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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 51 to 61]
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R. S. from New York State
(3/28/2011)
 "Pleasantly surprised overall!" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Ocean Drive Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I was so worried about the notorious weather conditions, but it turned out to be ideal. Wind was not a big factor this year as I heard it has been in the past. Course was fast and fairly flat with few steep inclines except for a few bridges. Scenery was beautiful! I finally broke 4 hours, so I am a happy camper. For anyone contemplating this marathon, here are my two cents: Pros: great course access for spectators; easy access to start line for Congress Hall hotel guests; nice, technical, long-sleeve race shirt (bird with legs is weird though); finisher's medal; good organization. Cons: no chip time; took a full 24 hours to get official results; post party was weak (only plain bagels, bananas, oranges, water, Gatorade and broth); didn't see any gels at aid stations; and I could't find a massage tent so I'm guessing there wasn't one. Also nobody directed you where to go once you crossed the finish line. All in all, if given the same weather conditions, I would return. I loved staying in Cape May! But most of all, I love my sub-4 marathon PR!!! | |
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Barry Lowenthal from Suburban Baltimore
(3/28/2011)
 "Average, small marathon" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Ocean Drive Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I enjoyed many things about this marathon. The course is very scenic - running through neighborhoods of old Victorian houses. Very punctual - the gun went off right at 9 a.m., as scheduled. Expo was better than I expected for such a small race. I have one criticism: there are not enough water stops - they're spaced every 2 1/2 miles. Fortunately for us, the weather was cool yesterday, but this would be very challenging on a warmer day. One other idea for improvement would be to reverse the course - start in Sea Isle, and finish in Cape May. It would be a better point-to-point. All in all, an OK race, but not one on my short list to run again. | |
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L. G. from Philadelphia, PA
(3/28/2011)
 "scary weather but great race" (about: 2011)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Ocean Drive Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Beautiful course with limited spectator support. The shuttles to the start were convenient and hanging out at Congress Hall in Cape May before the start was nice - so much better than waiting outside in the cold, or on the bus. The aid stations were friendly and well-stocked with fruit and Gatorade, and a few had gels. The post-race spread was completely underwhelming, but the free massage tent more than made up for that. I contemplated going into the ocean to ice my legs, but in the end was just too cold to make myself do it. Nice to have had the option, though! (The only bright side to freezing temps at the start and 35 degrees at the finish.) | |
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B. G. from Newtown, PA
(3/28/2011)
"Ran the 10-miler; great race" (about: 2011)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 We were worried about the weather - but despite a few flurries early on, the sun came out and the wind was very kind to us. Great, fast, course - bridges helped break up the flat course. The organization was fine, for this race - only gave it a 4 because I would prefer chip timing. And the only reason spectators got a 3 is because there just aren't very many people down the shore this time of year. But the ones who were out were very enthusiastic - kudos to the cow-bell lady who I saw at three separate mile markers and the girls with the "Chaffe now, brag later" sign hooting and hollering in Wildwood. Lots of fun for me and the 3 other friends who did the race with me. We're looking forward to next year's race. We'll all be back. | |
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L. J. from Manchetser ct
(3/27/2011)
 "Nice course and spectators, but unhappy with endin" (about: 2011)
2 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 5 Fast course, and the spectators made you feel welcome; I'm just not happy with the end reward of not getting the medal and having the shirts at a different location. Speaking for myself, coming from CT, I would have liked to have left with those items. They seal the deal and stand as great memories for a day of joyful jogging. | |
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Rusty Shackleford from Hanover, PA
(8/13/2010)
"Beautiful, small course" (about: 2010)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Ocean Drive Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon and it was an amazing experience. The scenery on the course was incredible even though the weather was pretty gloomy (we had light rain storms with clouds for a majority of it). Even though there were not many spectators, the ones that were there gave it 110%. There was one guy with a cowbell who was going wild, which, when I hit the wall at 22, gave me a great lift - and I think he (and other just as enthusiastic spectators) really helped me reach the finish. And despite my poor speed management, I still finished 15 minutes faster than I had thought I'd do even if everything went perfect, showing just how fast this course can be. The volunteers at the massage and food tents afterward were great too. I would definitely recommend this for first-timers or someone looking for a PR. My only complaint lies with the medal. It's got a pretty ridiculous emblem on it. If they got a different symbol for the marathon, I think it would really improve on an already great race. | |
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B. A. from Collierville, Tennessee
(4/7/2010)
"Make ODM your NJ marathon!" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Ocean Drive Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 There are 3 things going for this marathon - location, organization and the race director. First, Ed DePalma answered every question that I had promptly, and this is noteworthy in itself. Second, the course is so pretty that it made me want to move there. Running along the beach or across the salt marshes makes the miles go much faster. And finally, organization was close to perfect. Yes, I would have liked more Gatorade stops and a couple of aid stations ran out of cups, but maybe that made me faster, as I didn't have to slow down or stop! I've told all my running buddies to do ODM for their NJ marathon. And I liked that the race was in the off-season, as I've heard that traffic can be a beast in-season and I sure didn't want to dodge people on the boardwalk! | |
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J. C. from New York City, NY
(4/7/2010)
 "Fast course; room for improvement overall" (about: 2010)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Ocean Drive Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 2 Let me start off by saying that I crushed my PR by nearly 20 mintues on this course, so obviously it's fast. As noted by several others, there were not a lot of spectators, but personally I actually like that - running for me in silence is great. The expo is quite small (something like 5 tables), so to rush to get there (I'm from NYC) by 5 p.m. to pick up my stuff only to find that was a bit disappointing. I was shocked to find out they would not be using a timing chip - I will say my Garmin showed my time was accurate - but I pushed my way to the front at the start to not lose seconds waiting to get to the line - something I would normally never do nor like, since I prefer to start comfortably and not feel rushed. Overall, it was a great experience, but I think timing chips are a must (I ran a marathon in South Dakota with about half as many runners and it used chips!), the course is great and scenic and the volunteers did a great job. Cape May was empty; perhaps they could do the race as a kick off to "the season" - many of the shops and whatnot opened the weekend AFTER the race. I'd suggest pushing it back a week, so people from out of town can enjoy the area. Part of the reason I run is to experience different places (hence my goal of 50 states), and I couldn't get a feel for Cape May at all. | |
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K. S. from Lewes, Delaware
(4/2/2010)
"Beautiful run through barrier island towns." (about: 2010)
First Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The run goes through beautiful barrier island marshes, towns and fishing ports. Spectators were sporadic but loud and supportive. The race was well organized with a prompt start - a great first experience with a marathon. Wind, rain, and warm sunshine all had a shot at the runners, and in the end it was blustery but pleasant. Bridges are low elevation, providing minor challenges with awesome views. We are back in 2011! | |
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D. S. from Michigan
(3/31/2010)
"Good race (but could be better)" (about: 2010)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Ocean Drive Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I think this is a race that is caught between staying small and informal and growing into something bigger. As mentioned in other comments, the number of runners leans toward chip timing. Starting area directions were a little vague for things such as runner baggage. Organization and traffic control seemed to deteriorate further into the race. Having bib pickup at the convention center was overkill, considering there were just a few tables and a vendor. I'd rather not pay extra to have my bib mailed to me, so why not just have the "expo" at a host hotel (and keep it open past 5:00 p.m. for out-of-towners)? I liked the course; it was interesting and scenic. Good bird-watching too! Turkey vultures circling after the start were a little ominous though. The wind is certainly a factor in this race but could have been a lot worse. With the wind whipping off the water, it was good to have that warm finishers' tent while waiting for the bus. Definitely need to run in a windbreaker for this one! The Cape May region was pretty much "dead," considering that it is still the off-season. Great for getting to and from the race (and the hotel late checkouts), but if they are thinking of getting bigger and want to cater to out-of-towners with families, maybe they could incorporate some better organizational links to some community events or activities that could open a week or two early for the marathon? Everything was pretty much closed and/or a week or two shy of opening up for the season. |
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