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May 2, 2024

Ann Arbor Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Ann Arbor Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 3.3

Organization 3.5

Spectators 3.4

Number of comments: 36 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 > ]

c. p. from south (6/13/2013) "Ummm, no" (about: 2013) 2 previous marathons COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 1 I ran the half for this one, just to be clear. This was a challenging course.. lots of flat places but the hills were actually pretty sharp, especially the 'trail' portion. That section was pretty ridiculous. The thing that got me was the absolutely horrible road conditions. I mean, you couldn't even look up to see where you were going due to all the erratic paving, potholes, and unlevel roads! I've never seen anything like it. As a result, I know of, and heard tell of many more, people who went off course because they missed the ONE tiny sign that indicated where the race course split between the marathon and half (because you had to watch your feet the whole time). Great food at the end and the shirt was ok, but I was not a fan of the idea of switching drink options at the aid stations. It seemed the options kept switching between Gatorade, Powerade (or whatever) and even different flavors. You never knew what you were getting. All and all, not a great experience and would not recommend this race to anyone.
R. S. from Somewhere, U.S.A (6/13/2013) "Would Not Run Again" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Ann Arbor Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I'm one of many runners who took a wrong turn where the marathon and half split around mile 18. Very poorly marked, no advance warning, and apparently indifferent (or uninformed) volunteers. This was an inexcusable mistake on the part of the race organization. Other negatives included terrible potholed roads most of the way, meshing the half with the full midway through so that marathoners had to dart and weave around hundreds of slower runners, and someone's bright idea of serving a different flavor and brand of electrolyte drink at every aid station. Seriously?? Does anyone on the race committee even run? Another gem was the insane decision to start the half marathon and 5K together. Yes, you read that right. A 5K and half marathon starting together! I heard from numerous people that this was a serious cluster...Loads of jogger/walkers clogging the front. In 20 years of racing, I've never heard of such ridiculousness. Based on the top times, this is obviously more of a 'fun' event for families and joggers than a competitive race, so runners beware. The course is packed with 180-degree turns, varied terrain including a rocky trail up a very steep hill, and narrow paths. Along with the weather (too late in the year for cool temps), this is NOT a good choice for a BQ attempt or even a decent time. My sense is that the RD and race committee people are not runners. They might consider bringing some actual marathoners/racers on board for next year if they hope to salvage this event.
R. F. from Ontario, Canada (6/10/2013) "Tough course - Nice small marathon" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Ann Arbor Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I knew from the previous year's comments and course elevation charts that this was going to be a hilly course and it turned out to be the toughest course of all that I've run. I realize this is due to the area's terrain and the need to get down to some of the nicer parts of the course in the park and arboretum areas. The one part of the course that was discouraging was after conquering all of the hills on the course and returning to the starting area by the 'big house' at mile 25 and getting ready for a downhill finish, we had to go back up a significant hill on Main St. and do a turnaround before heading for the finish area at Elbel Field. I would recommend to the organizers to try to add a half mile somewhere else earlier on the course in order to avoid this hill and have a straight in finish. Fortunately, temperatures were very moderate for early June and the sun did not break through the clouds until late in the race. Aid stations were plentiful and well stocked and all the volunteers very enthusiastic. Spectators were spread along the course and were quite supportive as well. There was lots of food at the finish area, including pizza, along with tables and chairs to sit at, but unfortunately no beer. Other than that, it was a very enjoyable race and a good way to test one's fitness level that can only benefit during future marathons.
M. E. from Detroit, Michigan (6/10/2013) "Challenging, hilly course with beautiful scenery" (about: 2013) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Ann Arbor Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Very well organized race around the beautiful town of Ann Arbor, UM Campus and through several parks. Plenty of Aid stations along the course with water, gatorade and GU. Very challenging course with several large hills and numerous smaller ones. Nice finisher medals, shirts and food tent at the end of the race. Although its a Boston qualifier, there a numerous other easier courses to get a BQ if that's your goal. Will definitely do this race again next year.
Marco Capelli from Perrysburg Ohio (5/21/2013) "Great Marathon" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Ann Arbor Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I'm the overall winner of 2012 Ann Arbor Marathon. As I won this race, I can only make very good comments about the course: it's scenary, hilly, challenging, like every marathon should be. Maybe not the ideal race to PR, but surely a race that will test your fitness. Organization was perfect. Just hope to see a larger crowd next year. I will be back in 2013, for sure!
B. D. from Wisconsin (6/25/2012) "Very well run first time marathon - kudos!" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Ann Arbor Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was not my first inaugural marathon, but this one was better organized than some that have been around for a while. Nicely done. Packet pickup, the expo, very nice. Though there was no group spaghetti dinner the organizers did suggest having reservations at one of the many available restaurants. And the downtown area looked to have a lot of very nice menus on the windows. The morning started a litle disorganized in that not all volunteers knew where the porta-johns were, and as they were out of sight and a fair distance from the starting line I'm glad I arrived early. Other than that, the race started on time and without a hitch. As for the course, yes it was hilly but for the most part manageable. There was one steep hill through a park between miles 13 and 14 during which I didn't see a single runner actually running up and over. Every last one of us walked up it. But there were many very scenic views along the route, particularly in the first half. Second half was a bit flatter (yay!), but also less shady. There were lots of direction changes during the run, and as the heat had me a little glassy-eyed I would have preferred more straight-aways. But the volunteers, numerous and very friendly, always made sure I was pointed in the right direction. And thankfully there was plenty of fluids along the route, with perhaps the best water station volunteers I've enjoyed at any race. Yes it was hot, but in June you'd best be prepared for that because it can happen. The days before and after were actually hotter, so I think we got lucky with what we had. I was more than a little happy when I finally finished. Slower than any prior marathon I've done, but by the looks of the results there were people who dropped out of the race (smarter people than I LOL!), so I'm certainly not going to complain about my finishing time. If I had to make one suggestion, I would say you could consider running the entire thing in the other direction. That would get the mall area out of the way early, and some of the nicer parks and shadier areas late in the run. Just a thought. Once again, nicely done. I was happy with it.
S. B. from USA (6/23/2012) "Decent inaugural; room for improvement" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Ann Arbor Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Pros: plenty of parking at high school and restrooms available. Never saw lines at porta-potties along routemost were almost immediately available. Nice post-race and water mister helped cool runners down. Very nice race shirt, medal, and volunteers. Cons: The course. Too many out-backs. Miserable tour of Briarwood parking lot came far too late in race-if need the miles, could that not be early on? Heat and humidity were a big factor. No ice or wet sponges available along course. Little plastic cups of warm water late in race were nauseating. Very few spectators and fewer runners than anticipated. Hope it returns next year bigger and better.
P. N. from Texas (6/23/2012) "Hot, humid and hilly" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Ann Arbor Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Very well organized, especially for a first time effort. Specially liked the shirts, the medals, and the graphics work on the finishers' certificates. The results were posted almost immediately after the race. There was plenty of water on the course and at the finish. Things that could improve: 1. The course - Are there no parks in AA that we could have used to run with less traffic? That run around the perimeter of the mall and past the finsh line could maybe go somewhere else. 2. The Date - Fathers' Day Sunday is very busy in downtown Ann Arbor. Earlier in the month would be better. 3. The Expo - Somewhere that people are not trying to shop and wondering what we're doing there. Thanks to everyone who worked hard to put on a first class event.
M. P. from OH (6/22/2012) "Great race! Well done Ann Arbor!!" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Ann Arbor Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The elevation chart was RIGHT!! The course was tough. I think organizers did a great job! There were enough water stops, volanteers were GREAT! I want to run this race again to test myself!!
L. H. from Miami, FL (6/22/2012) "Solid Race" (about: 2012) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Ann Arbor Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 As someone who grew up and attended college in Ann Arbor, but lives elsewhere and has run other large marathons including Chicago and Boston, I can confidently say that this is a well-organized race that is up there with the big ones, without the hassle and the masses of the huge races. The course does have some hills, but they are almost entirely long, gradual hills and are nothing to be afraid of. The course does a good job of showcasing the city, with runs through campus, main street, some downtown neighborhoods, Gallup Park and Ann Arbor's gorgeous Nichols Arboretum. The course has a lot of variety to keep things interesting. The challenge is that the actual downtown area of Ann Arbor isn't exactly marathon-sized, so the course has to stretch out into some less-interesting areas (Briarwood Mall) to reach the marathon distance. The race itself was extremely well-organized. Plenty of aid stations with water/powerade separated (this is the kind of stuff new races often mess up and I was happy to see considered), at least 4 bands playing music along the course, and a decent smattering of spectators. Overall a great experience.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 > ]

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