Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

May 20, 2024

Ocean Drive Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Ocean Drive Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.2

Organization 4.2

Spectators 2.8

Number of comments: 199 [displaying comments 121 to 131]

More Comments: [ < 1 .. 11 12 13 14 15 .. 20 > ]

J. B. from New Jersey (3/28/2007) "Well-organized; strong headwind" (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Ocean Drive Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 My first marathon. Seemed well-organized. Volunteers very nice; provided water, Gatorade, bananas, oranges, and other "energy" along the way. Very strong headwind. Not an exciting course. Cape May is nice.
Oz Pearlman from New York, NY (3/27/2007) "Beautiful course, very scenic, wind was INSANE" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Ocean Drive Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 This race is a great small town race in a very pretty city. I wish I had more time to spend in Cape May and next time around I intend to make a long weekend or small vacation out of it. I drove in from New York City (about 3 hours) the night before and stayed in a hotel right next door to the race start. In the morning, the street was buzzing with all the runners and I love that energy of a small town race where people are very friendly and talkative. The course is very flat, however there are 2 or 3 bridges with a slight grade to them but nothing bad. The wind on this day was a whole different matter. The course is a point a to b race where you travel 26.2 miles Northeast up the Jersey coast. The forecast was for 20 to 30 mph NE winds, in other words a direct headwind for about 90% of the race. Not gusts, but just straight headwind non-stop like running in a wind tunnel. Needless to say it wasn't a PR day, but the race was quite a challenge and I was happy I pulled through it. I think it is luck of the draw with the weather, as the wind the day before was non-existent.
S. S. from NJ (3/27/2007) "Wind, Wind, Wind" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Ocean Drive Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I have run many marathons in my life but this was by far the hardest because of the high winds in my face. The course was not difficult but we ran into the wind all 26.2 miles - and at times I am sure the gusts were 30 mph or more. I had sand blowing into my face at one point and I had to stop for help. On the positive side, it will make me a tougher runner. But I was hoping for a nice day. It was very well run and the people who were volunteering were very nice and pleasant. There were plenty of water, GU and other items along the way to keep you energized. The finish tent was well stocked with bagels, bananas, chicken broth and the best oranges I have eaten in some time. If the weather was nice, it would have rated with high marks, but the weather made me finish way off a PR. I ran about 15 minutes slower then I should have because of the bad winds. As a runner, this is a tough pill to swallow!
D. X. from PA (3/26/2007) "My first marathon and it was windy and fast." (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 This was my first marathon so I have little else to compare it to. Since it is small, the event is well organized. The race number pickup was easy and the start went off on time. The volunteers and support staff were enthusiastic and were a welcome sight with the lack of spectators (it is March on the Jersey shore). Plenty of options at the stops after mile 10 - water, Gatorade, gels, fruit. The worst part by far was the headwind. Once out of Cape May (2 miles or so) it began and never let up. At most, there was about a 3-minute break from it all day. I ran the middle miles with some guys looking to draft and take turns up front, but who knows if it helped any. It was pretty intense. Since the field is small, be prepared to run by yourself. I ran miles 17-23 all by myself. Getting a hotel was a pain since there are few hotels open and other events take up rooms. I recommend eating meals in Cape May since the Wildwood area is like a ghost town. My hotel had a two-night minimum but I begged my way into a one-night stay. Overall, besides the weather, I really had no complaints. The finish had plenty of food and my dad was able to drive around the shore and see me 3 or 4 times.
David Terrill, Sr. from Tarentum, Pa. (3/26/2007) "Good Pt-Pt sea level course, but W-I-N-D-Y" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Ocean Drive Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Can you spell 'Sandblasted?' We got some of that on the bike paths and some sections of boardwalks, as the wind was 'Ferocious and Relentless'. More times than not, that is a fact of life where land meets sea, and this day trumped the calm days you dream of when racing due north along the coastline. I have no complaints. Wouldn't do any good, anyway. The conditions are beyond our control, so we find a way to deal with it, and we take care of business. And when the day is done, you feel good about what you have accomplished. Cape May's architecture is gorgeous. Mostly well preserved, a throw-back to yester-year, all that was missing was an antique car show to make you think you were back in the 30's or 40's. I could imagine my folks and grandfolks having seen what I was seeing. Wow, did I get off track. Back to the race. I concur with many of the previous comments. Not many spectators, but during peak vacation times, putting this together and pulling it off would be borderline impossible. The route would be clogged with everyone and their brother. Nope, this is the perfect time of year for this race. Towns are virtually empty. No distractions. Normally cool temps this time of year. Windy, but dry. Could've been like prior years. There's a pleasant thought. Yikes!!! Don't come for the scenery. Most of the towns outside of Cape May are all newer construction. Nothing exciting there. But that's only my observation. The towns are clean, the roadways are mostly clean, the race course was in good condition. Aid stations were adequate and well stocked, and well spaced. Refreshments at the end were plentiful, chicken broth was real treat, and the medal, awards plaques, and t-shirt earned high marks. I haven't ruled out returning someday. But for now, NJ has fallen in the quest for 50 as state #18 and #42 marathon. This is a fun way spend a weekend, meet new friends, and see some you haven't seen for a while. I think the ODM is a good value for your buck.
J. G. from Jacksonville, NC (3/26/2007) "Pick Another Marathon; Don't Do This One!" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons COURSE: 1 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 I will never run this marathon again. The expo was unimpressive. The bag storage effort was unorganized at the start. The race began without a noticeable signal. There were 13 - 22 MPH winds in my face the entire race. With winds predominantly out of the north during this time of year, what a pleasure it would have been to run this point-to-point race in the opposite direction. Energy gel was advertised as being available at miles 14.1 and 17.2, but there was none remaining by the time I got there. I was maintaining a 10-minute-per-mile pace, and there were only 433 who completed this marathon, so there is no acceptable excuse. There were six elevated bridges as against the four draw bridges identified on their website. I ran with a long-sleeve t-shirt covering my bib number on my short-sleeve t-shirt with the intent of discarding the former at some point during the race. Because the wind chill remained at 39 F throughout the race, I did not do this. When I completed the marathon, a woman at the finish line (who was recording bib numbers and times because they do not use computer chips) displayed a complete lack of understanding and appreciation for the day's event as she complained to me twice about not being able to see my bib number, once before I had even crossed the finish line. When I finally pulled up my shirt and showed it to her, she gave me a disgusted look and stated that she no longer needed it. There should have been no sense of urgency on her part to obtain my bib number as the next runner crossed the finish line four seconds after me and the next runner was 20 seconds after that. There was no food worth mentioning in the finish area. Finally, results were not posted on time on their website as advertised. For a $75 entry fee, this race was run on the cheap. There were only two items worth noting and neither one had anything to do with the race organizers: (1) the Cape May-Lewes ferry worked well for me, and (2) I stayed at the Colonnade Inn ($90.00 at 609-263-8868) in Sea Isle City that was within walking distance of the finish line and allowed for a late check-out that facilitated a hot shower afterwards. I will not recommend this race to anyone.
M. B. from Washington, DC (3/26/2007) "WINDY!!!! No fans!" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Ocean Drive Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 This was my 12th marathon and my first OD Marathon. The course seemed to be perfect - the right number of hills, turns, etc. but the wind was AWFUL. We ran into the wind for nearly the entire race. There were only a handful of times where the wind wasn't blowing at us. Almost no fans. One water stop was out of cups very early, and one stop near the end (24ish?) had just left the table entirely - there were a couple of large jugs, but no volunteers or cups. We finished in the middle of pack - no reason for 2 stations to be out of cups/water. Wasn't as scenic as I hoped. Shuttle - worked fine, except we got to the start area before 8 a.m., which is when the first group started. We had to wait around in the chilly wind for over an hour to start. No chip timing? Ok race, though I would never even consider doing it again in those weather conditions.
B. P. from Brick, NJ (3/26/2007) "Good First Marathon" (about: 2007) First Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 As far as first marathons go, I loved this one. I wanted to see the South Jersey shore area, and this was the perfect opportunity. Easy to get to as well. Naturally, the wind and weather can be an issue on the Jersey coast in early spring, and we had a strong headwind the entire race. All but one pit stop was well attended, though unfortunately, the unattended one was at mile 16. The recovery tent was great. Piping hot chicken broth has never tasted so good. Bagels, Gatorade, etc.... A massage and first aid tent were available as well. There were some great ocean views along the way, as well excellent views from the bridges. Overall, good vibes from all. I wish you well.
Bryan Bentley from Downers Grove, Illinois (3/26/2007) "WINDY" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Ocean Drive Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 I was blown away by the ODM. I may even have frostbite. I know I have windburn. It was the hardest marathon I've ever completed.
J. E. from Reading, PA (3/26/2007) "2007 Comments" (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Ocean Drive Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 An experience. Headwinds (expected in March). I had a nice time. Volunteers were great. The few spectators were bizarre: they didn't cheer for you - they only cheered for the person they came to see. Twilight zone. for sure.

More Comments: [ < 1 .. 11 12 13 14 15 .. 20 > ]

Quick Links

Marathon Search
Upcoming US Marathons
Upcoming International Marathons
Search Marathon Results
Latest Running News
Recent Newsletters
Race Director Tools

Become an Advertiser

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Click Here: Please visit our Sponsor

Become an Advertiser

© 2000-2024, All Rights Reserved by MarathonGuide.com LLC

Privacy Policy Refund Policy Terms of Use