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Apr 27, 2024

Reykjavik Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.1

Organization 3.8

Spectators 3.1

Number of comments: 42 [displaying comments 21 to 31]

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J. S. from San Diego, California (3/12/2008) "Nice and small international marathon" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Reykjavik Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 4 This was my first international marathon. Overall, it was a worthwhile experience. The race was small with 500 or so participants. The weather was perfect - sunny and relatively warm. Several things to keep in mind if you plan to run this race in the future: -Water/sport drinks only available every 5K. -The race course is not blocked off and is open to traffic (particularly the last 10 miles or so). -The course is not clearly marked towards the end of the race. I had to ask race volunteers for directions a few times. -Iceland is expensive, so plan ahead!!
D. H. from Glasgow, Scotland (9/1/2007) "A magical experience for a first international" (about: 2007) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Reykjavik Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Had an absolutely magical time. I thought the weather was fantastic - I caught the sun but remained cool the whole way round. The whole day just seemed to have a magical tinge; I lined up at the start by the right predicted finish time and couldn't believe I was stood next to six Kenyans and Stefano Baldini. Somewhat inspired by this I PB'd in 3:24. Loads of very vivid memories the whole way round. I got worried at the split with the half as I thought it was earlier and had missed it - when they eventually left us I couldn't believe how everyone else went straight on and there was only two people in eyesight who turned left up the marathon course. It suddenly became very lonely. Had a surreal experience at mile 19 when running past the DJ and crowd at the remote beach. There was no one else around, so it felt very personal with all the cheering. The DJ then changed his music to the Benny Hill theme which must have seemed appropriate as my hairstyle (i.e. none) resembles the funny little man that Benny Hill chases. At mile 20 to 22, I was running and chatting with a Canadian girl until I suddenly cramped and screamed expletives. I lost about 20 seconds whilst I shook off the cramp and then she eventually finished 3 minutes ahead of me as I slowed down. I struggled with sore legs over the last mile and was grateful that for most of the last three miles I could run on a grass verge. At the finish I saw the Canadian girl and apologized for my language - she was in a state of shock as she had been given a wreath and had won the race. I absolutely loved Reykjavik and the surrounding scenery - and the fact that the marathon was on Culture Night just added to the experience. After the race, the PowerAde and chocolate at the finish was very welcome. In town I had a recovery Guinness and a loaf of bread scooped out and filled with soup before catching up with Reykjavik's hottest girl punk band and some dreadful blues outfit. Had a lovely evening meeting up with a German runner who had just beaten me - he was running six marathons this year. I would recommend this race to anyone - the course is fast (as long as there is no wind). It is unlikely ever to be too hot and the scenery and air are both magical. It can be lonely - but I found that passing the earlier starting slow runners/walkers helped around miles 16 to 20 and earlier there was plenty of company from the half marathon. It's not cheap to visit, but for a country that is less than two hours flight from the UK (Glasgow) I thought it was an opportunity to see sights (geysers, volcanoes and glaciers) that make you feel like you are on another planet. If you are going next year, go to the Blue Lagoon on the way from the airport to the city; you buy your tickets at the airport.
s. g. from Maryland, USA (8/23/2007) "Spectacular Course" (about: 2007) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Reykjavik Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 This year (2007) there were 500 finishers in the marathon, 1200 in the half, and 2000+ in the 10K. The marathon course was largely run along the oceanfront, and was awesome. The middle portion had some hills, but none that were major. The course even ran through the zoo shortly after 21K. Having run 30 marathons in the US, there were a number of differences, which did not detract from the event. The "expo" had a total of 2 vendors, despite being in a huge sports complex. Other than the T shirt, there were no marathon-related items to purchase. The start was a bit crowded because the timing mats were narrower than the road. Interestingly, there were no clocks along the course. The distance markers are in KM, which proved to be a welcome distraction to do the calculations. I got a bit confused when spectators called out "only 5 to go," until I realized it was 5K, not 5 miles. :-) Found Reykjavik to be an interesting - although very expensive - city. Overall, a great experience for my first international marathon.
S. J. from United States (8/23/2007) "Beautiful course, wonderful city." (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Reykjavik Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The whole experience was fantastic. We stayed in a hotel 5 min. from the start and finish line. Most of the course was along the beautiful coastline. The whole city came out to help and cheer. Best marathon experience I have had.
Gordon Wainwright from Worcester, UK (8/23/2007) "Beautiful course; well organized but little suppor" (about: 2007) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Reykjavik Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 As a charity walker, I was attracted by the fact that the organizers allow slower runners and walkers to start an hour early, with a course limit of 7 hours. Packet pick up is 5 KM out of town, so not ideal, but once you get there, quite generous in that there are quite a few giveaways and the pasta party was well organized and generous. Fortunately I met up with another runner so we found the Sports Center where the pick up was situated together. Otherwise it would have been a very expensive taxi ride!! As others have said, Reykjavik is very expensive. I was later told that a number 14 bus goes to the Sports Center... it would have been nice if the organizers could have told us this in advance!! Fortunately the race starts and finishes in the center of town so I would strongly recommend a central hotel. I stayed at the Metropolitan Hotel, which was fairly basic but reasonably cheap, for Iceland anyway! Although the course is not traffic-free, it is well marshaled and generally you knew where you were going. Two thirds of the course is scenic with some beautiful coastal views; the rest is along city roads and parks and one stretch through the docks. Also some long, lonely stretches! Crowd support was poor. Although the town center was crowded when I finished, few people bothered to applaud. Water and PowerAde (in cups) were plentiful and regular; also bananas were provided at intervals. Nice medal and T-shirt. We were blessed with lovely weather and a temperature of 15 deg. As others have commented, the race is on the same day as the Cultural Festival so the town was very crowded after the race. If you look hard enough you can find reasonably-priced food.
Marko Norkroos from London, UK (10/3/2006) "Good Nordic Marathon" (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Reykjavik Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Running the marathon in Reykjavik was a thrilling experience for me because I was a first-timer and it was a good choice for a run. I was working in North Iceland in the summer of 2006, and I did not follow any detailed plan in training for the marathon, although I was jogging in the mountains. Even though my form was not particulary satisfying, I enjoyed the event very much. And of course we were blessed with smashing weather. Overall it was a well organized marathon; not the biggest, but quite compact. The foreigners should know everything is expensive, so pre-book as much as possible.
Connie McGinley from Barrie, Ontario, Canada (8/21/2006) "Amazing experience and well-organzied event" (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Reykjavik Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 It was a great pleasure to be involved with this well-organized marathon. I am a part of Team Diabetes Canada. I participated in the half marathon and finished within a decent time considering it was a bit of a hilly course than I expected and the headwinds we faced when we were running beside the water. We were blessed with a beautiful day, which was not what I had anticipated at all. I expected it would be raining and what a pleasant surprise when the sun appeared. Overall I would recommend others to enjoy the experience of being part of this marathon. The people are wonderful and supportive in Reykjavik.
K. H. from Canada (9/3/2004) "Beautiful course and beautiful weather!" (about: 2004) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Reykjavik Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 The course was very nice, and we had great weather. Better, than I think they've had in years! There were lots of supportive fans on the course, but I found overall, there were many that said nothing as we ran by, and there were long stretches with no one around. It would have been nice to have more cheering.
Dave Hoffman from Milwaukee, Wis (8/31/2004) "The Pure Air & Water Marathon" (about: 2004) 50+ previous marathons \| 1 Reykjavik Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 Even if you're a 5-hour marathoner, you can live out you fantasy of leading the pack by starting a hour early with the charity runners. A young woman, a first-timer, passed me at the 7K mark and took away my lead and my bicycle escort. I went off course for 15 minutes and finished in my usual time. What the race lacks in sentries for direction and traffic control, it makes up for in scenic beauty and the magic of Iceland.
Mark Shockey from Keflavik, Iceland (8/31/2004) "An Excellent 'Small' Marathon" (about: 2004) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Reykjavik Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 1 This was my 5th marathon (I ran 4 and worked at an aid station at another), so I'm not much of an expert; but I really enjoyed the race. Unlike past years, the weather was perfect for running with clear skies, only a hint of a breeze, and the temperature was about 55-60 degrees. The weather here can be very unpredictable; we were pretty lucky this year. I enjoy international marathons because of the diverse nationalities represented; I chatted with runners from Canada, Italy, the USA, the UK, and Iceland. I found the course to be fast, with only a few moderate hills. The majority of the course was on foot paths and bike trails through parkland or following the shoreline of the peninsula on which the Reykjavik is situated. I found the course to be very scenic; where else can you see a stainless sculpture of an extinct Great Awk standing hauntingly alone in the off shore tidepools. The fan support was good, with local residents beating on pots and pans while others shouted encouragement or applauded. The number of spectators was low; but then again, the weather was great, so probably a lot of the locals were out of town enjoying a rare sunny and warm summer weekend. It was my first metric marathon; luckily I printed out a pace strip in kilometers. It was worth it! Each of the 42 kilometers of the race was marked with a numbered traffic cone. I preferred having 42 reference points to gauge my pace and progress to the 25 reference points offered in non-metric courses. The aid stations were located every 5 kilometers and I think there were WCs spread out in 3-4 locations. I do have one cautionary note about the cost of living here in Iceland; it's very expensive! Meals can run $40-50; so expect to pay 'airport prices' for just about everything. Also there was a glitch with the chip computer that delayed race registration about 3 hours, but that stuff can happen. All in all, I thought it was a well run marathon for its small size. I recommend it.

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