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Paris Int'l Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Paris Int'l Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.6 
Organization 3.6 
Spectators 3.9
Number of comments: 191 [displaying comments 171 to 181]
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Richard Ervais from San Francisco
(4/8/2003)
 "Great way to see Paris!" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 I just ran Paris for the first time. I thought the course was very good and the organization was so-so. The course runs through some beautiful areas, including the Louvre, through diverse neighborhoods and parks and along the river. At times, it was a little tight with some pushing and shoving that I haven't seen in American marathons. The water stations dispense bottles of water and you have to be careful not to slip on the discarded bottles and caps. Very few opportunities for sports drinks (perhaps 2 or 3 of the water stations dispensed cups of Vitel sports drink but the crowds around them made retrieving a drink daunting). Port-a-potties were very limited at the start and along the course (practically non-existent). My major complaint is the finish. After crossing the line, you are made to walk for a few minutes to retrieve your medal and mylar wrap. There is some limited food (banana and orange halves and water) and then the finishers are herded into chutes packed like sardines and slowly, slowly move towards the meeting friends area (very uncomfortable for those with cramping legs). Those who tried to jump over the railing into the adjoining park were screamed at by guards. At the end there is lots of substantial food (though all meat based) but you have to pay for it (who carries that kind of money when running a marathon). | |
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Ana Pereira (pereira- from Lisboa
(11/5/2002)
 "Paris Marathon 2001" (about: 2001)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 ?Et voilá!Portugal!Un grand pays!? ? I raise my arms to the sky and run victorious to the finish line! For the first time, I finished the 42.195m of a Marathon and those words were the best prize I could have had!!! Four months of specific training, a lot of hours running. Under the rain, the sun, at day, at night, alone and with my dog. During my preparation, for a while, I tought to give up, due to several difficulties of a married woman with a little baby, and also due to physical problems. But I did not give up!!!! I finished my first marathon in 4h04m and I was announced at the arrival! Isn?t this absolutely fantastic?! Do you thing it was hard? Not at all! Hard were the previous four months! But it was worth while!!! When I reach the 41 Km, I really felt sorry because there were only missing 1195 m to run in that spectacular race!! I intensively lived each meter, as the fantastic organization proposed. On my last Km, a clown (an Animator) offered me a flower that I keep inside my heart, as well as the memories of this absolutely fantastic and unforgettable experience! In 2002 I could not be there, but in 2003 I will!!!! Beautiful Paris, wait for me! | |
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A Runner from San Francisco
(7/7/2002)
 "Great CITY, Sucky Marathon" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 I LOVED PARIS, but the marathon sucked. | |
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Scott Johnson from New York City
(6/17/2002)
 "A Time-of-Your-Life Calorie Burning City Tour" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 What a great first marathon! Paris was my first and I had a great 3:46 on the course. We hit practically all of the major sites (Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde, Seine, Eiffel Tower, etc.)with a pretty enthusiastic crowd which is one of the reasons the first 20 miles or so felt so fun..and not too hard. The course is also extremely flat so it's naturally pretty fast. Generally, the race was very well organized. The start felt smoother than many of our local New York City 10ks..and there were 29,000 runners! I would note that this is a serious runners race, advertised as having the most sub 3:00 finishers of any marathon in the world. So, for those north of 4:30, do not be surprised if they run out of water or open the streets back on you. As for me, I wasn't used to getting H2O only every 5k. Also I couldn't find the sports drinks (they were at the end of the stations...didn't figure that out till the very last one though!). In terms of the course and fan support, it was very strong until when you needed it. The last 4 or 5 miles is in the Bois de Boulogne (a park) and it was empty. So, I had the time of my life and would recommend it very strongly to anyone who plans to run under 4:30. | |
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Renee' Richter from Fort Lauderdale, Florida USA
(5/1/2002)
"An awesome way to see Paris!" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran Paris 2002 as my third full marathon after Disney World and Anchorage; I can sincerely say Paris was the best of the three! The first two were great experiences, as well, but Paris...ah, April in Paris...the sights, the volunteers, the bands, the people on the streets all made for a fantastic marathon! If you're a slower runner like me, expect to have to detour around rollerbladers, baby strollers, bicycles and lunatics who are all out for a Sunday stroll through the closed streets, post 4 hr 30...but I guess that was part of the charm. | |
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A Runner from Florida, USA
(4/25/2002)
"Great SightSeeing Marathon" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 Very enjoyable experience, though quite crowded early-on. Do not expect NYC or Boston-like organization here. I saw no clocks at the start or finish (and only one at the halfway point). Water -only at every 5k. I may have been unfortunate in starting too far back because at least three times in the first 9 miles the crowd of runners was so dense, we came to a complete stop rounding tight corners. But the day was perfect, and the sights were great. I brought a small camera with me and just soaked in the experience. Smiles in the last kilometer, instead of water or a sports drink they had cups of wine! | |
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A Runner from Encino, California, USA
(4/19/2002)
"Everyone should run this race at least once!" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 For my second marathon, I selected the most beautiful city in the world, whose organizers put on quite a scenic marathon. Lots of bands, pretty good fan support. Weather was crisp, sunny, and a bit windy. I carried my own water, which I was thankful for as the distance between water stops was a bit too long for my taste. Of couse, they did serve mini-Vittel bottles...nice French touch. Kudos to the Powerade folks for multicolored beverages at mile 24. Also, keep in mind that you need a DOCTOR'S NOTE to register, and they are serious about this as you cannot pick up your bib without a complete 'dossier'. | |
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A Runner from Brussels,Belgium
(4/18/2002)
"Nearly perfect race" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Well this year, the weather was almost perfect: sunny but not too hot. I had the chance to pick up my bib number on Friday, so there was no queue. This was my third time in Paris and the 2002 edition desserves a 5 star rating. A great improvement this year compared to the previous editions: there were several corrals in the starting area, according to your level, and this helped a lot for a smoother race beginning (29.000 at the start). As for the rest: Paris is marvelous and when the streets are crowded with cheering fans like this year, this race is simply one of the best in Europe. Congrats to the organizers. | |
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A Runner from Seattle, Washington, USA
(4/15/2002)
"Great City, Wonderful Marathon" (about: 2002)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was a great city for a marathon. The organization and course were top notch. My time was not the best (too much Paris before the run), but I enjoyed the run. Except for the wind at the end, the weather was perfect. | |
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A Runner from Brussels, Belgium
(6/12/2001)
"My european favorite..." (about: 2001)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Not my best time, but who cares. SCENIC !!!! |
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