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May 20, 2024

Cleveland Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Cleveland Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 3.9

Organization 3.9

Spectators 3.3

Number of comments: 295 [displaying comments 241 to 251]

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V. S. from Chicago, IL (5/24/2005) "Thumbs Up for the Cleveland Experience" (about: 2005) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Cleveland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I am a veteran marathon runner with experience in both large and small races. The Cleveland Marathon was nicely organized and well run. I was impressed with everything from the expo and the starting/finishing areas to the abundant volunteers and support provided. The crowd support was a bit light, but I'm not a runner who needs much crowd support as I tend to focus more on the course and task. The course is moderately challenging with some long rolling hills. One could potentially run a PR in Cleveland. However, it's important to plan appropriately for the early hills and those found between miles 23 and 25. My friends and I felt the finishing medal was one of the best we'd ever seen. The free Asics race shirt is excellent. Overall, this is a race I would definitely recommend for the marathon runner who's looking for a nice, orgranized, smaller race.
K. S. from Pittsburgh, Pa (5/24/2005) "Fun, beautiful course" (about: 2005) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Cleveland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I watched my sister and a friend run this one last year and was glad I wasn't running because the weather was wet, cold, and windy. I was so excited to hear that the day was changed to late May. The weather was beautiful, and the course was somewhat challenging, with rolling hills. No cars on the course makes for a big plus - the police did a great job controlling traffic. I passed one fluid station that had no fluid, and one that ran out of sports drink. There were not many spectators, but that is okay with me, as my family was able to get to several spots on the course. All in all, I had a great time and will definitely be back.
l. r. from Texas (5/23/2005) "Worth a second look." (about: 2005) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Cleveland Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I ran Cleveland a few years ago. It was an okay race back then: good enough organization, small number of runners, virtually no expo, not much finish line, ho-hum course. It has really changed! This is still a small- to medium-size marathon, but it packs more punch. The 10K is still there and is still a big draw. A half has been addded as well, which attracts more people. The course was changed so that it is hillier (not bad hills, but not flat either) and more challenging, but it is also more scenic. The expo is like that of a typical medium-size race, but was pretty crowded due to the health and beauty expo going on next door. But it was a huge improvement over the expo a few years ago. The race is still well organized. Seventeen water stops seemed like plenty to me, but some complained since they were not at predictable intervals. Not a lot of spectator support, but there were a few bands out. The finish line was vastly improved. There were plenty of drinks and snacks---even Twinkies. This is a solid late spring race. The course isn't too tough or too crowded, so it could be a PR course for many runners. Weather wasn't a concern this year (high fifties to mid-sixties), but the late May date could be a problem sometime in the future. If you haven't done this race in a while, it is worth another look. BTW: the Hilton had a complimentary marathon breakfast box of bagel, peanut butter, banana and water. It arrived the night before. Nice touch.
Julie Remke from Johnsburg, IL (5/23/2005) "Still a PR course, even with the hills" (about: 2005) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Cleveland Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I ran a PR by over two minutes. I used to live in Cleveland and never realized how hilly the Shoreway is. Despite that, my speed only dropped by about 10 seconds per mile when going uphill, but gained about 15 seconds when running down. The half-marathoners made it hard to keep pace as the tendency to run faster was there until they turned off after mile 12. Although it was nice to have the extra runners around since there are only 1,600 marathoners. Martin Luther King Blvd. was a blessing in disguise' the descent really helped me pick up the pace for the second half. We didn't have much of a wind to deal with this year, but I could imagine a stiff West wind would make for a tough miles 19-23. Well organized race and great expo!
J. L. from Youngstown, OH (5/23/2005) "This Keeps Getting Better & Better." (about: 2005) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Cleveland Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I?ve done the Cleveland Marathon in 2003 & 2004 & I have been mostly disappointed with it both years. I ran Cleveland those years for 2 reasons: it wasn't far away & it was cheap. The marathon date was changed this year to May instead of April - good decision, for the weather was comfortable instead of freezing cold. This year Cleveland added walking divisions along with a 1/2 marathon & my family & I decided to try the 1/2 marathon walk. Right away I noticed a difference. The expo was crowded but organized a lot better than last year. The shirts were nice quality with the race you were in on them (1/2, marathon, 10k). There was lots of parking at or near the start line. One good thing about this area of downtown: lots of parking garages. One problem popped up at the start line; they had something like 16 porta-potties for over 3000 runners & walkers. The course does have some hills, but what race doesn't? If hills are the price I pay for walking on completely closed roads, so be it. Some people whined that running on the shore-way means no (or at least fewer) spectators. If you need a lot of people yelling & shouting at you, try another marathon. Fluid stations were well stocked with both PowerAde & water, & mile markers usually had split times. A big problem was when you exited off the shore-way onto Edgewater Dr. You could see Lake Ave. & runners coming back. I saw 4 people cut over the grass & cheat - effectively cutting off 2 1/2 miles from the course. There needs to be someone watching that part of the course. The police this year were friendly & made sure to keep the roads cleared for you. I didn't notice the loop around the finish line as much this year. The medals are very nice with a little spinning guitar. The food was the usual after-marathon fare - fruit, beverages, chips, & bagels. Altogether, I really enjoyed this 1/2 marathon & I think the race is finally back on the right track.
K. H. from Pittsburgh, PA (5/23/2005) "well, it was 26.2 miles at least" (about: 2005) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Cleveland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I have to say, I was a bit disappointed in the Cleveland experience. There were a few beautiful stretches in the race (the park in particular), but the long stretches on the highways or next to the highways absolutely killed the atmosphere, and certainly made for a less enjoyable miles 20-25 in particular. I enjoyed the expo but race-day organization left something to be desired. I ran with one of the slower pace groups and twice in the first ten miles we hit water stops that had run out of drinks and/or cups. Now that is just not safe. The spectators basically weren't even there. I expect that on the long highway stretches, but especially on the back half, we were running through neighborhoods where our only interaction was with angry-looking drivers trying to cross the street. Oh well, it was 26.2 miles. I'm definitely proud and happy to have taken part. I just don't think the organizers or the people of the city really added much to the race.
C. R. from Cuyahoga County, Ohio (11/17/2004) "Okay race for local runners. " (about: 2004) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Cleveland Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 This race is okay for local runners but if I lived outside Cuyahoga County I wouldn't be enthused about getting to this one. What is good: - The streets are completely closed to automobile traffic. - The relatively small number of runners (1,400) enables the runner to not feel crowded during the first miles. - The last 2 miles are flat and run through the downtown streets. This is probably the best section of the course. What is not so good: - The new and supposedly improved course stays inside the city limits but now has added many hills that were not on the old out-and-back course. Cleveland was once a PR course but is no longer. Running within the borders of Cleveland and past the buildings is supposed to be less boring than the bland suburban out-and-back course. This possibly is true but Cleveland is unfortunately not very inspiring. With the motto "Cleveland Rocks And Runs," there would be a possibliity of having some bands alongs the course. I counted less than one band. There appeared to be a band on MLK but the rain storm caused the band to leave its stage area. - There were not many spectators on the old course but the new course seems to have even less people watching. Possibly the wet weather in 2004 was a factor. Several miles are run on an expressway and are inaccessible to spectators. This is a quiet part and is good for meditation or being along with your thoughts. - Some of the aid stations had 3 volunteers handing out water/Gatorade. This is an acceptable number for a minor-league marathon, but Cleveland should be able to generate a higher quality aid station. I will run Cleveland in 2005 only because there isn't a nearby, big-time alternative. Plus the entry fee is a rather inexpensive ($50 before January). This is less of a shock than the $95 for Boston.
C. L. from Raleigh, NC (11/8/2004) "Fantastic and Memorable race!" (about: 2004) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Cleveland Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I highly recommend the Cleveland Marathon, if you want a fun, flat, and well-organized marathon. We stayed in the Hampton Inn, which was very convenient to the marathon and expo... right across the street. It afforded us the opportunity to visit the expo several times before the race. The volunteers who worked the expo were friendly and helpful, and I really enjoyed the race director's talk about the course. I've been meaning to contact him and tell him job well done. I understand they changed the course this year, to allow it to be completely within city limits. This is my first Cleveland Marathon, and it ranks up there as one of my favorites. I loved everything about the race: The water and Powerade stops were plentiful, the volunteers were helpful, and the spectators were awesome, coming out to cheer us on enthusiastically on a wet, rainy day. It was a flat, interesting course, and we were able to run past many nice sights of the great city of Cleveland: the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, the Browns stadium, the Botanical Gardens, and much more. My favorite part of the race (besides the finish :-)) was at the halfway point, when we ran past a church choir, serenading us on the front steps of their church. Now that's spirit that helped me pull through the rest of the race! I highly recommend the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon to anyone, as I think they would all enjoy it.
Rob Prindle from Erie, PA (10/4/2004) "The New Course Rocks." (about: 2004) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Cleveland Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The new course was great and, with the exception of the dull bit on the Marginal Road, I enjoyed every step of it. From Browns Stadium to the West Side Market to Jacobs Field to Playhouse Square to the winding and exhilarating run down MLK, to the edge of the city and through the heart of the city - it was a fine run and I'm glad I did it. The route was mostly flat - no miles long climb out of a valley as there is in the Akron Marathon - and the few hills that there were just kept it all interesting. The volunteers were friendly and special thanks to them. I've often thought that it's probably harder standing there being cheerful and positive for hours than it is to run the race. Thanks to the organizers, too, for infusing the race with new life. I'm sure that next year they'll fix the few things that didn't work - like the plastic cups. I'm looking forward to running it again.
L. K. from Strongsville, OH (6/2/2004) "Much improved course. Still room for improvement." (about: 2004) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Cleveland Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I was a little skeptical of the new course, having run this race 18 previous times and used to every turn and nuance. It did not disappoint. They were forced to add a couple of hills, but in return you get to see many of the sights that helped to make Cleveland a major metropolis back before the rust belt days. Among the attractions are the new stadiums, the R&R hall of fame, the west side market, Playhouse Square, the lagoon and art museum, and a long down hill stretch down MLK Drive where there is still beautiful statuary and parks from the early part of the 20th century. Needed improvements: Paper water cups. Whoever decided to go with plastic hasn't run in too many races. Consistency in the order of e.r.g. drinks and water. Each water stop was different. A more imaginitive finish. The last couple of miles practically wound around in circles as a way of getting the mileage right.

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