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May 16, 2024

Columbus Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.4

Organization 4.1

Spectators 4.2

Number of comments: 333 [displaying comments 81 to 91]

More Comments: [ < 1 .. 7 8 9 10 11 .. 34 > ]

g. k. from West Liberty, Ohio (10/18/2009) "Awesome event" (about: 2009) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Columbus Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 If you are looking for a flat and fast course, this is it. I have run this marathon six years in a row. Cool weather, plenty of enthusiastic volunteers, and a great course make this my favorite marathon. I had a PR this year. The organization is superb, as well as the entry fees and goodies. And have a Thurman burger when you're done!
L. H. from Wadsworth, Ohio (2/20/2009) "LOVED IT" (about: 2008) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Columbus Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my second marathon and I loved the course. It is very fast and I felt well organized. I thought the changes from last year (my husband ran) made a big difference. My only complaint was that the shirt was boring as was the medal. I also could have used a Mylar blanket, which were gone very quickly due to the half marathoners. But the course is fast, and if you're making a bid for Boston, this is a good course for it.
A. G. from Columbus Ohio (1/27/2009) "Mediocre" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Columbus Marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 Little bang for a big buck. All RD's are looking for a profit, and FRR has found a way to make a decent profit from this event. Tweaking the course every year to minimize road closures equates to money saved and course confusion.
R. D. from Lancaster, NY (1/7/2009) "Comments from an out-of-town rookie" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Columbus Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 As a rookie, I don't have the depth of experience to compare Columbus to other marathons. But, I'll offer a few comments for consideration. Pre-race support was excellent, especially the ability to see the entire course via Google Earth. I was familiar with every twist and turn before I even came to town, and that helped during the race. The downtown hotel was very accommodating and convenient. I wish there were more pre-race activities for those traveling from out of town to make it more of an experience (e.g., pasta dinner). So, I was disappointed by the lack of activities at the expo, especially when they ran out of shirts (I did get mine in the mail after Christmas, which I do appreciate!). The course was flat, as advertised by many friends. I was concerned about "hills" around Mile 18, but they were more on the order of "inclines." I was not bothered by twists and turns in the course, but my goal was to enjoy the race and not necessarily push for time. I thought Bexley, Germantown, Short North and OSU were especially great areas. Race day organization was great and volunteers were outstanding. There were plenty of fluid stations, although I had to quickly learn how to handle congestion. Entertainment was great, but seemed to disappear after Mile 20, when I could have used the boost even more. There was a shortage of Mylar blankets at the finish line. I had to fish one out of a trash barrel. There was a good assortment of food. I have read some comments about the medal, but, as a rookie, it looks beautiful to me. Most of all, I cannot say enough about the spectators - the number and their enthusiasm. They really made my first marathon special, cruising home in a comfortable 3:47. I intend to run Columbus again in the future and thank everyone involved for their efforts.
S. F. from Cincinnati (12/2/2008) "Did anyone ever receive the event t-shirt?" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Columbus Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 This was my first marathon and I would like the shirt. I was disappointed with the expo, but I enjoyed the actual race. The spectators were great.
A. S. from Columbus, OH (11/12/2008) "Very Good Marathon" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Columbus Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Let's just say that I have seen better expos.... ;) The marathon itself was very well-organized. Water and gel stations were well spaced and stocked. I also liked the new course that includes less boring stretches. Keep up the good work....
P. L. from Pittsburgh Area (10/31/2008) "Did not care for the changes" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Columbus Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I ran Columbus as my first marathon in 2004. The course was long and boring along High Street, but I think I preferred that to running all those turns "up-slope" through an empty OSU campus. I say "up-slope," because, although there are no real hilly areas, the incline from miles 16 to 20 gets a bit tiring, especially since it's through the campus area, where the students don't seem to know that there's a marathon going on. Of course, I wouldn't expect anything like Wellesley, but just a little interest would help. Crowds were good in select areas, especially through the first half and at the end. Although I sound disappointed in the course, I did do a PR and BQ. Now that I've done this one twice, I don't think I need to return - just not that exciting compared to other marathons.
Sparky runner from Cleveland, Ohio (10/31/2008) "Still the Best" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 3 Columbus Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I love this race - it's my favorite marathon (and I have run Boston!). Although my third Columbus Marathon resulted in a PR, I have to downgrade my opinion of the whole experience just slightly because the second half of the new course is a bit too twisty-turny for a fuzzy-headed marathoner trying to PR. The fans and bands were even better than ever! The fluid and gel stops are extremely well-organized. I can't say that the Gatorade and H2O continued to flow for all participants, but for those running under 8:00 pace, it was like clockwork. The new Ts have a better design, but are short-sleeved; the reusable logo bag with race goodies is also a nice replacement for the usual plastic. Packet pick-up was also quite easy and the expo had plenty of everything a runner could want. But what really counts to me is the course, the organization, and the crowds - and here Columbus remains a gem. I just hope it doesn't get too much bigger, because the start and the first 3 miles can be pretty congested. Love ya, Columbus! See you next fall.
R. F. from Toledo, Ohio (10/28/2008) "A super marathon for all skill levels." (about: 2008) 50+ previous marathons \| 6+ Columbus Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was very pleased with this year's marathon. The course was a pleasant change and I appreciated the inclusion of the stadium. The water stations have always been great and the increased music helped the miles pass. As a "back of the pack" person, I had no complaints about a crowded course. The volunteers stayed on their job and were quite pleasant and helpful. There were even spectators cheering at 6 hours. Please keep this event for all types of participants. I plan to continue to be the oldest female finisher. Columbus, No. 27 at 72
C. C. from KY (10/28/2008) "Very flat, fast race!" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Columbus Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I thought this race was very flat and very fast! I do MINIMAL hill training, if at all, and I did not see any hills on this course. If anything, there are a lot of downhill portions that are great. I read these reviews before running the race and people kept saying that there are hills between miles 12-18. I tried to prepare myself for those miles and never encountered any. I would definitely run this race again if I needed to PR or BQ.

More Comments: [ < 1 .. 7 8 9 10 11 .. 34 > ]

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