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Rails to Trails Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Rails to Trails Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.5 
Organization 4.4 
Spectators 3.5
Number of comments: 62 [displaying comments 21 to 31]
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N. B. from Kansas City
(11/5/2012)
 "Great race great day" (about: 2012)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rails to Trails Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Course: I ran the half this year and the full last year. Both times the course was easy on my legs-better then trail races with rocks and roots and better then city races with the pounding your feet take on pavement-you can run it injury-free! The start for the half was too crowded, I didn't notice this when I ran the full-they should take advantage of the wide starting area-move it back some and funnel the first part or start in waves. The lights in the tunnel seem improved over last year-I brought a sub-par headlamp this year and relied on the tunnel lights-I know some slowed down here-I increased my speed in the tunnel. Spectators: They were fun and awesome again. Organization: Everyone in the community pitches in for this event and I'm guessing they grew this year and along with it there were a few glitches that will be adjusted as they become apparent. Most port-a-potties ran out of toilet paper before the start of the half marathon. Desserts are awesome and are all home-made! Grilled chicken after the race was great! Results were posted quickly at the race. | |
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Leonard Whitney from San Francisco, CA
(11/13/2011)
"Nice Small Town Race" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Rails to Trails Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was looking for a small town trail marathon on an easy course. It was such a small town, however,the nearest motels were a dozen miles away. I liked the laid-back atmosphere, the pre-race pasta feed, the scenic course and the cool, early-November weather. The course was very crowded the first couple of miles, but the runners spread out after that. If the race gets any bigger the organizers might consider starting the runners in waves. I have one complaint and that is about the tunnel. The first time through there were plenty of battery powered lights working. However I was one of the slower runners and on the return trip most of the lights had gone out and the flashlight they supplied went dead after a few minutes. The running surface in the tunnel was wet and uneven, and I ended up walking the whole .75 mile. Would it be asking too much for the organizers to supply flashlights with fresh batteries for us 5 hour plus runners? I will also say there were very few spectators, which wasn't a problem for me, but some runners wouldn't like it. The aid station volunteers were very enthusiastic and encouraging. | |
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N. B. from Kansas City
(11/11/2011)
"Small Town Big heart" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Course: It's said that this is crushed rock;but, it seemed to me that it was more like dirt-which was great, and easy on my feet. If it had rained this would have added a challenge to the course. Tunnel was fun and was a place that I gained time on many-recommend headset lamps. This is a potential PR course-you don't have to worry about crowding at the start and course etiquette was better then most. Organization: I enjoyed myself so much it didn't really seem to be much of a deal;but, the only thing I saw is that they could offer water or Gatorade consistently in the same order-each aid station required me to watch who was calling water and who was calling Gatorade-some races put them in a consistent order and there is one less thing you have to watch for. Spectators: Some folks were enthusiastic, others were complimentary, all were genuinely enjoyable. I enjoyed the volunteers so much in this event. From the retired ladies working in the kitchen to the knee-high tots handing out water-this was a community event that was special because of the people in the community. With a smile on my face I deal with the dilemma of trying to fit in other runs and still come back for this one. | |
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C. B. from Aurora, CO
(11/11/2011)
"awesome event" (about: 2011)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rails to Trails Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Rails To Trails was a perfect choice for my first full marathon. The event organization, small town atmosphere, hospitality of the volunteers, soft-surface trail, rural setting, and pre- and post-race meals all contributed to a very positive experience. Kudos to all who made the marathon such a success in 2011 and worthy of repeat participation in the future. The Strawberry Lace Inn Bed & Breakfast in Sparta was a top notch local lodging choice. | |
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N. B. from Germantown,WI
(11/10/2011)
"Favorite Marathon!!!!" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Rails to Trails Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is the only marathon I've done twice. I love this race because of the tunnel,the scenery, the people who put it on (the entire town) the food, and the great price. There are a good amount of aid stations,too. Fantastic race, highly recommended. | |
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T. N. from La Crescent MN US
(11/8/2011)
"Big marathon features w/ the small town charm." (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rails to Trails Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This marathon has all the essentials covered .. aid stations, great volunteers, nice shirts/medals/packet pickup/course etc. all the stuff you take for granted at the big events. Now add the one-of-a kind tunnel, post-race chicken que, raceday registration / packet pickup, and the small town charm I grew up with... and you've got a must-do marathon! A little brighter in the tunnel would be nice ... but then again, I did manage to 'find the light at the end of the tunnel' ... somebody had to say it. :) | |
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L. R. from Chicago, IL
(11/8/2011)
"A beautiful small trail marathon" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rails to Trails Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This race was great! I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did. I'm used to huge urban marathons like Chicago, MCM, and Boston. The fact that it was small and unassuming was wonderful. The dirt trail was nice to run on. The scenery was beautiful. And the people organizing were very friendly and competent. I would consider running it again. | |
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Claire Bush from Wisconsin
(11/8/2011)
 "Scenic route, great support, and a crazy tunnel!" (about: 2011)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Rails to Trails Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I LOVED this marathon! The course was beautiful and shaded from the wind. Few hills and great scenery made the entire 26.2miles exciting. The aid stations were well stocked with enthusiastic volunteers (especially ones with jell-o shots haha). The tunnel was incredible (need more flashlights tho), and I liked that the marathon started in the opposite direction and came back thru the start/finish! The stretch around the Half turn-around needs an aid station! I can't wait to do this one again! | |
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T. C. from Green Bay, WI
(11/8/2011)
"Well organized race." (about: 2011)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Rails to Trails Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my first small town race. Didn't know what to expect, but was well organized and started promptly at 9, as stated. There were few spectators, but the ones who were there were uplifting and cheerful! The trail was scenic and the tunnel was very neat. Although lit nicely on the way out, most of the propane lights were burnt out by the way back through and most of the flashlights weren't working, but still neat! The water stops were nice, but seemed far apart after the tunnel (until the turn around). The volunteers were great and friendly and parking was easy and close. The showers were accommodating too, since our hotel was far away. | |
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P. H. from Illinois
(11/8/2011)
"What a great great run." (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Rails to Trails Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 What a cool race! The town of Norwalk does a great job of organizing and running this event. The course is out and back, and while I thought this may be tough on the path it was not at all. The tunnel was absolutely beautiful with granite walls and water flowing down the sides. The rest of the trail was incredible too as it transformed from being in a valley to being high above valleys on each side. There are a couple of long but pretty gentle hills. The volunteers were friendly and there was plenty of water and sports drink at every stop. Getting to the race was completely hassle free. |
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