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☰
New Jersey Marathon Runner Comments
Back to New Jersey Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.3 
Organization 4.5 
Spectators 3.9
Number of comments: 464 [displaying comments 21 to 31]
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M. L. from North Jersey
(4/27/2015)
 "PR on the shore" (about: 2015)
2 previous marathons
| 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 First, in response to the commenters about the race time and traffic. In the 2015 race half and full marathoners started at the same time. I took one of the shuttle buses from North Jersey down to the starting line and we did not encounter much traffic one hour before start time. We did, however, have a five minute delay of the starting time to account for some runners stuck in traffic (so they said). I love that this race is close enough to my home that I can travel to and from the day of the event on my own, without a car. I would consider running it again for that reason alone. I also really enjoyed that the starting line is at a stadium and we were able to hang out inside where it was warm and they had flush toilets until about 1/2 hour before the start. The course is super-flat. The first half is in and around residential areas, and the second half goes down Ocean Boulevard and back along the shore. It's not that scenic (to the commenter who complained about dilapidated houses, a lot of that is Hurricane Sandy damage still unrepaired) except for the parts on the boardwalk, but that was fine with me. The part I enjoyed the most was where the boardwalk passes through the Asbury Park Convention Center. The pace crew was great. They were on pace the whole race, they kept us informed and supported, and they were just chatty enough. I not only smashed my PR, I bested my most optimistic goal by over a minute and half. The finish is on the boardwalk, which was surprising unfriendly for my feet. After the race there were plenty of signs directing you to the bag pickup and post-race festivities. I really appreciated the volunteer who saw me coming and met me about 100 ft in front of my truck with my bag. Overall, the 4 star course rating is minus for being less than scenic but plus for being flat (depends on what you want). The 4 star organization rating is plus in comparison to others' experiences from previous years, but minus for not emailing bus tickets until the Friday before. The 4 star spectator race is plus for enthusiasm but minus for sparseness. | |
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H. C. from New York
(4/27/2015)
 "Great course, excellent organization" (about: 2015)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I got to the race at 5:40am (7:30am start) and was efficiently directed to parking that was just 5 minutes walk to the race-day packet pickup. Got back to the car and chilled out until a bit before 7am and walked over to the starting area. Plenty of port-a-potties with lines that moved pretty quickly (still gotta budget about a 7 minute wait). Got into the corral and the race started at 7:35am. The race course was flat as advertised. Lots of turns, though. Great weather. After the race, the directions to the shuttle was easy to follow. Good 15 minute walk from finish to the shuttle great for just getting some gentle walking in after the pounding I took. Quick 10 minute drive on the bus and I was back at my car. Paid the attendant $10 and I was on my way. No traffic. Easy logistics, great course, sparse but enthusiastic crowd support. Lots of pacers to help you achieve your race goals. I give this marathon an A. | |
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J. D. from Philadelphia, PA
(11/26/2014)
 "Used to be a great, small race..." (about: 2014)
4-5 previous marathons
| 3 New Jersey Marathons
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I really miss the NJ Shore experience with this race as it is run predominantly through towns with little fan support! They start the marathon 70 minutes AFTER they start the half marathon! Why? At around mile 7, I came upon 100's of walkers from the half marathon...constant zig zagging! When you finish, there is no one around...There was a time that the end was a huge festival. Then, good luck getting back to the start. The bussing experience is terrible. Maybe it'll get better as the half marathon registration has dropped significantly over the last few years. Miss the good old days where they started and finished on the boardwalk! | |
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J. K. from Washington, DC
(5/2/2014)
"The great, the good, and the ok" (about: 2014)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I picked the NJ marathon based on the time of year and flat course. I registered at the EXPO- the race said it was sold out, but I emailed about the waitlist and the Wednesday before the race was accepted. Expo pricing was 140. Based on previous reviews I was prepared for the bad traffic. They must have fixed this issue because traffic was fine the morning of the race. We were able to wait inside before the race started. It was chilly ~40 at the start so it was nice to wait indoors. The course was flat- very flat and fast! The aid stations were fabulous and stocked with supplies with a bunch of volunteers. I normally carry my own fluids for marathons. I didn't even need to- the aid stations were that impressive. At the finish- you get your very big and blingy medal and bottled water. The post race food could really use some help. A bananna, roll, and some salt water taffy was it. Results were up immediately and they do free athlete tracking (other races I have done actually charge for that). Pictures were sent the next day. | |
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R. K. from New Jersey
(4/29/2014)
"Great organization, ugly course" (about: 2014)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The volunteers and organizers were amazing. They were plentiful, helpful, and they knew their stuff. I couldn't have asked for better race staff. The course... Well, it's in New Jersey. It is what it is: dilapidated, run-down towns, boarded up buildings, mansions that are trying to look like they're in Newport but just look tacky because they're in Jersey. It's flat as a pancake, so if you're going for a fast time and have no interest in scenery, this one is for you. If you want more beauty than what you get during the last mile and a half of this race, go elsewhere. There were tons of water stations, and many had gels and bananas. I liked that the half started 75 minutes before the full, so we only encountered a very few of the slowest half runners. The race really was well-organized. Overall, they did the best with what they had to work with. Thank you! | |
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D. M. from Little Silver, NJ
(4/28/2014)
"Bravo to the organizers!" (about: 2014)
4-5 previous marathons
| 4-5 New Jersey Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I have to commend the organizers for a job well done. The arrangements you made on the ground were surpassed only by mother nature's weather contribution. To all concerned, I extend my sincerest gratitude for a wonderful day of racing. I ran a personal best time which I, in part, credit to all of you. | |
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G. R. from New Jersey
(12/1/2013)
 "Loved this race! Great experience!" (about: 2011)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 New Jersey Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Well organized and great crowd. It's a flat course right by the beach! It was my best race ever. | |
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Angela Ciroalo from New Jersey
(11/25/2013)
"The race was an overall rewarding experience." (about: 2013)
2 previous marathons
| 2 New Jersey Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran the half marathon the past two years in Long Branch and I thoroughly enjoyed each race. The experience was exhilarating, life changing and a lot of fun! I really enjoyed the accommodating people and the encouraging fans! Can't wait to run again next year!! | |
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J. P. from South Dakota
(8/4/2013)
 "Decent marathon, not the best" (about: 2013)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 After reading past comments I knew to expect traffic on race day and a fairly expensive marathon, so it wasn't such a bad experience. I understand the disappointment in the course but it's difficult to put on such an event in a crowded NJ neighborhood where I'm sure the hurricane forced some course alterations. What bothered me most was the bathrooms at the race track overflowed and made it a bit raunchy. Friendly volunteers, but not much post-race swag. | |
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A. W. from Allentown, PA
(5/22/2013)
"Alright Marathon. Terrible Organization." (about: 2013)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 New Jersey Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 I really wanted to love this race. It sounded awesome from the description, and the feedback that I had heard was all positive. However, it ended up being my most frustrating race experience ever. I read that there would be traffic, but there was nothing that could have prepared me for what it actually was. It took me 2 hours to drive the final 2 miles to the parking lot. It was absurd. I saw many people getting out of cars and just walking the final mile to the starting line. Not good. I had planned on getting to the race 2 hours early to deal with the traffic, pick up my packet, stretch out, use the restroom and all that good stuff. But when I finally got parked, there was only a mere 5 minutes left before the race started. There HAS to be a better way to handle parking. Use a different parking lot and shuttle people to the start line, or something. Which brings me to the second big problem I faced. I live in Allentown, PA, which is about 2 hours from the race. Because of this I decided to pass on attending the expo, and I paid an extra $25 for race day packet and bib pickup. When I finally arrived, I learned that my packet had, in fact, NOT been picked up, which means I had no bib, no shirt, no packet, and no gear check bag, and the race was about to start. I was able to get a replacement bib, but with no check bag, and absolutely no time left to spare before the start, I couldn't run my wallet and phone back to my vehicle in time, so I was forced to run with them in my running belt pack. It was not pleasant. That being said, the actual course was not bad. The course was flat and easy to run. Weather was good, and there were some very scenic areas, which is what I typically like in my races. The water stations were incredibly well handled, and plentiful. There were certain sections of the race that were very narrow, and gave runners was no room to pass anyone in front of you. I would have preferred if these areas could have been avoided, as I was legitimitely worried of tripping and then getting trampled. Even with these sections, though, I enjoyed the course. Overall, here is what I took away: Pros: Nice, flat course, with a fair amount of crowd support. A few scenic areas, and a cool finish line area. Great Water Stations. The support for the Boston Marathoners was great. At one point I ran behind a person with a sign that said 'I made it 25.7 miles at Boston. I WILL finish today!' Very Cool. Cons: Terrible, terrible race organization (seriously... I've emailed you guys 5 times about getting my shirt. Please send me one). Awful Traffic getting to the starting line. There has got to be a better way to do it. Expensive. I believe I paid $125 for the race. Then I wasted another $25 for the race day packet pickup which didn't happen. Medal was alright. I can't comment on the race shirt, because again... I never got one. Bottom line is this. This is an alright race, and I had a fun time running it, but I would never do it again. |
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