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Apr 27, 2024

Budapest Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 3.9

Organization 4.1

Spectators 3.4

Number of comments: 35 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 > ]

C. F. from Debrecen, Hungary (10/10/2009) "Well organized race on a nice, flat course." (about: 2009) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 A nice, well-run event from my point of view. Nice, sunny morning - probably a bit hot for many PB's. I noticed from the results that most people slowed significantly in the second half, as temps rose. It's not a well supported race - there aren't so many spectators. Budapest seems a little indifferent about the race. It's a great city to visit, but the expo is not well supported by vendors - a big opportunity missed. I thought that the course, drink stations, and start/finish area were fine. It's got a nice start in Heroes Square and down Andrassy.
L. B. from Oakville, ON, Canada (10/12/2008) "A decent mid-sized marathon" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Perfect weather and a flat layout made for a pleasant run. Last kilometer through the park needs repaving, but the rest of the course was smooth, although a bit repetitive. Spectators were thinly spread and mostly subdued. I really liked the size of the field, with just enough competitors to pace you without making it crowded. Support stations were well-manned and stocked with refreshment and fruit. Finish line support was great.
P. B. from Annemasse, France (10/10/2008) "A nice race to run without a serious objective" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The Budapest Marathon is a funny race, with a good and very friendly organization. What about the race? Weather was good but very windy, and the race wasn't easy, with a long back-and-forth along the side of the Danube and several bridges to cross. We found many support stations with lovely people (many cheers from them). To conclude: it's a nice race to run if you aren't looking to set a personal record.
Jeff Gregory from Devon, UK (10/10/2008) "Well done, Budapest!" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Budapest is a great city with plenty to offer on a marathon weekend. The course is generally flat, with some slopes/ramps near the bridges to break up the monotony, but great views along the river (which can be breezy)! The only negative for me was the long loop towards the industrial area, which goes on forever! People were great, with lots of music/buskers. Baths afterward were heaven. Allow plenty of time to check in your kit, as it was a bit disorganized. All in all, a good experience.
S. R. from London, England (10/8/2008) "Great thermal bath experience after the marathon" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This was my first Budapest marathon and I had read other comments about it before entering. I do agree that the course is repetitive; felt as though I had run past the parliament building 10 times! The organization was poor in places, e.g., confusion about the start time, ahd lack of organization in the start area, but positive points for me were the friendly and helpful staff, great goody bag afterward, and the thermal bath included in the entry fee. I missed the free massage, though, which was a shame. Budapest is a great city to visit and I enjoyed running along the river (the first time anyway!) and Margaret Island was lovely, but if you like variety along the way, it may not tick that box. The weather was perfect for running, though, and the breeze along the river was quite welcome for the long stretches with no shade. Water stations were frequent and well run, although water is in cups, so it helped to have a running bottle to decant water into to sip it as I ran (rather than gulp it at the water stations).
D. D. from USA (10/7/2008) "Glad I came to Budapest, but once was enough" (about: 2008) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Budapest is a lovely city with wonderful people, and the marathon is a great excuse to visit; less lovely is the course (as previously noted, repetitive loops, some running next to cars), although the volunteers were top-notch and peppy, with well-spaced aid stations throughout the race. The organizers also did a good job marking the different runners (marathon, 30K, relay) to help with pacing, although there were virtually no LEDs or clocks throughout the course - the best you can do is look for a clock on a city building. Also, the spectator support was underwhelming. Maybe I'm spoiled from running big, heavily attended races in the US, but it's jarring to run past so many crowds that are nearly silent (clearly, waiting to cheer just one person on), or spend most of the race in fairly quiet parts of the city.
Sandy Taylor from Wales, UK (10/6/2008) "Scenic and well-organized" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Too many out-and-backs on the course; it needs some changes.
M. L. from Nürnberg, Germany (3/4/2008) "Poor Organization of the Start Area" (about: 2007) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Runners for all distances formed in the start area at the same time, but the events had different start times. This may not have been anticipated by the course staff and there was no visible control over the process. Race number bibs were identical for all race distances. If the non-marathoners had a different color bib it could have alerted many of us marathoners, who got trapped and held in-place with runners doing a shorter distance, to suspect that we were being separated from our group. Many of us noticed the surge of runners being halted prior to reaching the start line. Looking ahead. The start line was completely empty. The marathon group had disappeared. Many of us marathoners pushed our way through the crowd in front of us, sprinting to the start line. After running hard for several minutes we eventually caught the marathon group's sweep vehicle. This course is considered flat, but one needs to do some hill training to be able to conquer the numerous ramps and bridges. Anticipate wind along the river. Many have complained about the strong winds, but if the temperature rises, as it did in 2007, the wind can help provide a little relief. Shade from the sun is extremely limited since most of the course is along the river. Distance markers along the course were too infrequent in my opinion. The massage tents were so congested that I chose to continue on to the pool area where the race bags were secured. While at the pool I discovered the massage staff provides free massages to the marathoners. The warm pool water was nice. I recommend this marathon to those considering it.
D. E. from Bila Krynytsya, Ukraine (1/12/2008) "Not a bad race, but the course needs improving." (about: 2007) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I enjoyed the race, which showed Budapest off wonderfully at times. However, the course was repetitive in that it went along the river for far too much of the length. It got boring and there was no shade to be had. This might not normally be a problem for an early autumn run, but it was unpleasant that day. Also, for a lot of the race there were cars next to the single lane closed off for the race. Running with cars zipping past is not a great experience. And there was an utter lack of timers. I did not see a race clock until about 200 M before the finish. Maybe I just failed to see them, but I think not.
w. d. from Asheville, NC (10/12/2007) "Well done international event" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Budapest Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 If you want to run a fast international marathon, but want to avoid the mega-thon experience, try this one. Very well organized. The course is mostly flat with some short and gentle hills on and off bridges and a couple of overpasses. Beautiful views of the city as you run along the Danube and over 3 of the city's bridges. The gave a nice goody bag before the event and superb post-race "presents," as they call them. It was warm this year, but on a cool day, this is a fast course. Heat could have been avoided with an earlier start, but they start at 10:00 a.m. to allow local area runners plenty of time to arrive. They cater to foreigners - nearly half the finishers came from outside Hungary - offering a visit to one of the historic thermal baths as a changing/baggage storage area and for post-race relaxation. The city offers abundant cultural and historical experiences - it's a great place to visit. Race logistics are very simple and entrants are allowed to have their own personal fluids placed at the aid stations.

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