May 3, 2024
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☰
Sunburst Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Sunburst Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.7 
Organization 4.1 
Spectators 2.9
Number of comments: 197 [displaying comments 51 to 61]
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J. D. from Culver City, CA
(7/21/2009)
 "Great race. Challenging!" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Sunburst Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I really liked this race. It was my tenth state (going for all 50!). There was a lot of exposure to the sun as we went out toward the turn around, across the river. It wasn't too hot really, but wear a hat for sure. There was plenty of water and volunteers. I didn't really like finishing with the half marathoners too much as it takes away from my full marathon accomplishment, but there was a good division (not in each others way) between the full and half racers thanks to the race organizers. Good challenging race! | |
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J. E. from Columbus, OH
(6/22/2009)
"Nice Flat; Well Organized; Few Improvements Needed" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Sunburst Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 First off, I will say that this marathon does the important things right. Everything was very organized and easy to follow, and all aid stations were well stocked. The course was a bit wonky, but it was clear where you had to go. The finish was amazing and the reason why I ran the marathon. Nice shirt! Overall, it was great but here are a few minuses for me: 1. The one part in the course where you merged with the 5K/10K runners for a few hundred yards. That needs to be redone. I can definitely see some poor runner getting caught up in the herd and ruining their race. 2. The medals... seriously? This was just a weak attempt. 3. The finish where you had to weave in between slower runners. I've seen this handled so much better in other races. Post-race area really needs to separate the marathoners from other racers. I found it frustrating to wait in line for water and refreshment. | |
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R. J. from Nashville, TN
(6/15/2009)
"Great Small Marathon" (about: 2009)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Sunburst Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 If you like small, well supported marathons, then this one's for you. I made a week-of decision to drive up from Nashville because the weather reports were very favorable. I was able to park (free) one block from the expo. I walked right up and registered with no problems whatsoever. I stayed at the Morris Inn right on Notre Dame's campus for a rate that was less than what the hotels downtown were asking. It was a 4-minute walk from the finish line, and checkout was noon - not 11 a.m. like the host hotels downtown. The course was a little funky (with the merges and turnarounds), but it was well monitored and I had no trouble staying on track. I loved that, with the small number of marathon runners, you could make great time by hitting all of the tangents. I PR'ed by 3 minutes and BQ'ed, so it was a great race as far as I was concerned. There were more than enough water stops. As has been written previously, there's a lot of running on concrete, brick streets and bad asphalt, but this is a nitpicky thing to mention. The course had a lot of downhill grades, so I welcomed what few hills there were. My only criticisms are minor: mile marker 23 was off, and the merging at the end with walkers meant doing some zig-zagging. I would highly recommend this race and commend the racing staff for putting on a great event. If you need a lot of crowd support, this isn't one you'll like. But if you want a great race experience from start to finish (and yes, it started right on time), Sunburst will not disappoint you. | |
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R. W. from Grand Rapids, MI
(6/14/2009)
 "Well organized, small race; ok food/scenery." (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Sunburst Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon. I give four stars for the course. It is nice to run along the river - scenic, flat, but no off-the-charts views. They do well with what South Bend has. Five stars for organization. This race also has relatively large 5K and 1/2 - and it's good that they include so many in the race. Lots of water/energy drink, lots of GU, some bananas, and lots of Vaseline. There was nothing special at the finish - Popsicles and fruit - but there was plenty to around. The football field finish is nice, but overrated in my opinion. Spectators get four stars; they're actually great. But at 6 a.m., what do you expect? It's a small town and they are out there, but this is not a big city with tons of people out there. Expect it to be warm. I went in expecting very good conditions. It started in the mid 50's, but it ended in the 70's and people suffered from the heat. Overall, fun - but I don't see myself driving down again. | |
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Rick Casey from Mandeville, LA
(6/12/2009)
"Very enjoyable small marathon" (about: 2009)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Sunburst Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my 2nd marathon (the 1st: Mardi Gras in New Orleans). Being from Louisiana, this felt fairly hilly, but it was scenic. The event was very well organized. There was no lack of fluid stations. I felt it was quite scenic running along the river - even the loops through the local neighborhoods. Crowd support was limited, but perfectly fine for me (crowds can be distracting). The only downsides for the course were two turnarounds (one in a parking lot and the other in the middle of a sidewalk!!) and having to cross a road packed with 5K runners around the 11 mile-mark. There were two out-and-back loops, but this was clearly explained on the website. | |
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J. E. from Minneapolis, Minnesota
(6/12/2009)
 "Great, Small Marathon" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 Pre-Race: Director was great. Due to snafus, I had a number of questions. She always emailed back within a day. The packet pick up went smoothly. There were more than enough porta-potties in the starting area. Due to the nice weather, I didn't need it, but there was an inside area to stretch and relax in before the race. Course: The early 6:00 a.m. start time is great; you finish well before any hot weather. The start was a nice change. Most marathons I have run do not have adequate space at the start of a race. Usually you are running the first few miles trying not to step on someone's shoes, or be stepped on by someone running up your back. The water/Gatorade/GU stations were well spaced and stocked. At two stations they handed out cold mini-towels; that was a nice touch. Volunteers did a great job. A large part of the course is run along the St. Joseph River, which very scenic. It is a flat course, with the exception of a hill at about mile 25 that came up at the wrong time. Other than that, there are just mild ups and downs. There were a couple of hairpin turn (really - they were to turn you around so that you could head back the way you came), and some merging with the 5K runners and walkers, which I think the organizers could improve on. There were no pace groups either, and that was kind of a bummer. Very few, if any, people along the way cheering you on. I have run seven marathons; this was probably the fewest people along the course. The number of marathoners was about 650 so parts of the course you were with only a few runners. The last mile or so was a little chaotic; there were marathoners with 5k and walkers. I was trying to finish strong, which meant zigzagging around the walkers. With that being said, the running through Notre Dame Stadium at the end was a highlight. Overall the course was better that most. Post-Race: This was one of the best set-ups for food and drink. The Gatorade and water stands at the finish were well stocked, and there was no line. They had stations inside and outside the stadium, with both food and drink. There were buses to shuttle you back to the start. I finished at about 9:30 a.m., and the line was not long at all. The medal was ok - nothing to write home about. The tech shirt is high quality. I would highly recommend this marathon. | |
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T. S. from Chicago, IL
(6/11/2009)
"It was like my own private race. Small but nice!" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Sunburst Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I knew going into this marathon that it would be small in comparison to Chicago, so I didn't let my pace reflect the lack of runners around me. This race was extremely well organized. A huge "thank you" to all of those who stayed until the very last runner passed their station! | |
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D. W. from Indianapolis, Indiana
(6/11/2009)
 "Lots of concrete, no spectators" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Sunburst Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I usually run the Chicago Marathon in the fall. I probably won't run this one again. About 50% of it was on concrete. Pretty course, but hard on the joints. NO spectators. And hills throughout. The treat stations were well stocked, which was good. I liked the cold, wet towels that they gave out. But overall, I'm not doing this again. | |
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L. E. from St Joseph MI
(6/10/2009)
"I ran the half-marathon" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Nice, smallish race - not many spectators. I have some lingering injuries, so I thought I should just stick with the half. More aid stations were necessary, but that's not a bad thing, especially considering how hot it got. Tech shirts are nice, but huge in size for a female. Would have been nice if there were more course marshaling between the merge and the end to make sure walkers kept over to their side of the course. Most kept over, but I came across a few groups that were well over into the runners' route, which was a bit hazardous. A very enjoyable race, all in all. | |
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T. H. from Chicago area
(6/9/2009)
"Well run, nice, small race; great support!" (about: 2009)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The course had a few spots where you could tell that they were trying to add a bit here and there, but most were nice. The river area was pretty. Organization was great and there were volunteers and medical support at every turn. Water, water everywhere. Not a lot of spectators, but all were enthusiastic and encouraging. |
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