/2010) "Great escape from the mid-West winter" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Florida Marathon & 1/2 Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I thoroughly enjoyed every part of this race. As my second marathon, I was better prepared for what to expect in a race, so I found the number of port-o-johns, spectators, and course layout all to be very reasonable. There were tons of aid stations with plenty of bananas, oranges, Clif Shots, water and Gatorade. Even if they ran out of one thing, there was something else to be had as a substitute. The musical acts around the course were entertaining even if they weren't full bands; you've got to respect their 5 hours of playing. The course was beautiful, ocean views or not. I wasn't expecting the causeways to be such a large incline, but hill training covered that just fine. I also found the 0.5-mile stretch before the finish line an ample view of it. There wasn't tons of food at the end, but the cookies, fruit, water, and beer were plenty for me. I would definitely run this race again!
l. b. from V.B.florida (2/10/2010) "THE BEST ORANGES IN THE WORLD!!!" (about: 2010) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon & 1/2 Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my second half since October '09. I had a blast! Yahoo to all of the volunteers. Loved it!!
G. L. from Cincinnati, Ohio (2/10/2010) "Enjoyable small race; hope it improves as it grows" (about: 2010) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon & 1/2 Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 This is a smaller race. So you can't expect the atmosphere of Boston, but you don't have to deal with the cost or crowds of Boston either. This was my 4th marathon and I ran a 2:46, finishing second. I would recommend this marathon, but have realistic expectations. This is really more of a half marathon geared towards masters age group runners. Things they should change for next year: Clocks at all the mile marks. The awkward side street at mile 25. More loud music if you're calling yourself a music marathon. Get race posters and more free samples/goodies at the expo. Things they did right: Water stops and aid stations. Port-o-pots along the course (you can never have enough). Well marked course and volunteers at every turn. Medical tent and ice at the finish. And my favorite free beer! Overall, good time and it was good to head south for a winter race. I would expect this race to improve as it grows.
B. A. from Atlanta, GA (2/8/2010) "A little disappointed" (about: 2010) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Florida Marathon & 1/2 Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 My wife and I both ran in the 2010 half marathon. It was our first competitive half marathon and we chose this one based on numerous reviews in comparison to other half marathons on or around the same date. Both of us ran sub 2:00:00 total and sub 9:00 pace. Pros: Free parking just a couple of blocks from the start. Fairly easy to find your stride in the first quarter-mile with the congestion at the start. DJ and his speakers at the start. Plenty of water and Gatorade and a couple of nice aid stations along the way. Mostly flat course. Two climbs on the bridges. Cons: Not enough porta-johns. Huge, long lines before the start. Not many spectators. Immediate left turn out of the start caused even more crowding. Music was very sub-par. There were about two or three good bands out of what was advertised as "20 live bands!" The rest weren't even bands! There were some high school students playing a few instruments off of music stands, some different types of musicians with canned music out of loud speakers or soloists, and to pump you up for the finish there were a group of senior citizens playing a slow tune on their accordions a half-mile from the finish. We were begging for our iPods after the second "band." At the finish, it was very crowded, with not enough trash cans and a long line for the advertised massage. Scenery was ok, but not great. You only see the water crossing the bridges, really, and it is the intercoastal, not the open ocean. I was expecting a much more scenic route. We ran down a boring street the first half of the race and through some scenic neighborhoods in the second half. Overall, I would say that we enjoyed ourselves and we ran fast for us, but really were expecting much better organization. We'll be checking out several other races before we would even consider coming back to Melbourne.
P. D. from Satellite Beach (2/7/2010) "Still some rough spots to smooth out" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon & 1/2 Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 1. At the beginning, have more lanes available on Route 1 North; move the northbound traffic over to the turn lane. 2. Have more port-a-potties closer to the start line, and put up signs where they are!! After the race starts, move some of these around the course so that they can be used again. 3. My children (in their 30's) ran with me, and suggest better, larger, and more modern bands. 4. On the plus side, there were plenty of judges to help guide the runners and warn them of approaching bikes. 5. Another plus was the finisher's medal. It's handsome, and we all like each of ours very much. 6. My daughter registered the day before, and there were no envelopes available - just the hat and the chip and the bib, handed to us, loose. Somewhere we lost her chip on the way to green bags in the vendor area.
R. M. from Montgomery, Alabama (2/12/2009) "Wonderful get-away event!!!" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Florida Marathon & 1/2 Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I ran the half marathon and thought it was wonderful. The historic district of Melbourne is charming and the post-race party had a fabulous atmosphere. I love the host hotel and stayed over a day to enjoy the sun and the area. The expo was great for an event of that size - unfortunately I probably spent too much money. :) I felt a little sorry for the full marathoners alone on the second loop, as there weren't so many of them, but this event is competing with about a dozen in Florida in January and February for marathoners, so it's to be expected. The weather was perfect but it could have been much cooler or much warmer. That's Florida in February - a roll of the dice. I will certainly be back next year for either the half or the full. Kudos to the organizers for such a great first-time event. The small details, such as long lines for the porta-potties at the start, will surely be worked out as they get the event going.

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