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☰
Towpath Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Towpath Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.7 
Organization 4.2 
Spectators 3.5
Number of comments: 201 [displaying comments 141 to 151]
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C. Z. from Cleveland, Ohio
(10/9/2007)
 "Beautiful course." (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Great course with plenty of shade and great water stops. I did the half because of an injury that set me back in training. If I could suggest a couple of things: 1. A two-person relay with a exchange at the Boston store. 2. A covered tent in the finishing area to protect runners from sun, wind, rain. It was hot standing out in the sun this year. 3. Some type of water or spraying device at the end if the marathon is ever run in hot weather again. The Parkersburg Half had one of these. 4. Reverse the current course so the later miles run through the peninsula; that seems to be the more scenic part of course with more fan support. Otherwise, it's a great race. Definite will do it again. | |
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N. B. from Rootstown, Ohio
(10/9/2007)
 "Totally flat, mostly shaded, fast course" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Towpath Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 In giving this marathon 5 stars for course, I am NOT comparing it to scenic courses like Marine Corps, Steamtown, Flying Pig, etc. This is a totally different 'kind' of marathon. It was a refreshing change from the 'typical' marathon on concrete and asphalt. The start is 0.9 miles to the towpath. The Towpath Trail is flat and its surface is mostly crushed limestone...an occasional strip of asphalt near the path's access points. After the first 0.9 miles, the rest is entirely Towpath. It is heavily shaded in many areas but does have its points where you are in full light. The shade certainly helped this year during the heat. If you want a course that is predictable, fast, without ups/downs, gorgeous natural surroundings, you'll love this race. The water stops were well stocked, great volunteers, and easy to tell what was water and what was Gatorade. I gotta say...the roar of the crowd at the finish line was great! Other than that, there are very few spectators...which in reality, there really can't be many. One suggestion: ditch the hot tubs at the finish and spend the funds on a high quality finishing medal. Out of my 18 marathons, this was the smallest and lightest medal by far. | |
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R. M. from Kitchener, Ontario
(10/9/2007)
"Worth the Time" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 There are several small points that could be improved upon but overall this was a good race. I understand the need for the start location (need some distance to spread out the runners a little before entering the trail) but it was not made clear that there were no port-a-potties or refreshments near the start. Plan in advance. Never seen so many people using natures cover. Also, don't be fooled by any suggestions of an expo. There was a wellness display and a table selling some New Balance product at registration. Also, unless I missed them no pins were provided for your race number and no ties for your chip. Had to lace it on which is very annoying to remove at the end. Also, I'd rather see some bagels than an Arby's sandwich at the end. The rest is all good. Beautiful location. Lots of aid stations. Turnarounds were clearly marked. Where spectators could watch they were numerous and vocal. Couple hotels within 10 min of the start line. Around 400 people in the marathon so if you don't like the big crowds this race is an excellent choice. About 75% of the course is shaded which helped with the heat. Overall I would recommend this race for people who are looking for a nice simple fairly well run smaller marathon. | |
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J. C. from Windsor, Ontario
(10/8/2007)
"A wonderful small marathon" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Towpath Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This is a great small town marathon. Lots of free parking, and despite the very hot day, there were lots of supplies at all the aid stations. The course is on a trail, and there are essentially NO spectators, except where the trail crosses a road. Because of the heat (88ยบ), I finished much later than I expected, but there was still lots of food available, including bananas, oranges, and Arby's roast beef sandwiches. The volunteers were fantastic, unfailingly cheerful and dedicated. The race director replied promptly to emails before the event, and results were posted on the website the same day. I had a great time. | |
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Larry R. from Cincinnati, OH
(10/8/2007)
 "Scenic course" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Towpath Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 Loved this course, however they should change the start closer to the Towpath. Very inconvenient to walk to the start from the parking lots. No portolets. Otherwise a great course. Weather was too hot but no one can plan for that. Enjoyed my day in the Cuyhoga National Forest. I would do it again, hopefully under cooler conditions. | |
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T. T. from Wouth Bend, IN
(10/8/2007)
"Beautiful Course" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Towpath Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The course is beautiful. 26.2 miles of beautiful scenery, really takes your minds off the hard work. The course has a variety of running surfaces. There were plenty of water and aid stations on the course. Volunteers were friendly and helpful. There weren't many spectators, but that is understandable for trail running. Organization wasn't as good. When I asked for help, half of the time, the staffs didn't have answers. At the finish line, runners were confusing not knowing where to return the chips. There was plenty of food for everyone at the finish line. Thanks everyone. | |
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R. Vince from Bentleyville, Ohio
(10/7/2007)
 "Disaster" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 4-5 Towpath Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 For a number of years, I would rave, on this very site, about this very marathon. What was once the best marathon in this region of the country, has become, perhaps, worse than the Cleveland Marathon itself. A disaster - despite the glorious course, the organization was as amateurish as anything I have ever witnessed. Examples: Screwed up the starting point a 1/2-mile down the road, having to close all roads accessing the parking half an hour before start times, failing to provide enough toilets (does it get any more amateurish?). I was with a partner who became hyponatremic. No first aid - if there was, you couldn't find it. None of the race personnel knew where it was. The heat today was NOT a surprise to anyone - how can there be NO first aid? Even Cleveland has that! | |
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gregory blanchfield from ct
(12/7/2006)
"Great autumn marathon!" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Towpath Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 As a disabled marathon walker (Achilles Track Club), I cannot say enough positive things about this event. I was allowed to have a TWO-hour early start and was treated with dignity and respect. The course is fantastic: soft trail surface with incredible vistas of wetlands, forests and rolling hills. First rate! | |
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Michael Martin from New Freedom, PA
(10/13/2006)
"Amazingly Beautiful Course" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Towpath Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 This was my 14th marathon and was by far the most beautiful and scenic course I have ever run on. It was also flat and lends itself to PRs if you are trained properly. I was only a few minutes off my PR and this was because I ran a 25-mile training run the day before in prep for a 50M in 6 weeks. The only complaint I have is that the turnaround point was not manned or marked well when me and a couple of other runners passed it, thus resulting in extra distance as well as additional time added to our finish times. Not a huge deal since I would not have gotten a PR anyway, but it would have been nice to see how close I would have gotten to it. Overall, though, a great marathon experience, and I would highly recommend it! | |
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Josh Dillingham from Cincinnati, Ohio
(10/9/2006)
 "Good for a PR" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Towpath Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I want to start off this review with the drawback because I don't want the one drawback to be the last thing in your head about this race. The fact that all marathoners, half, and relay all started at the same time made the start much more crowded than it needed to be. Other than that, this was a great race. This was the first "flat" course I have run. I never thought the hills made such a difference to me until this race. I bested my PR by more than eight minutes after running a 50K the week before. This course is fast and the crushed limestone most of the way makes it a smooth ride. The aid stations were plentiful and well stocked, I had more GU then I knew what to do with. Running through Cuyahoga Falls National Park in the fall is a truly beautiful experience. There is a great small-town atmosphere that goes along with this marathon; bring the family and make a weekend of it. In all if you are looking for a scenic route for a PR and are tired of the crowds of bigger marathons, Towpath is for you. If crowd support is a big deal for you, consider looking elsewhere. The spectators that are there are great but are few and far between. I wouldn't choose it for your first marathon only because the flatness of the course can only set you up for disappointment when you run a normal course with hills. I recommend staying at the Stanford Hostel. This is where I stayed, and for $15 a night, you can't beat it. The hostel is a quarter mile from the start. They have a nice kitchen for cooking pre-race meals and there are sure to be other runners there on marathon weekend. Heck, I might even go back to Cuyahoga Falls another weekend and stay at the Stanford house. Would I run this race again? Absolutely. P.S. Don't plan on spending any time at the expo; it's literally in a two-car garage, ha. |
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