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Apr 29, 2024

ONU Polar Bear Indoor Marathon Runner Comments

Back to ONU Polar Bear Indoor Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.2

Organization 4.6

Spectators 4.5

Number of comments: 21 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

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T. B. from San Francisco (2/3/2012) "A Memorable Marathon Experience!" (about: 2012) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 ONU Polar Bear Indoor Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I won't be adding much that hasn't been said by others, but wanted everyone to know that all the previous positive comments are still true: if not even better this year! The track is wonderful for those of us use to asphalt and cement (or roots and rocks)and my fears of boredom and confusion were quickly put to rest. The shirt is gorgeous (long-sleeved, tech fabric, good design, zero ads), the finisher medal unique, and everything about the event compares favorably to those with huge budgets, large staff, and many years of experience. The people are helpful and friendly (Thanks Richard and Jeffrey, my terrific counters and cheering squad), the facility is top-notch, and the race itself is one of my favorites (out of 155 I have completed). Don't deny yourself the experience of staying at The Inn at Ohio Northern, which is first-rate!
Rush Wickes from Columbus, GA (2/5/2011) "Different sort of race, but interesting." (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 ONU Polar Bear Indoor Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This marathon takes place during the middle of cold Ohio winters in the tiny college town of Ada; however, the race was held in wonderful conditions of 58 degrees with zero humidity or precipitation. The indoor track was comfortable on the feet and it never seemed boring. The race organizers did a good job with providing food the night before and runners were invited to set up their own aid tables around the track. Members of the cross country team served as our lap counters and they also cheered us on during the race. The only complaint I have about the race were that there was no indication as to standings during the race. Runners were told their lap times, but it was frustrating to be near the leader and have no idea how much gap existed until after they finished. In all, it was a good time. Definitely one you should consider.
B. N. from Mount Vernon, Ohio (2/1/2011) "Great indoor marathon" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 ONU Polar Bear Indoor Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was a first for me - an indoor marathon. I was impressed from start to finish. The pasta dinner was on the infield the night before the race with a nice, catered meal. By the next morning the indoor track was filled with college athletes there to count laps. There was a lot of energy and enthusiasm. The laps clicked off fast and we changed directions every half hour. I was not bored. My legs felt good, except for moderate quad soreness the next day. It felt great to me running in a t-shirt and shorts in January. The 2 college track athletes (Richard and Joann) took turns pacing with me during the last 10 miles. They were great. It was a very nice overall experience for anyone wanting to try an indoor marathon.
R. W. from Georgia (2/1/2011) "Nice, small, indoor marathon" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 ONU Polar Bear Indoor Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This race is held in the small, western, Ohio, college town of Ada in the King Horn Sports Center on the campus of Ohio Northern University. It is held to benefit the cross-country programs there. The members of the team pair up to serve as lap counters for each runner. You will be doing a lot of laps - 211 of them around the soft, wide indoor track. Fortunately, the direction changes every 30 minutes, so it is easy on the IT bands. One problem that became apparent with the race, there wasn't any communication from the lap counters with each other, so leaders were unsure of where exactly their lap position was in the standings of the overall race. The race director recognizes the issue and steps will be taken to address that for next year. The packet pickup was easy on Saturday night and a nice Italian cuisine was provided to runners right in the center of the course (track). For swag we got a nice Brooks technical shirt, gloves and Asics arm warmers. (Didn't need these the following morning, as the course environment was a constant and controlled 58 degrees.) One end of the building had the garage door opened up a bit to allow for additional ventilation. The camaraderie among the runners was quite friendly. Not many spectators (perhaps 50) were present, but the race was broadcast via webcast for all to see. One can stay for a discounted rate at the nearby Inn at Ohio Northern University, which was a very comfortable hotel. Nearest major airport is Columbus (CMH) about 85 miles to the southeast. It was an easy drive up to Ada. The winter outside in western Ohio can be frightful, but the conditions at the Polar Bear Marathon were delightful. It's one to consider should you find yourself frozen out of a slot at another indoor marathon at this time of year.
C. W. from Cincinnati (1/31/2011) "not as tedious as expected" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 ONU Polar Bear Indoor Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my fifth marathon in as many months and I did not know what to expect running in circles the whole time, but it was not nearly as bad as anticipated. The ONU runners were great; each made a sign for the runner they were counting laps for, and were cheering every lap. Even if you were not their runner, they still knew your name and cheered you on. Many of the ONU kids jumped in and ran laps after the midway point of the marathon, which helped to pass the time very well. The pasta dinner was good, and we actually were given useful things in our swag bad (i.e., arm warmers and gloves) and more importantly, NO ADVERTISEMENTS! it was nice not to have to flip through all the the dozens of flyers to see if there was anything useful just to realize that there wasn't. Boredom was not an issue, as music was playing the entire time and we were asked to submit songs we would like to hear played several weeks ahead of time.
P. C. from Columbus, Ohio, USA (1/30/2011) "2011 Event Even Better than 2010!" (about: 2011) 50+ previous marathons \| 2 ONU Polar Bear Indoor Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I know that 211 laps around a track indoors can sound intimidating and boring. But not at this event. Fantastic winter run on the beautiful campus of Ohio Northern University inside the field house. What makes this event great are the people who manage it, the students from the cross-country and track teams that count laps and encourage the runners, and the other runners on the track. Stay at the Inn at Ohio Northern University for an outstanding addition to the event. For runners by runners!
Tamara Smith from Cincinnati, OH (2/28/2010) "Nicely done! Lots of fun! Great little run!" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 ONU Polar Bear Indoor Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The race directors and all of the volunteers from the ONU track and cross-country teams did a wonderful job on this inaugural event. The other comments covered the main points nicely, but I'll add my bit: It was well organized, pre-race communication great. The pasta dinner was at the indoor track, along with packet pick-up, and was included in the cost of the event. The goody bag had really nice goodies (hat and gloves in addition to the tech tee). The volunteers were FANTASTIC. I really appreciated my assigned counters, Tabitha and Amy, who stayed the whole time to count my laps - and did one lap with me after every mile finished. They were very cheerful and supportive! The volunteers were supportive of everyone - my smile muscles ached from smiling so much! The set up for fluids worked very well, with tables that surrounded much of the track. And the race directors provided more goodies than I expected. The music throughout was great. The electronic message board was also a nice touch, as was the webcam - a couple of my friends actually took the time to watch me! Changing directions every 30 minutes worked well to avoid any knee problems. All in all, very well done!!
C. S. from Springfield, Illinois USA (2/2/2010) "Somehow, 210 laps on a track stayed interesting!!" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 ONU Polar Bear Indoor Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 If you're planning to try an indoor marathon, this is the one to start with. From the pre-race dinner (on the track!) to the lodging at the ONU hotel, to the "inspirational" messages on the scoreboard, this was first class. When I arrived at the fieldhouse on race day, I was greeted by two members on the track team (Nic and Nic) who advised me that they would be my scorers for the race. They kept track of my laps, gave me my times, and encouraged me for the entire 210 laps. One of them ran a few laps with me. There were quite a few students in the infield providing support for all the runners for the entire race. Each runner set up his personal aid station at tables around the track, which was excellent. Music was played for the entire time, and the temperature in the field house was kept in the mid 50s. My concern had been that boredom would set in, but it never did. There was enough activity, encouragement and interaction to keep it interesting. My finishing time was very similar to what I run in good weather on reasonably flat courses. I would recommend those looking for some late January marathoning to try this one.
d. d. from ohio (2/1/2010) "No cold-weather blues but lots of laps" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 ONU Polar Bear Indoor Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 ONU is a first-class facility with a nice, soft surface on the indoor track. The track was not crowded and we had plenty of supplies. The free dinner was nice; the on-campus hotel was close and also very nice; the track team and staff was well organized, helpful and very energetic in their support of the runners; and reversing direction every 30 minutes helped a lot to limit the muscle fatigue from the 210 laps. Special thanks to my lap counters, A and K. You rock!
L. D. from Akron, OH (2/1/2010) "Fun, Unique Event - Must-Run!" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 ONU Polar Bear Indoor Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Kudos to RDs Brian, Jason and Regina for putting on a nearly perfect event. Yes, it is 210 laps, but once you get by that fact, it is an extremely well run and wonderfully fun event. Quite a novel concept: The goody bag actually had goodies in it (long-sleeve tech shirt, gloves, hat, gels) - not just advertising brochures as at other races. Good attention to detail by the officials. There were numerous tables spread throughout the track where runners could pick up a water bottle and place it another table; there was music playing the entire time; there was a live webcast during the event; there was great pre-race communication; etc. Believe it or not, boredom was never an issue (at least not any more than at a "traditional" marathon). My main worry about this event was not boredom, but how would my knees/ankles/hips hold out (I searched reviews of other indoor marathons, and nobody commented)? Other than a little hip pain during the race, everything was fine. Based on how I feel 24 hours later, I would expect that I might need an extra day to recover (quads are hurting more than normal), but all of the joints feel good. One word of advice: bring cough drops or candy with you. The humidity level is low inside the sports center, and I found myself with a dry, raspy throat during the run (not sure if anybody else experienced this or not). Lastly, a heartfelt "thank you" to the fine men and women of the ONU cross-country teams for their support during the race. They counted every lap, came out and ran with the runners, and cheered everybody on for each and every of the 210 laps, despite returning from a meet in the early morning hours. Thank you all so much. If you are on the fence about running an indoor marathon, give it a try and you will be glad you did.

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