May 21, 2024
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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 271 to 281]
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J. C. from New York, NY
(2/20/2004)
 "Not too happy with this race" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 1 At the expo, there was no organization. The only thing the runners got was a thin, ugly t-shirt. There was NO water at the start. The spectators were few and far between. Overall, not a good race. | |
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K. P. from Southborough, MA
(1/20/2004)
 "Fast fun friendly race" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my second marathon, the first being Disney. I found the Hartford Marathon course to be fast and entertaining. The volunteers were enthusiastic and efficient. The other runners were very friendly, and unlike Disney, few wore headphones, so you could converse with other runners on the course. The only problem was the shortage of GU20 at the end of the race, otherwise I would of given organization 5 stars. I will definitely be back to this one. | |
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M. C. from Albany, NY
(12/2/2003)
"Great first marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I'm 54 and this was my first marathon so I have nothing to compare. The course was beautiful for the first 20 miles, then became hilly. However, even a flat last 6 miles might have been gruelling! But the organization and crowds were great! I particularly liked the Scottish dancers outside the church at around mile 8 and at mile 22 the signs 'There is no curse.... There is no wall'... (referring to the ongoing Red Sox /Yankee baseball series). I had hesitated to do this race as my first marathon because the comments all mentioned the hills. While they make for a slower time, they were really not a problem. | |
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D. G. from Maryland suburb of DC
(11/30/2003)
"Rough hills, no sports drink" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 It was a great fall marathon with nice New England foliage, decent crowds, and the pasta party had a very good presentation by a man who climbed Mt. Everest. Others have mentioned the hills in the late miles. They were a killer. The lack of a sports drink in the last half was a serious flaw. I asked for some at every water table and they were either out of it or never had it based on what the volunteers said. My time was a little over four hours, so they should have had some. This is the first time I have ever encountered this. | |
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K. C. from Manchester, CT
(11/29/2003)
"Great First Marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon, having run the half marathon in Hartford the year before. It was a very well run event, this year the weather was much better than last year (constant rain). Fans were very supportive and spread throughout the course. Would definitely do this race again!!! | |
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J. L. from Buffalo, NY
(10/16/2003)
"Enjoyable race" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon, and I finished under my goal time of four hours. I thought that the hills in the last 6 miles made it a difficult course, especially for a first-timer. My pace started to slow down at mile 18 due to the hills. The promised 'down to the finish' seemed like it would never come and was far too short. The race was very well organized. It was small enough to have a personal feel, but big enough to have quality services. The large number of port-a-potties at the start made for short lines. The weather was a bit too warm and it was about a week before peak fall colors, but I enjoyed the day and the race very much. | |
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j. s. from Oak Forest, IL
(10/15/2003)
 "Great event" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The weather was awesome this year, however it was a little warm at the end. The race starts/finishes in Bushnell Park, which is downtown and close to everything. If your looking for a good mid-size fall marathon, add this to your list. Everything was well done, the only draw back is the hills start at mile 19, so save some for the end. | |
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P. V. from Central New York
(10/14/2003)
"A great race - but look out for the last 10K" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 The Hartford Marathon is a very good race, but be ready for a tough final 10K. After a flat first 20 miles, the final 10K is a bit of a rollercoaster. Organization was ok - they had some major lines at the expo early but seemed to recover well. We arrived around noon on Friday and waited in line about an hour to get our packets and shirts, but by the time we left the lines were under control. Organizers and volunteers did a wonderful job with fluid stops on the course and everything was well marked. Didn't have nearly as many bands as advertised, but the spectators were fabulous. Super medal, too. | |
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T. B. from New Jersey
(10/14/2003)
 "Great 'medium-size' marathon" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Great race, with only a little room for improvement. For those seeking a change from New York or other huge marathons, this is about as good as it gets (also Philly is quite similar). The volunteers, who also did most of the cheering, are wonderful, and the dry-release t-shirts are awesome (unlike most others I can actually wear it running). The course is a bit tough the last few miles, but if you save something for it you'll be fine. My only gripe is with the water stations, which served up GU2O which was so diluted it was hard to tell from the water. For those of you who plan to get most of your carbs from the drinks, you should probably bring a few gels instead. Oh, and the food at the finish is great too - vegetarian chili on potatoes might not sound appetizing after a marathon, but it certainly hit the spot for me! | |
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G. P. from Queens, New York
(10/13/2003)
"Well organized and fairly fast" (about: 2003)
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my 2nd marathon, (I ran NYC last year) and was definitely worth the 2-hour drive up north. The course itself is not very scenic, although the autumn foliage was pretty outside the city itself. The rolling hills toward the end of the race were tame, especially after 20+ miles of mostly flat terrain. I set a PR by 24 minutes (though I missed qualifying for Boston by a minute and a half!!). Water stations were plentiful, and the post-race food was excellent. (Rice and beans, bagels, baked potatoes, Krispy Kremes!!!) I would definitely recommend running Hartford to anyone looking for a smaller fall race to qualify for Boston. |
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