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☰
Austin Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Austin Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.0 
Organization 4.0 
Spectators 4.1
Number of comments: 421 [displaying comments 351 to 361]
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Cory Sullivan from Saint Paul
(4/5/2003)
 "Windy and POORLY Managed " (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 4 I have only run Grandmas Marathon in Duluth and Twin Cities Marathon in Minneapolis/Saint Paul. Compared to those two, this marathon sucks. It was so very poorly organized...spectators standing in the course starting area(inexcusable)...mileage markers were barely visible...the race end was absolutely dreadful. The food was terrible. The water we were given was only 8oz, and if you asked for more some volunteers wouldn't give it out. Family and friends clogged the only exit door out of the recovery area, which was just pathetic. I am surprised this marathon was so highly rated. I do have to compliment the medal given. It was very nice...and the people who were there to support the runners were great. Very friendly, so it is hard to write all these negative things about the race. I guess Grandma's just sets the bar too high. | |
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R. K. from East Lansing, MI
(3/19/2003)
 "Organization disappointing, enjoyed Austin though" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 3 I agree completely with D.W. of Washington. I was expecting so much more from this marathon, especially since it was rated so high by Runner's World. My biggest suggestions would be to use paper cups with the powerade (not the plastic bottles), clearly mark where the buses at the finish are going to be parked (I never saw them and ended up taking a cab to the hotel), and organizing the finish better. Perhaps the finish could be outside? The inside finish was very crowded and it was difficult to find out what was going on. Family members and friends of finishers crowded the inside even more. Post-marathon food was very disappointing, too. This marathon was definitely my least favorite of the three I've done. Loved Austin as a city, though! | |
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5280 Runner from Colorado
(3/5/2003)
 "WINDY!!!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Overall, I really enjoyed this race. A few lessons learned: Do NOT park in the parking garage at Palmer Center if you want to leave soon after the race. I waited 2 hours on the top level before turning on the car engine. There wasn't an accident, just poorly managed congestion. Also, bring your own water and food as the goody bag is WEAK. 8 ounces of water is insufficient when you are held hostage in the parking garage. Mile markers could be better identified as I missed several. | |
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Suzy Lloyd from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
(3/3/2003)
 "Diamond in Texas" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Sure, the expo wasn't perfect (race logo merchandise was offered at the finish where we have no $), the weather wasn't perfect (very cool and very windy), you almost got crushed in the after-run food & jacket pick up area, and you had to 'cross country' to get to the bus back to the hotel.....but hey, this was a fantastic event. The support was great, the crowd was managable and Austin welcomes you with open arms. The only REAL complaints I had were the last 2 miles of hills, wind and road construction being very rude! And the fact we couldn't hear one word stated at the start, not even the gun (or whatever it was). By the way, we really enjoyed those mini-bottles of Powerade....folks shouldn't waste...we carried ours for 2 miles and then reloaded. Hydration was never a problem. Thanks Austin. | |
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D. B. from IL
(2/25/2003)
"One of the best I've run" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 I loved this marathon, the course was fast and the fans were great. Everyone I dealt with from water stop volunteers to those manning the phones were helpful and freindly.So my criticisms are minor, but please don't do the bottles of poweraid next year! By the time I had them opened the bright red stuff was all over my gloves and my hands were sticky for the whole race, not to mention the waste. A lot of people I talked to did not get their mailed stuff, and for me it was a big problem. My flight was late and I had to send someone else down to pick up the packet. Without a bib number, she had to resort to bribery. | |
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M. K. from Flower Mound Tx
(2/25/2003)
 "Wonderful Marathon ! " (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 What a pleasure to have the honor of running such a wonderfully organised marathon right here in Texas. The volunteers were fantastic - encouraging all the runners even though they must have been freezing in the wicked cold weather. Enough water, Powerade and food along the course even for the slower runners. The finishers medal is beautiful and what a surprise to get such a lovely tyvek jacket at the end. Don't know how you're going to top this one ! | |
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K. V. from Dallas, Texas
(2/21/2003)
"My second Motorola...and still a great experience!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I echo the kudos you'll find in other comments. The course is good. I found the organization to be excellent, e.g., I went to the Expo at 3:00 on Saturday and there was no line for my packet. The Expo, itself, is lacking in participants when compared to other marathons, but, however, I personally don't go to marathons with the intention of staying a long time at the Expo. I agree that the use of Powerade mini-bottles is wasteful, very wasteful, and environmentally unfriendly...which is surprising for such a lefty town such as Austin. My only complaint -- and it is a minor one -- is that the 'finisher's jacket' is a piece of garbage. I'd rather have a decent T-Shirt. Organizers: get hold of a Marine Corps Marathon T-Shirt and copy those!!! I had no problems at the start; my delay time was less than 10 seconds and I did not have to push my way to the front at all. I also had no problems finding my friends at the finish; however, I was done in less than 3:30, and, therefore, I suspect that the crowds were relatively smaller than later in the day. I also had no problem getting a shuttle bus from the finish line to the start line around 6:00 a.m. My suggestion is that if you are considering this marathon, DO IT! | |
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L. J. from USA
(2/21/2003)
"Great Course" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Excellent support stops at every mile. Traffic was a bear at the expo and at the finish line getting out of the parking garage, but other than that, a very well run show. | |
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D. W. from Washington State
(2/20/2003)
"Needs Organization" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I've run 20 different marathons - and most of them have lived up to their reputations. Considering that Runners World, Marathon & Beyond, and The Ultimate Guide to Marathons have all touted the Motorola Marathon and its phenomenal organization, I was surprised to see that it is such an underachiever. So many relevant organizational details have been overlooked that I question the race's future longevity as a major event. For example: Incorrect website information ('race numbers will be mailed') was never fixed. The location of the shuttle buses leaving from Palmer Center to the start was never accurately stated - I was finally shown the general spot by a city police officer. Perhaps the correct, key, information was in the race pamphlet that was mailed to entrants, but I never received one of those even though I had registered on-line two months before race day. If it hadn't been for the cheerful volunteers manning the 1-800 phones (and one of those numbers was listed incorrectly) I could have been left in the dark - literally - on race day. The expo was just plain wacky. Little or no thought had been given to traffic flow. And there were neither posters nor souvenir pins available - really unusual for a race with such a good reputation. The course was surprisingly unremarkable. But the most unusual part was at the water stops where the volunteers handed out sports drink in sealed bottles. I estimate about half of these were thrown down unopened, and most of the remainder tossed with at least half of the contents left inside. These bottles created phenomenal race course clutter - the worst I've seen, including at Chicago and Los Angeles - and running hazards as runners tried to dodge the bottles left behind on the road. The highlights of the race were the Michael Angelo's pasta feed, the enthusastic water stop volunteers, and the good-natured police who maintained traffic control for the runners with such aplomb. But these can't rebuild the marathon's reputation. That can only come through critical self-evaluation by the marathon organizers. | |
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j. m. from kansas city, mo
(2/20/2003)
"an interesting race" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I had a fairly good time running this marathon, and I'll give you my impressions from 'the back of the pack.'It is a point-to-point course, and a lot of us crammed onto the buses at the finish line to get to the start just in time. The course was scenic, hitting lots of different neighborhoods. Great traffic control! The course is fairly downhill, and the volunteers were great and enthusiastic. Unfortunately, they ran out of clif shot way before I got there, which was disappointing for me and (a lot of )people behind me. There was plenty of powerade, but it was served in bottles (wasteful-people would take 2 sips and throw the bottle down.) It was GREAT to finish and immediately go inside to the event center to get out of the wind and eat!!! The medal was also nice---cheezy t shirt though. Overall a nice experience in this city--and a nice touch to run through the UT campus. |
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