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Apr 29, 2024

Wineglass Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.4

Organization 4.3

Spectators 3.6

Number of comments: 210 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

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M. P. from MD Maryland (10/8/2016) "Not as Expected" (about: 2016) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Wineglass Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 This was my first Wineglass. Start time weather was perfect - temps were mid 50s and overcast. Local high school student sang the National Anthem with no music - awesome! Race director managed the start, standing on a ladder. The course is point to point, so runners are taken by bus from Corning (finish line) to Bath. One major plus is that the Half starts at mile 13 of the Full an hour or so earlier so there is almost no overlap. The course, though, did not live up to its billing - while pretty flat, it was not very nice. A lot of miles are logged on state roads with orange pylons separating runners from cars. If you like / need crowd support, this is not the race for you unless you can get by on 3 or 4 pockets. Water station volunteers were plentiful and very nice. I stayed in Elmira, about 20 minutes away. Parking before the race was easy so don't feel the need to stay in Corning if rooms are hard to find.
L. K. from Texas (10/14/2015) "Great race and beautiful scenery." (about: 2015) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Wineglass Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I have run 84 marathons and this is one of my favorites. Great race organization. It was easy to catch the bus to the starting line for this point to point course. Beautiful scenery and the water stops were well organized. I liked how the half marathoners start at the half way point so never interfere with the marathoners. A great downtown area and I enjoyed the Rockwell and Corning Museums as well as the Market Street Brewing Company. Overall, a great experience and a race I would run again.
T. L. from Dallas, Texas (10/12/2015) "A great marathon worth traveling to" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Wineglass Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my 40th different marathon. Overall, the organization of this race was top notch. The only glitch I can think of is there was no National Anthem or even music playing at the start. Not sure if they were experiencing an audio glitch, but it was eerily silent. The scenery, ok enough, improved over the 2nd half. Although net downhill, there were a few hills and inclines. Nothing bad though. It got more lively as we entered the outskirts of Corning and onto a bike path, which helped. Beautiful glass medal! Loved the experience as a whole.
c. w. from Pennsylvania (10/11/2015) "Not as scenic as others describe" (about: 2015) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Wineglass Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran this race with a friend who was running her 1st marathon. The marathon is well organized but needs a larger expo area. The size of the marathon is pretty large compared to the availability of hotel rooms so a number of runners stayed 20+ miles away. The shuttles ran very efficiently. If there is rain, there is very limited place to stay dry before the race. I did not find the course to be as scenic as previous reviewers. The post-race food spread was pretty extensive and there was plenty of nearby parking. The glass medal is unique and the area businesses is very supportive of the race. And the area is a great weekend getaway with all of the nearby wineries.
Robert Henderson from Morgantown WV (10/6/2015) "A fun, fast race" (about: 2015) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Wineglass Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 2014 Was the first year I did this race, and had such a great overall experience that I just had to return. The course itself is fast with one or two small hills and beautiful country side scenery. The town of Corning is just a wonderful experience of dining, pubs, shops and very friendly people. The race organization is exceptional and the last 500 yards down Market street to the finish line is one of the best finishes I have experienced. It's not just one aspect of the race weekend that brought me back but the total experience and I look forward to doing it again in a few years, Good Lord willing. What a beautiful time of year to be in Corning NY.
D. G. from Michigan (3/10/2015) "Start Area Needs Improvement" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Wineglass Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 As others have mentioned, it would really help to have more warm space to wait for the race to start, or at least a place to sit. Also, they ran the buses right between the two facing sets of porto-potties, which made it difficult to line up to use one of the sets. There must be a better way to organize this, or a better place to start the race. The course itself was very good, with a well-supported finish on the main street, but when we came back downtown after cleaning up and it was like a ghost town - we could not find anywhere that the runners were hanging out to celebrate their accomplishment!
K. B. from Westminster, Colorado (10/13/2014) "Great marathon at max capacity" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Wineglass Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 In 2014, the marathon and half marathon grew to 5500 total participants. Given lodging and logistical limitations, that's probably a little too big. It's a great race. Very scenic race in HQ'd in a wonderful little NY town. The fan support was great for a small race. While it was chilly at the start, don't be fooled by whiners who say it was disorganized. Wear some layers to toss, just like you have to do at NYC Marathon. We are marathoners, for cryin' out loud. It DID start a little late so mark them down for that. Great schwag and excellent post-race atmosphere!
M. J. from New York (10/10/2014) "Great Racing Weather, but Inaccurate Race Timing" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Wineglass Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 I ran the marathon this past Sunday. It was my first small marathon in a number of years which was refreshing. Bib pickup required your to pass through a crowded Corning Museum gift shop which could be an area of improvement. I stayed in Hornell and drove to Bath in the morning to avoid having to be bused from Corning. This worked out well for me and the bus back post race created no problems. As for the marathon, here are my pros: It was a great day for racing. The temperatures were on the cool side and it was not overly sunny which was nice given that you are running along exposed roads most of the time. There are plenty of pace groups to choose from. I went with the 3:25 pacer which worked perfectly. He wasnt the most talkative of pacers, but he got the job done. The course is great for running fast. The downhills are gentle and the few uphill segments are as well. While you are running on roads most of the time, the scenery is nice. Post-race refreshments were nice. I enjoyed the pizza and cookies. I heard there was chocolate milk, but never saw it. Cons My big one is that the race timing was off by nearly a minute. I started my watch on the start mat and ended it right after crossing the finish mat. My watch time ended up being about 55 seconds greater than what the net time is on the Wineglass marathon web site. I have heard the same from others so this isn't just coming from me. This is a really big mistake given that someone who thinks they earned a BQ might not really have. I'll be curious to see if the RD of Wineglass has anything to say. The pre-race area was poorly setup. My local 5ks have water tables setup before the race. Here, there was nothing. The waiting area also left a lot to be desired. Lining us up and than holding us in place for about ten minutes past the start time is also a negative.
W. M. from Pennsylvania (10/10/2014) "Disorganized Start" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Wineglass Marathon COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 4 I've run 10 marathons, this was my first Wineglass. I'll list the Pros and cons. Pros: Good course, very scenic, a few rolling hills, nothing crazy. Great volunteers and aid stations. Nice in town finish, great food, excellent volunteers at the finish. Flawless bag drop and pick up. The pre race pasta dinner was very good. Great food and a great speaker. Corning is a very nice town and all the local businesses are very supportive of the race. Cons: The biggest problem was at the start. The half marathoners had a warm gym to wait in. The full marathoners had a large garage/shed with little or no heat, a dirty puddled floor with snow plows. It was about 35 degrees, waiting outside was not a great idea. The garage was cold and had a few hard folding chairs. Most of us had to stand in a very cramped cold area. No room at all to stretch or prepare. Very inadequate amount of porto pots. They called us out to the start to line up and then announced there would be a 10-15 minute delay. The entire start was a huge disorganized mess. After 33 years you would think this wouldn't happen. As I mentioned previously it was a nice flat scenic course. The problem was most of the course was not closed to traffic. It was basically running on the shoulder of the roads that were 'coned' off. Way too narrow and at times unsafe. No information booth at the expo. I asked a couple of real simple questions and no one could answer any questions. I'm a very experienced runner and have run in many big events, but I've never seen anything like the mess that was at the start of this race. The race has a lot of potential but I won't be back.
C. B. from Louisiana (10/9/2014) "Wineglass definitely delivers as a BQ race" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Wineglass Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Book your accomodations early. Hilton Garden Inn Elmira/Corning was fabulous. Great jacuzzi tubs and indoor pool. Incredibly well organized expo held at Corning Museum of Glass which you definitely need to tour. The swag was outstanding.Fitted lime green long sleeve technical shirt with single logo. very tasteful. swag bag equally chic. Wineglass and mini champagne split provided for your hydration needs. Race support:buses, toilets, warming hut, gatorade/ water, Gu and chomps all plentiful at appropriate intervals. I was shocked at the number of spectators given the size of the little towns you traverse. I think 3 but I lost count. Scenery was really very beautiful with leaves changing color. I specifically signed up for this because of percentage BQs and it did not disappoint. I got better than a 5 minute cushion out of this. The course is mainly flat. I enjoyed the few downhills, felt like coasting and my quads were still there next morning. The weather was pretty well perfect for this sort of thing but very brisk. I wore long running tights, long sleeve shirt, jacket, ski cap and gloves and didnt need to remove any clothing during the race however many of the runners from the North were in t-shirts and shorts. No wind. No rain. No problem. The finish at Corning was absolutely fabulous with spectators lining both sides of the street for most of a mile. My 15 minutes...I absolutely recommend this race to anyone in need of a BQ and some glassware.

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