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May 10, 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 61 to 71]

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J. A. from Hershey, PA (5/20/2011) "Good Marathon that is close to being Great!" (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Cleveland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 They opened the stadium so plenty of bathrooms, the start was right at the back (they need to limit non-participants in this area, I had to walk in ankle deep mud because they were clogging the sidewalks). First half of the course was nice and comfortable even with the 1/2 marathoners on the course. The second half was nice also, but it started to get crazy with a turn every block for the last 4 miles, it seemed like you were going in circles. The water stations were well staffed and there were plenty of supplies (porta potties need to be a block after the water stations, not at the beginning so the lines clog the runners getting to the fluids). Fans were awesome, the weather was horrible and they stayed to the bitter end, in fact I hope the one lady who was biking and holding up signs found that date she was looking for over the last 8 miles! Drew Carey would have been proud of everybody for the effort put out on Sunday!
C. B. from Columbia, Missouri (5/20/2011) "Enjoyable Marathon" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Cleveland Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Pros: -The course was flat and fast. It hit all the Cleveland landmarks and included a nice stretch along Lake Erie. There were a few potholes along the course, but thats typical for any northern/Midwestern city. The finishing stretch near the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame was a great way to end it -Opening the concourses of Browns Stadium pre-race was fantastic. Short restroom lines and cover from the rain -Aid stations were well stocked and volunteers were plentiful along the course -The expo had plenty of vendors and kept me occupied for a few hours -Great finishers medal Cons: -Please corral the start line next year. Nothing is more aggravating than dodging slow runners and walkers for the first mile. Note to Clevelanders: If you plan on walking, please don't line up in front of the 3:40 pace group. -Way too much traffic near the finish line. I heard the race announcer ask spectators and finishers several times to clear the roadway -Fan support was less than expected, but I will attribute that to the poor weather Overall, Cleveland was a pleasant experience and I would definitely recommend. It is only a few small tweaks away from becoming a great race.
5. S. from Virginia (5/19/2011) "Overall, a very good race" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Cleveland Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I ran the 2011 Cleveland Marathon and had good race. The course is truly flat or downhill with just a few uphills. The start at Cleveland Browns Stadium was a bit congested, but it opened up as the race progressed. There were, however, a few problems with the organization. First, there are long stretches after mile 18 or so where there didn't seem to be any volunteers, etc. They just had a mile marker standing there, but no one else nearby. The other thing is the ribbon on the finisher's medal had the 2010 Cleveland Marathon emblem on it. This isn't the organizer's fault (I guess) and has no effect on the run, but just sloppy. Especially, if the medals are important to you! Oh, I finished in 4:16 and they'd run out of Mylar blankets. It was actually a cold, rainy day, so I was really looking for that heat-shield! There was plenty of food and drink at the end, so no issues there. Being able to use the bathrooms in the stadium as opposed to porta-potties was a huge plus! Overall, I would recommend this race to all marathoners!
B. P. from WV (5/19/2011) "A great run!" (about: 2011) 2 previous marathons \| 2 Cleveland Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This is my second Cleveland Marathon and my second marathon. I thought the run was very much improved; they took away a lot of the uphill run on the second half of the run this year. The fan support on the second half was not great but neither was the weather. The only negative was the porta-john problem: there's always a long line.
R. K. from Pennsylvania (5/19/2011) "Great race experience, highly recommended!" (about: 2011) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Cleveland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was only my second marathon and first Cleveland. The expo was good and packet pick-up was a breeze (I arrived Saturday afternoon). The only issue here is that they ran out of pins for the bibs. Race morning went ok. The website indicated that runners should be downtown before 6 a.m. because roads would be closed. I arrived downtown at about 5:15 a.m. and the roads were already blockaded. After moving a few pylons, I was able to park very close for $10. The start is just outside Browns stadium so there were plenty of bathrooms (lines weren't too long). The race itself was great. Aid stations were well run and seemed to occur about every 2 miles. The finishing area was great with lots of support and grub. Overall, a great time, and a race I will do again in the future and highly recommend.
P. L. from Toronto, Canada (5/18/2011) "Great Course" (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Cleveland Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Loved the course! Some beautiful mixture of residential, downtown core, green space and waterfront. Scenic!! Unfortunately, no corals meant a mixture of slower runners in front with the faster pace runners. Medals were fabulous. Weather was awful this weekend. Rained pretty much all weekend and was very cool and windy. Improvements could be made for the start line with corals and the finish line approach needed more closing to spectators. The Toronto Waterfront Marathon is a good example of what is needed. Not sure if I would run this race again.
J. G. from Cleveland, OH (5/17/2011) "Fantastic Race" (about: 2011) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Cleveland Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Cleveland put on another fantastic medium sized marathon this year. There were just over 2600 finishers in 2011, with over 6000 half runner as well. The weather threatened to be bad but then cooperated - the rain held for most of the morning and 55 degrees made for great running weather! The city really put a huge amount of effort into the race and made it a wonderful event. Great volunteer support, two gel stops for the full (there was only one when I ran MCM last October), and lots of fans too. The best fan areas were in Ohio City, along Euclid, and near the half split off. I was so impressed at how many fans came out to cheer despite the chilly weather! The finish was fantastic too - tons of food and so many fans. One other thing that I was so impressed with - the city opened up Brown's stadium for the bag check/massage area. It was so amazing to be able to hang out indoors in a heated room for the 45 minutes before lining up and then again while stretching/eating after the race. I've never seen a city do this before and I think it was an amazing touch.
V. B. from Ontario, Canada (5/17/2011) "Cleveland 2011" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Cleveland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 My friends and I chose Cleveland because we wanted to run a spring marathon and it was only a 3 hour drive away. While I really wanted to like this race, there were, in my mind, major problems. The positives: - very nice finisher medal (although the ribbon on mine says 2010... but the medal has the correct date) - the course isn't as hilly as I thought, and the rolling hills were challenging enough but not steep - the Hyatt was a good deal - glad to see the bathrooms at the football stadium were open before the race The negatives: - lots of potholes to contend with - the starting corral was simply too narrow. We had to stand on the muddy wet grass.. - why were there WALKERS starting ahead of me?! - the first few miles of the course is extremely narrow. I expected to have to weave and bob for the first couple of miles but at mile 5, there was still a lot of runner congestion The really negatives: - no mylar blankets at the end! I finished in 4:20 (gun time) and there were NO blankets available. I was shivering and soaked in my short sleeves when I found out from a spectator that some blankets had been given to NON RUNNERS. Seriously?! So my friends and I were left to find our own way to stay dry and warm after running 4+ hours.. - I almost had 2 accidents with cars. I RAN INTO one car, as did the runner next to me. I had to put my hands out onto the car to stop my momentum. The 2nd incident was a couple of miles later, where I managed to not hit the car this time. The people hired to control traffic were not doing their job very well. Having to come to a complete dead stop in the middle of a marathon, to let cars through the intersection, is not something I signed up for. I could overlook the negatives, but the 2 major problems need to be addressed.
J. B. from Las Vegas, NV (5/16/2011) "A Good Spring Marathon" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Cleveland Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The Cleveland Marathon was my 8th marathon and even though I did not PR, I enjoyed the overall race experience. The Positives: The course was pretty flat with some rolling hills thrown in. Visually, I thought the areas/neighborhoods we ran through were pretty nice. The water stations were well stocked with water and Poweraid and the volunteers were great. Negatives: Not much to complain about other than the final mile to the finish. I thought the steep uphill at mile 25 was a bit sadistic and the sharp turn to the finish line could be revised. I prefer to see the finish line at least 1/4 mile away. The spectators were slim after mile 13. However, the weather turned on the back 13, so the spectators could have fled. Overall, I would give the race a 4 out 5.
D. R. from Cincinnati, OH (5/16/2011) "Nice marathon." (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 4-5 Cleveland Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Really nice marathon that is growing every year. This is the fourth consecutive year that I have run this marathon. Pros: - Spinning guitar medal - Technical shirt with women's sizing. - Good pasta dinner right at the hotel (Hyatt at the Arcade...THE place to stay as they provide a 3:00 p.m. checkout and runner breakfast box) - Well supported race with plenty of powerade, gels and water. - Friendly volunteers - Enthusiastic fans - Convenient shuttle to the expo (since this year the expo was about 12 miles from the hotel...usually it is within walking distance...it was great that shuttles were provided...I used these and they were really convenient) - expo was nice...very easy to get the packet Cons: - Event is growing every year so may be a good idea of corral and wave start for less congestion

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