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May 6, 2024

Gansett Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.3

Organization 4.9

Spectators 3.8

Number of comments: 35 [displaying comments 21 to 31]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 > ]

J. W. from Ames, Iowa (4/21/2010) "A unique niche for a terrific new race" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Gansett Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This is a low-key but superbly organized event unlike any other on the race calendar, held as it is in a rural location through rolling terrain that includes forests, sod farms, other agriculture, and residential areas. All aspects of what really matters were flawlessly achieved, including packet pick-up (with great shirts that have a couple of cows and "Exeter Marathon 2010" on them, without the all-too-common billboard effect of multiple sponsor names), course measurement - the RD is a physicist! - on-course fuel and liquid, course markings, and a fantastic home-spun buffet at the end inside the little ski-lodge. What a fantastic inaugural effort from top to bottom!
C. L. from Exeter, NH (4/21/2010) "Alternative Qualifier" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Gansett Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I really enjoyed the inaugural Exeter Marathon. Most of the course was on beautiful New England country roads through residential areas and along some open fields with plenty of rolling hills. It was an out-and-back course with about 5 miles each way along busy Route 2, but there were wide, paved shoulders marked with orange traffic cones to warn motorists. Aid stations were abundant, and road guards with flags manned every turn and busy intersection. It was obvious that all of the volunteers were runners themselves. Since I am partial to small, low-key races, I was pleased to be qualified to run the inaugural Exeter Marathon as an alternative to Boston. And while I missed re-qualifying for 2011 Exeter by one minute, I still qualified for Boston next year! Congratulations to Race Director Mike and all of the awesome volunteers (who were also the spectators)!
J. H. from New York, NY (4/20/2010) "Excellent from start to finish and all in between!" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The race had a quality that the Majors could never duplicate.The volunteers were fabulous and so supportive. The course, beautiful. Now we have another great race to strive for. You did an awesome job, Mike! Thank you, and keep the quals!
Dennis Frisby from Chicago area (4/20/2010) "The Start of Something Great" (about: 2010) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Gansett Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Congratulations to the race director for putting on a first-class event on the first try. There were 60 runners registered for this race and it seemed like there were twice as many volunteers. They were a wonderful, supportive and smiling group of individuals who looked like they enjoyed being out in the misty, 40-degree rain. Thank you to all of you. The course was rolling hills (but fast) through neighborhoods and along a highway. No streets shut down and we ran on the shoulder where necessary. The turns were clearly designated by volunteers with large orange flags. The mile markers were large and visible. The water stations were properly staffed and appropriately spaced. The indoor facilities at the start allowed us to get in out of the rain. The first Boston Marathon, on April 19, 1897, had a 15-member starting field with a winning time of 2:55:10. Exeter had 54 finishers with a winning time of 2:21:44. This could be the start of something great. I enjoyed running the first Exeter Marathon very much. Thank you, Race Director Mike.
K. T. from New England (4/20/2010) "Well Organized Marathon. Quick and Fun." (about: 2010) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Gansett Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was a small race in 2010. Only around 60 people finished the race. However, it was a good alternative after missing the opening to Boston. I had run the Marine Corp Marathon in October and didn't have enough time to decide to run Boston. The course consisted of a lot of rolling hills, but nothing steep.
D. C. from New York City (4/19/2010) "The biggest smallest race" (about: 2010) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Gansett Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I loved this race. The course had the right amount of variation to keep your legs working different muscles and to keep your brain from getting bored. Some of the out-and-back turns were just a touch too sharp for my personal taste. There were rolling hills that weren't monsters but enough to notice. Overall the course is fast. The organization was incredible. Mike, the director, is extremely attentive to the needs of runners. He was very deliberate about keeping all of us racers informed about the course and all things race related in the weeks, days, leading up to race time. The volunteers were my favorite part. There was absolutely no way I could miss a turn or even pause to question where to go. There was no danger of missing something due to zoning out because all the volunteers, every single last one of them, cheered for the runners. There were plenty of aid stations and gels. There were volunteers with smiles and words of encouragement pretty much every other mile. You don't need large crowds cheering your name. You just need one person to meet your eye and say, "You're looking strong! GO!" It's a great race for challenging yourself. It is small and rather elite because of the qualification times. It was a great experience to run with (or rather, for me, chase after) such fast people. It felt good because it is a big deal to qualify for Boston, so when it closed out, I was disappointed. This race was able to completely capture how big of a deal it is to have worked so hard to get your time down to Boston standards. It is the smallest race I've ever been in but it was definitely my biggest accomplishment marathon-wise. This marathon has got a lot of heart. You don't need the fanfare and hype of a huge marathon with thousands to be your best. This small race will bring out the best in you because you will be surrounded by the best. Absolutely. I missed out on Boston this year, but instead I PR'ed and got to snarf down bananas and HOMEMADE chocolate chip cookies at the finish. I will definitely run this marathon again sometime.
M. B. from MAINE,USA (4/19/2010) "Oustanding experience, SUPER VOLUNTEERS" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Gansett Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I hadn't planned on running a spring marathon after missing the qualifying date for Boston 2010. I read about this one in Runner's World and thought, "Why not?" I am really glad I did it. I received much more information about when, what, where than most of the other marathons I have run. Any changes, to the course or otherwise, were quickly emailed to me. Everyone involved with this race was friendly and helpful. ALL intersections had a volunteer to guide the way, and everyone was happy (even in the rain). The race is fair but still challenging. When you show up at the start, you see this big hill and think, "Oh no," but Mike was nice. You don't have to run up it. This race has a lot of potential to become a must-do race.The first was super and it will be fun to see how it grows. And the qualifying times... well, if you don't have a challenge, even against yourself, how do you improve? This gives us another challenge to strive for, and it was fun. Hope to see you there in 2011.
S. J. from NS Canada (4/19/2010) "WOW! What a great race, and a personal PB!" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Gansett Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Wow... great race and a great course!
M. A. from Hopewell Junction, New York (4/19/2010) "Intimate, organized, unique, competitive, fast" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Gansett Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was by far the best small marathon I have run. Though there were only few dozen spectators, they were phenomenally dedicated. They followed me along the course, and seemed to be personally interested in my success. The race director did an excellent job of organizing and providing everything that was needed on time. He really took advantage of all of the benefits a small marathon has to offer. I think everyone got to park their car a quarter-mile from the start and 0.05 miles from the finish. That was really awesome. The $40 entry fee was right on the money. I had no problem finding a room ($130) the day before and got a late checkout so I could take a shower after the race. I could see the starting line and it took less than a second to cross it from where I started. I don't like seeing people left out, but the qualifying times make this a unique marathon. The competition was incredible, especially when you consider that the winner finished in 2:21, 20% of the entrants finished in under 3 hours, I'd guess most if not all finishers qualified for Boston 2011, and a significant percentage probably also qualified for a guaranteed entry at NYC in 2011. I didn't PR on this course, but I probably could. It's not flat, but no hill was much more than a quarter-mile long and no grade was more than 2%. It would be foolish to compare this to Boston (and I will run that again some year), but for a competitive marathon runner, this was a nice change.
M. T. from Washington DC (4/19/2010) "Fantastic retro race" (about: 2010) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Gansett Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was a truly old-school race in the best way. Runners were friendly, super supportive of each other and serious about their sport. The race director welcomed every runner individually and volunteers were totally on the ball at every turn and aid station. Their encouragement of runners clearly came with knowledge of what running a marathon takes. They were almost the only spectators, but sometimes quality is more rewarding than quantity. Other supporters drove by in cars, whooping and hollering and bringing a smile to my face when the going was tough along the main road. Awards after were short and sweet, with almost every participant sticking around to applaud the winners and swap stories. The course was pleasantly remote and rolling with gentle slopes. Off the main road were some charming stone-fenced properties, green farm fields, and a lovely stream at the turn-around. Markings were clear and spot on for distance, which is not always the case in small races. The qualifying standards make this a special race, and its location and timing make visiting Boston on Marathon weekend a pleasant diversion. Running Exeter and Boston would certainly be possible for those with the legs and heart. Bravo to the director for this innovative idea.

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