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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 251 to 261]
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D. R. from Dover, MA
(10/11/2005)
 "Nice Job Done in a Pouring Rain" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The organizers did a good job under difficult conditions. The water stops were close together and had plenty of cheerful volunteers calling out what they were holding. I don't prefer the 180-degree turn around points on the course, but otherwise it is a mostly flat course with noticeable climbs in only a couple of places in the final 7 miles. Parts of the Riverside Park stretch were flooded out due to the rain forcing you to run off of the paved sidewalk in the mud. However, it was hardly noticeable after having run in the rain for 18 miles. | |
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M. D. from Kennesaw, GA
(10/10/2005)
 "Great marathon all around!" (about: 2005)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Expo was great; it had every energy gel I could ever want, and lots of nice race apparel in menus and women's styles and sizes. They tried to give me a wind-shirt in size medium (not what I specified), but they kindly let me trade it for a small tech-fabric long-sleeve running shirt. Decent logo. Conditions on race day were simply terrible. Very warm, in the low 70's at the start, it rained the whole time, plus stiff headwinds and crosswinds throughout the first 16 miles or so. Didn't mind being wet, but I could never cool off. Made for a painful run, although I successfully executed my plan and ran a steady 75%-78% for the first 20 miles. Nice starting ceremony, they had the Connecticut honor guard there. In the middle of the national anthem, the rain caused the speakers to blow, but the runners and spectators carried the rest of the anthem beautifully. Very nice. The course was scenic and very well suited for the marathon. Mostly flat. The much-ballyhooed hills at miles 20 & 21 turned out to be just a small one-block incline, then it leveled off. If it climbed steadily over the next two miles, then I sure didn't notice. Beautiful rural roads, nice old (really old) neighborhoods with stately mansions and academic institutions, and some gorgeous parks. Water stops were every single mile and always well stocked with water and Gatorade. GU-bikers rode throughout the course and offered free GU to anyone who wanted it. There was even a junk-food water stop around mile 23, complete with gummy bears, candy bars, and Coke. The rain didn't keep the volunteers away, and they were very well prepared and thoughtfully announced what they were holding in their cups. Mile markers weren't as prominent as I had hoped, but once I knew what I was looking for I had no trouble finding them. Great finish, in spite of the rain. Bleachers for spectators, they announced my name over the loudspeaker as I approached the finish. Beautiful park setting, I felt so important as I passed under the old archway toward the finish. Lots of great post-race food, like apple cobbler, Brunswick stew, cookies, bagels, fruit, juices, water, soda, etc. A volunteer even stood up and offered me his seat (how often does that ever happen anymore?). Very well organized event from all angles. Will I do it again? You bet. The weather was such a fluke, it should've been in the 40's and 50's at the start. Odds are the temps will be just perfect next time. | |
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J. W. from Detroit, MI
(10/10/2005)
 "Good, not great, marathon " (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Having done 20+ different marathons, Hartford is average at best. The expo was small, the course was average (out and back), and the rain kept many spectators away. There was some entertainmaint on the course, but it was nowhere near the 20+ advertised. The big post-race party at night was a bust, as the pub was already reserved by others. Maybe this is a great marathon for New England, but it is not compared to others around the USA. | |
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P. C. from Worcester, Massachusetts
(10/9/2005)
"Best New England Marathon" (about: 2005)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Hartford Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 BOSTON SCHMOSTON! If you prefer blaring renditions of Rocky music from giant speakers, blended with ear-piercing screams, combined with the never-ending clanging of Nike cowbells, then Hartford might not be your favorite New England marathon. But if you like live bag-pipers, husband and wife duets, historic dancers and ancient oriental drummers; try Hartford. Prestigious mansions dressed in their fall regalia line the relatively flat course, and the double out-back layout makes it possible to be a spectator and a participant in an event which draws true elite athletes every year. I love this race. It's an ideal race for first-timers, with cheerful pace leaders to help you achieve your goal. Thanks, again Hartford, for coming out in full force, even on a blustery rainy day! Keep up the good work. | |
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g. i. from stamford,ct
(10/8/2005)
 "first marathon... tough course" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The last few miles are really uphill... very tough, but besides that, the course is fine. | |
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C. S. from Needham, MA
(6/17/2005)
"Very good first marathon" (about: 2004)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I really enjoyed the experience - it was my first. Just remember to leave something in the tank for the last 6+ miles, as it's the toughest part of the race. The first 20 miles is a relatively flat out-and-back - the last 6.2 is a hilly run through the city. | |
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S. K. from White Plains, NY
(11/12/2004)
"Great Fall Race" (about: 2004)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 The course was certainly nice enough and plenty flat. The spectators were supportive from start to finish. It is a small-sized race, so they are able to call individual names as you cross the finish line, and that feels great. Great group of fellow runners made it feel more relaxed. A couple of local schools fielded teams that ran 1-mile relays to support some teachers who were running and that made for great inspiration. | |
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G. K. from Metro Boston
(10/29/2004)
"Well Done." (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I decided to run this race after hearing about it from friends in my running group who ran the race in 2003. The crowds, while sparse at times, were kind, the volunteers hard working and helpful, and the course was a nice mixture of rural and urban scenery. If I had to criticize something it would be the race?s profile on the event website. I would like to see them cap the Y-axis at 120 feet versus the 420 feet they currently show. In terms of hills, this race is by no means difficult. After running the race I decided that the profile on their site is more an attempt to give a false impression of how flat the course is than it is to assist (potential) participants in realistically seeing what the elevation is on this course. | |
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Matt Rogers from Saint Simons Island, GA
(10/25/2004)
"Couldn't be better!" (about: 2004)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I was 0 for 3 on previous marathon finishes going back to my young and dumb days, so this was a great experience. Everything was top notch, the weather was great, as was the support. The hills were tough on me only because I have lived in pancake flat south Georgia for last 7 years (it is a shame for a native of KY to admit difficulty with such trivial hills). I mentally broke only once, uphill at around 23 miles when I walked a few steps, but then snapped out of it and ran the rest of the distance and finished hard (at least it felt hard on my flaming quads). If you are looking for an alternate to big city races, this is a great choice. Kudos to everyone in Hartford for a good job and being so darn friendly. The south has nothing on you in that regard! | |
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P. F. from Cape Cod, MA
(10/25/2004)
"Great place for a Boston Qualifier" (about: 2004)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Hartford Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The course was terrific, scenic on some parts, and urban on others. Traffic control was excellent. Bushnell Park, where the race starts and ends, was beautiful and alive with events so that friends and relatives waiting for you had something to do. The last 10K, although hilly, weren't devastatingly so, and that part of Hartford is a pretty nice neighborhood to run in. Thanx Hartford. |
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