Jun 11, 2024

Wineglass Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.4

Organization 4.3

Spectators 3.6

Number of comments: 210 [displaying comments 131 to 141]

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D. B. from temple, tx (10/27/2007) "Good medium size marathon" (about: 2007) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Wineglass Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 A well organized and scenic marathon. I think the runners who complain about the course not being flat enough and not having enough spectators are not real marathoners.
j. t. from oakfield, ny (10/18/2007) "First-time marathoner" (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Wineglass Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Beautiful landscape. I didn't like running on the busy road around mile 22, but other than that, it was great. Plenty of water stops. I didn't eat after, but everyone else said it was good food. I would come back
David Terrill, Sr. from Tarentum, Pa. (10/2/2007) "The Wineglass has class and I may be back." (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Wineglass Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 After a hot, humid summer training campaign, I was fired up to find cool, foggy conditions race morning. The early miles flashed by, as minimal body heat was generated and easily dissipated. The sun broke through for me during the end of the first third of the run, and the temp climbed at a slow pace. It was a great day to do 26.2. The climb and descent between 5 and 6 is exaggerated on the elevation profile, so don't let what you see on the screen intimidate you. The slope is gentle both up and down, and not long enough to be a major factor. Just cruise up, across the plateau, and back down the other side. Really a non-issue. Balance of the course is basically level to slightly rolling. No gut-crunchers to be found. The course roughly parallels the interstate NW to SE between 2 parallel ridges, which tend to funnel the winds between them. This day, the breeze was mild, although in the face for most of the time. Again, not strong enough to be a major factor. It is really a good course to get "in the zone" and hammer out a nice effort. Water stops were properly spaced and adequately staffed. Volunteers were vocal. Good crowds at the relay change points. Not a lot of distractions during the race. Just cruise with your thoughts. This was dedicated to my mother who is recovering from surgery. Good focus + good weather + good course = a good time. NY is now on record as the 19th in the quest for 50. I couldn't be more pleased with the effort or the outcome.
R. J. from Bedford, NH (10/2/2007) "A good, low-key marathon." (about: 2007) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Wineglass Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 The Wineglass Marathon is very well organized and is held in a beautiful part of the country. The town of Corning is a great place to visit and is close to all of the local attractions, from the vineyards and lakes to the western art museum and glass factory. The good: Very nice people. Great medals (glass), multiple age-group awards, the best pre-race meal anywhere, a terrific finish and awards area in downtown Corning, plenty of volunteers, water, and Gatorade at the aid stations, gel at the mid-way point, and a nice, gently rolling course. The Corning Radisson Hotel gets 5 stars as well. The bad: Runners' shirts had a nice, but microscopic logo. Make it larger and be proud to display (and advertise) your race. The age-group prizes were made of very cheap and thin medal (thin tin is my guess with a running shoe on it). Most of the course is run against traffic with a severe side camber to the road, causing me much discomfort when running. The start is a very late 9:00 a.m. and it heats up fast out on the roads. All in all, I would recommend traveling there at least once in a lifetime. This part of New York State is beautiful and unlike any other area that I have traveled to.
C. G. from Syracuse, NY (10/2/2007) "nice first marathon" (about: 2007) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Wineglass Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first marathon and I think for me it was a good choice. Those who need lots of external motivation and loud crowds should look elsewhere. If you are ok with running by yourself some of the time and not seeing fans for a few miles at a time, this low-key race is the way to go. The low numbers (under 700 people) minimized the registration and packet pick up stress. There were plenty of water stops, which was nice, and a few porta-potties on the course as well. I didn't like that they started awards at the 4 and a half hour-mark because many of the slower runners would have liked to see the awards. The $5 ticket for the rides to the start and finish seemed a little ridiculous as well. (the marathon starts in Bathe and ends in Corning) which are 22 miles away. The city of Corning is BEAUTIFUL with lots of cute shops and restaurants. Bath, the start of the race was a little "blah," and there were barely any signs to mark the start of the race (we actually drove by it the first time). Definitely hit up the wineries after the race, if you have any energy left to spare. The course itself had some decent climbs during the first 8 miles of the race even though the map on the website said it was flat. So don't be deceived! Also, much of the course was NOT blocked off to traffic so I got beeped at a few times to move out of the road. (Like I knew what the heck was going on at mile 23.) Overall, I enjoyed myself but would probably try something a little more high-energy next time!
R. C. from Livonia, NY, USA (10/2/2007) "Great scenic race!" (about: 2007) First Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I loved this race! This was my first marathon and it was very memorable! The course was beautiful and the volunteers were very helpful and cheerful. The point-to-point format makes for a very interesting race. This race doesn't bring out a huge crowd, but that suits me fine. The race runs through several small villages and the crowds turn out in those places. The only issue I have with this race is that I wish it started an hour earlier as the heat this year towards the end made it difficult.
B. R. from New Jersey, USA (10/1/2007) "Great small-town run in a beautiful area" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Wineglass Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Ran this for the first time in 2007 - it was a lot of fun. If you're looking for a low-key, fun race, with some beautiful scenery, this one's for you. The countryside was gorgeous, with trees just beginning to change color and lots of gentle hills to run through. There weren't a lot of spectators, but the ones that were out were very enthusiastic - which can be just as much of a pick-me-up as a crowd. There were some organizational bumps, but on the whole it was brought together very well for a small-town marathon. Two small problems. One, for the organizers - yes, as someone mentioned below, runner's shirts and finisher's medals from last year were available for purchase. It does kind of lessen the accomplishment of running and finishing - I'd suggest trying to build an email list of runners and contacting them to see if they'd like to buy, but otherwise not selling that stuff. Two, for the runners - shame on you! The pasta dinner the night before was very nice, and very sparsely attended - we felt really bad for the people organizing it, as they had some fun things lined up (giveaways for first-time marathoners, most experienced marathoners, etc., a good guest speaker, and delicious food!) for a dinner crowd of... nobody. If you get tickets to the dinner, c'mon, go to it! Summary: Lots of fun, and a great area for a weekend trip. Plus the timing lets you use it to qualify for two years of Boston, so I'll definitely do this one again!
O. R. from Washington, DC (10/1/2007) "Good race, but don't believe the elevant profile" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Wineglass Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The Course: First, this is a good race. The scenic course can be breathtaking at times. But, if you run this race with the belief that there is a decline somewhere, you're in trouble. The elevation chart on the marathon website is COMPLETELY MISLEADING. The first 8 miles or so are very rolling, not just somewhat rolling. The first substantial hill is at mile 4.5, another big ascent at around 6.5 and yet another at around 11. And after the halfway point, still more ups and downs. I'm fine with a rolling course; but if I go into a race believing that the course is of one type and preparing myself mentally on that basis, it is frustrating at best to find the course to be completely misrepresented. Of course, there are the declines after the inclines, but never was there the kind of descent that was represented on the elevation chart. Organization: Organization was decent, overall. But, here are a few things that could make it much better. The course is 80+% on country roads where the traffic is not closed. Runners were running along both sides of the road. When I asked one course marshal which side constituted the course (as I wanted to prepare for the next turn), the course marshal shrugged and said, "Don't know," without a care. There were plenty of water stops, but the volunteers were, for the most part, children (mostly under 10 years-old). While I applaud the organizers for getting children involved, it was frustrating when trying to grab the water of small and insecure hands. One of the kids tried to "help" and began to run with me to give me my water, but that only made it worse. When I finished, I went to the medical tent to see if I could get a bag of ice for my tightening hamstrings. While the medical tent looked very nice with all kinds of cots set up, the medic simply shrugged and said, "No ice" (at a marathon???). Spectators: Hardly any. I enjoyed the time by myself. I like large marathons, but the scenic course would have been spoiled by throngs of onlookers. This race gave me a chance to think and let my wander for three hours. Overall, this is a good race. Like any race, there are small glitches, but I liked it.
R. M. from Central, NY (10/1/2007) "A great first marathon." (about: 2007) First Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I really enjoyed the small town feel in Corning, NY. The expo and packet pick-up were fine. With under 600 runners, there's just not a lot of stuff to deal with - low-stress level. Of course, with such a rural setting, you won't have the big crowds cheering you on. The course was very scenic and relatively flat (some good hills in first 7 miles). After the run was where they shine. Fantastic medical support, the best food and beverage spread in any race event I've seen, and a great spot to relax. If you want to get away from the "masses of humanity" marathons, this one is great.
D. M. from Wilmington, Delaware (8/12/2007) "Don't stay at Lando's" (about: 2005) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Wineglass Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 This is a great course and with a cool day, you'll have a great time. I want to mention that in 2005 I made the mistake of reserving a room at Lando's Hotel and Lounge. Well, it's a bar, with live music until after midnight and cigarette smoke penetrating your room. The room looks like a place someone would get for a quickie after picking up a friend in the bar. We tried to get a room at the Radisson the day before, but it required two nights stay, so we suffered it out at Lando's.

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