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Hartford Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Hartford Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.1 
Organization 4.3 
Spectators 3.9
Number of comments: 306 [displaying comments 241 to 251]
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K. B. from Manchester, Connecticut
(10/15/2006)
 "A lot of things are done well but still weak areas" (about: 2006)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 3 First, things that worked really well: (1) The weather was perfect - in the 40s at the start and up to the 60s at the finish. (2) Good course support. There were water stations every mile or so, and a particularly fun "junk food" stop at mile 21-22. (3) With the exception on the strech down Main Street in East Hartford, the course is very pretty (especially because the leaves were close to hitting full color). (4) Lots of volunteers who were all easily identifiable in their red shirts. (5) Good crowds at the finish in downtown Hartford. Things that need to be improved: (1) The is a personal peeve but the shirt was dark brown with yellow lettering. Not cute. The blue half marathon shirt looked much nicer. (2) Crowds are still light, especially in certain areas. The volunteers did a good job of cheering, but it would be nice if more people could come out, especially on such a nice day. (3) While the post-race food looked good, the line was enormous and my head was feeling faint, so we left looking for food. It would be nice if once you finished they handed you something more substantial than just a bottle of water (even Gatorade and a banana). (4) The publicity all promised 26 bands/djs on the course and there were maybe 10? Don't promise music if you aren't going to deliver. Overall, though, it was good experience. I ran a personal best (although it was only my second marathon). The hills in the final six miles aren't really that bad, and everyone running around me was really nice and supportive. Hopefully with a few tweaks, this race can get even better. | |
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David Leech from Brooklyn, New York
(10/15/2006)
 "Suprisingly poor" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 2 FANS: 2 I'd heard great things about this marathon, so was very suprised at how poor the experience was. During the start, the announcer spoke at length about the runners who have done every previous Hartford, then at length about two ultra marathoners that were there, and then said, "We have a bunch of Ethiopians." What a way to treat your elite athletes. The course was largely out-and-back - really poor. Some lovely sections out to South Windsor, but I'm sure a fall marathon in New England could have better scenery than this. There were very few clocks at any of the mile checkpoints. So running without a watch (because I kind of expect races to at least put a clock out), I had no idea of my pace and had to ask other people. The course was certainly fast, as billed. And I like the ability to register the morning of the race, since it allowed me to travel there and back in one day, without having to overnight the trip. Overall, pleased with my time, disappointed with the race. | |
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a. h. from ct
(7/10/2006)
 "New England has a LOT better to offer than this!" (about: 2006)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 2 I've done the half marathon several times and run the full marathon with my team also. There's very limited support and some really desolate areas (especially from miles 4-8 and 20-25). The course has a bunch of out-and-backs and seems to go along the areas of Hartford County that AREN'T scenic. They could/should put some effort into making the course better. At mile 20 you actually run right PAST the finish line before spending 5+ miles by yourself because there are NO SPECTATORS out there. This race has the POTENTIAL to a great marathon, but it's not one yet. If you really want to do a marathon in CT, then Mystic Places is a better option. | |
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A. L. from New York, NY
(2/27/2006)
 "Good race!" (about: 2006)
4-5 previous marathons
| 2 Hartford Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I've only run the half marathon, so I can't comment on the marathon course. The half marathon is relatively flat, with a few hills (mainly up bridges) but nothing too challenging. I ran the half marathon twice, in 2004 and 2005. The half-marathon course is not particularly the most scenic course, nor are the spectators the most plentiful, but it is rather fast. It's not as fast as, say, Austin Freescale or the 3M Half Marathon, but for New England/Northeast, this is about as good as it gets. In 2004 (when the weather wasn't horrible) they had an entire ring of masseuses where you could get a post-race massage for free. There was more variety of post-race food here than there is at other races - chili, dessert-type foods, cereal, yogurt. I didn't attend the expo so I can't comment on expo/pasta party, but this is a great little race. Hartford puts on a good show and if you're looking for a fall marathon (or half marathon) that is relatively fast and doesn't have the crowds of New York or Chicago, then this is a good one to race. Also, if you live in the Northeast and want to do some shorter races, the races put on by the Hartford Marathon Foundation are usually similarly well-organized. The masseuses come out for 5Ks as well, and in 2004 a 10K in Elizabeth Park featured post-race goodies such as strawberry shortcake and live music. I have family in the Hartford area so I run a lot of HMF races, and they are quite a treat. | |
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D. S. from Bristol, CT
(12/9/2005)
"A tough day but I still had fun." (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The torrential rain was tough to deal with but the race was good enough to overcome the weather. The course was nice but it was mentally hard passing the finish line at mile 20 to go run the most difficult part of the course. The volunteers and organizers did not abandon us slow folks even with the bad weather and they deserve a lot of credit. I crossed just under 5 1/2 hours and there were still plenty of workers present even though most of the runners had gone home. | |
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T. P. from Indianapolis
(10/21/2005)
 "I Loved This Race!" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Yes, it rained the entire time, but it was warm, so not a problem for me. Traffic control was superb and the course was great. I loved seeing the beautiful old homes decorated for the fall season. The volunteers were wonderful, plenty of support, water, Gatorade, port-a-johns, GU, and smiles! Also plenty of post-race food and music. I loved hearing my name called as I crossed the finish! The medal is the nicest one I have. The nice wind shirt was also a great alternative to the regular cotton tee most races have. I highly recommend this race. Great job, Hartford! One negative: Having to argue with a 'host hotel' for late check-out. If a hotel is going to 'host,' or even be listed on the marathon website, late check-out should be part of the deal. | |
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P. M. from Saratoga, NY
(10/17/2005)
"Rainy day" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Unfortunately, we had rain and wind throughout the day, a tough situation for first-timers. The start/finish area was nice, and I was impressed by the number of spectators given the weather. For experienced runners, the expo is quite small, and I would suggest taking the opportunity to pick up your packets on race day. Also, I got to the start early (6 am), parked less than 50 meters from the race start, and slept in my car. I did not stay for the post-race events, as the weather remained poor. | |
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K. P. from Danbury, CT
(10/12/2005)
"nice race with unfortunate bad weather" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was impressed with the Hartford Marathon. It rained throughout, unusual for early October in CT. The expo was very small, considering it was at the Hartford Civic Center. Pasta Dinner had decent food at a good price. Race was a little disorganized at the start. Water stations every mile, well stocked plus enthusiastic volunteers. The course is very nice, and runs through areas with nice farmhouses, urban and old mansion type neighborhoods. It was raining so hard, yet I was suprised by the number of spectators that turned out. | |
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d. m. from Asheboro, NC
(10/12/2005)
"Nice small marathon - Good but unimpressive" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The weather was awful for 2005 because it rained the whole freaking day but the organizers can't do anything about that. The spectators and volunteers deserve big kudos for being outside when I didn't even want to be outside. The course is flat and fine but you never really see the river until mile 17. On the map it looks like you parallel the river for the first 15 miles or so but you can't see it. The T-shirt design was less than inspiring. I don't understand why they can have great graphics in brochures and dull T-shirts. Go figure. The medal was nice, shiny gold like the brochure logo - better than most. The aid stations where plentiful but the first few where overwhelmed by the runners. The half and full marathon start together and then the half splits off at mile 5 or so. About 1200 did the full marathon. Hotels are about $55 using Priceline and specifying 3 star or better, you get the Hilton or the Crowne Plaza. The Hilton doesn't have a shuttle to the airport but the Crowne does. You can take a $1.25 bus ride from the airport to downtown. The bus leaves 45 minutes past the hour past the baggage claim area. As long as you don't mind a 35 minute ride it is fine and the bus was empty both ways. The Wadsworth art museum is a great deal at $10 and its within walking distance to the downtown hotels. The expo was very small and uninspiring. The organization of the race was good and there were plenty of cops keeping the traffic at bay. It was good but unimpressive. Can't say that I would do it again but glad I did it once. | |
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Lauren Meyerowitz from West Orange, New Jersey; study in Ann Arbor, MI
(10/12/2005)
"I enjoyed my 1st marathon here!" (about: 2005)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I ran my first marathon at Hartford!! It was pooring rain, which may have kept some of the crowd away. There were still great volunteers, though. I didn't mind the rain- it was cooling. The course was great- nice and flat!! (Except a little hilly at the end but nothing steep). It was well organized with PLENTY of fluid stations, port-a-pottys along the way, etc. The roads were well blocked off. We arrived late to the expo the night before because there was immense traffic- so I missed the pasta supper (which also happened to end half an hour early... :( ). Went to eat pasta in a restaurant... Overall, I have nothing to compare this marathon to but I think it was a great first timer. The crowd was great. I loved the marathon-atmosphere and will certainly run another marathon in the future!! I had been hoping to do Chicago for my first one but opted for something closer to home (CT). I dont regret my decision. It may not have been a 'big city' race but it was still really enjoyable, and everyone was friendly. They did a great job at Hartford. I'm just so pround of myself that I finished!!! (Lots of long training paid off!) |
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