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May 3, 2024

Cowtown Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Cowtown Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.0

Organization 3.7

Spectators 3.4

Number of comments: 184 [displaying comments 11 to 21]

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 19 > ]

E. B. from Austin, texas (5/9/2014) "Great crowds and workers" (about: 2014) 1 previous marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The middle school students from Summer Creek Middle School at mile 23, The Woodshed, were totally amazing! They had Gu, Powerade, water, and best of all cool towels (the only ones on the course)! I was about to give up and they were loud, inspirational, and kept me going. Great bunch of kids. The rest of the spectators were proud of their city and it is a great race.
J. B. from Chesapeake, VA (3/5/2014) "Huge Disappointment!!" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Cowtown Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 1 FANS: 3 Ran this race with a friend who was running his first marathon after losing 200 lbs. When he crossed the finish line after a grueling 6 hrs and 40 mins on the course, he was awarded a PICTURE of a medal!!! What?!!! Marathon 101 - make sure the # of medals >= the number of runners!!! I was furious! He was totally robbed of that once in a lifetime thrill of having that 1st marathon medal placed around his neck. The pride of wearing his medal out on the town to celebrate this huge accomplishment in his life with his family and friends was stolen. I've run over 35 marathons and never experienced such disappointment. I traveled 1,400 miles to be with him and share in this incredible moment and Cowtown dropped the ball BIG TIME!! Please don't ever let that happen again. Make sure you have enough medals for ALL runners.
B. S. from New York, NY (2/24/2014) "Nice Mid-Sized Race Deep in the Heart" (about: 2014) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Cowtown Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was a challenging race - a fair amount of up and down, and a little heat for the last few miles. This was not the most scenic marathon - I am not sure if that is a fair representation of Fort Worth. Am I the only person whose GPS watch said '26.5'? Despite the possible extra distance, I still PR'd. Very nice scene at the post race event. Nice people along the route. Well done.
N. M. from Odessa, TX (2/23/2014) "I Love Cowtown!" (about: 2014) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 Cowtown Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my second consecutive year to run Cowtown. I did the 50K last year and this year. Just like last year, it was fun from beginning to end. Lots of bands and spectators. The course goes through all of the Ft Worth landmarks. Residents in the neighborhoods cheered and served goodies in addition to the regular aid stations. It definitely gives you a good flavor of Texas and I hope to run every year until my legs fall off. :-)
M.V. Hake from Mission, KS (1/15/2014) "Excellent marathon in a cool city" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Cowtown Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Can't say enough good things about this race, if you're looking to run a winter marathon in the south-central region of the U.S. or are looking to check Texas off your list, I highly recommend the Cowtown. The course is great the entire way. The historic Stockyards district is a lot of fun to run through, some people complain about the bricks but I didn't mind them; it's only about a hundred foot stretch of road and you just have to watch your footing a little more. The only notable hill is between miles 8 and 9 going over the river up to downtown Fort Worth, it's about 100 ft. tall but very gradual so not a killer. The toughest part about it is that you can see it ahead of you for about a mile before the incline begins. Running TCU's campus and the neighborhoods around it are nice, and the final 10K highlights the Trinity River trails and parks. It also takes you by the famous Colonial professional golf course. With 5K to go the year I ran it, a spirited bunch of TCU students had a table of cups set up trailside, as I prepared an energy gel and approached the table I was offered beer instead! I had to resist since my PR was hanging in the balance, so I ran away to chants of 'BEER'S BETTER THAN GU!' The wait ended up being well worth it, though, as there were endless cups of Miller Lite at the finish line party. My one and only criticism was that the reunion area could use some rethinking to go more smoothly. After you finish you're directed thru the exhibit hall to get your finisher's tech shirt, and the reunion area for family and friends is in an adjoining hall next to it. However, this can be frustrating to navigate after running a marathon, and if you and your family/friends aren't aware of the designated reunion area it can lead to confusion. I would advise having a specific location in mind of where to meet your party, as they will not be allowed past the gated finish line festival area, which is a little off-putting but not a dealbreaker. For all i know they may have changed this since I ran it in 2012, so don't let that deter you, everything else about this race is superb. The finisher's medal is a really cool, unique medallion on a nice, custom ribbon, and the two shirts you get with the event are both technical material with great designs. The Race Expo also has tons of vendors and really cool event merchandise if you want other race apparel or last-minute gels, bars or other nourishment; the expo has you covered. Make sure and grab a copy of the Monday newspaper, the Fort Worth Star Telegram has really good coverage and pictures of the race. The entire city really gets excited about having this race, it's no wonder it's so popular, there is an extremely enthusiastic and positive energy surrounding this event. The Cowtown is worth traveling to from any corner of the country, and if your from the Midwest like myself, it is a regional must-run-marathon. Make the trip to Fort Worth in February and you will not be disappointed!
k. s. from lubbock texas (4/18/2013) "great experience" (about: 2012) 2 previous marathons \| 1 Cowtown Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Great time. Did not care for the bricks in stock yard but not too bad. Did the half with my daughter and cousin with family and grand kids as spectators. Great time going to do the full marathon in 2014.
S. K. from Arlington, Texas (4/16/2013) "Excellent experience" (about: 2013) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Cowtown Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 The course is hilly, but living locally I was aware of that and had trained on it. This was a great first marathon for me. The only reason why the organisers get 4* rather than 5 is the pacers, who weren't very much in evidence at all.
R. G. from Dallas, TX (3/26/2013) "Great Race!" (about: 2013) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Cowtown Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was my first full marathon, and it exceeded my expectations. I loved the course: enough hills to make it interesting, a mix of city, neighborhoods, and parks, and great spectators. The volunteers were great throughout the course and especially at the finish. I stayed at one of the recommended hotels with a lot of other runners. The shuttle to the start was very convenient. I will be running this again next year!
T. S. from Bossier City, LA (3/13/2013) "great race for 1st marathon experience" (about: 2013) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Cowtown Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I was very impressed w/ the organization of this race. I was skeptical about the course after reading reviews about the hills and 'shredded legs' since I train on flat roads. The hills were more challenging on the 2nd half of the course. I didn't like running on the cobblestones but the crowd support running through the Stockyards was great. All fluid and gel stations were well staffed and plenty of spectators lending their support. The end of the race gradually goes uphill, which was tough. Course showcases many different areas of Fort Worth and some really nice, majestic homes. Tons of food afterwards, and you get 2 shirts instead of the usual one. Nice medal too. We drove our vehicle to the race and parked for free. Area set up well. Super organized for my first 'big' race. Have run 5 half marathons but this was my first full distance.
M. G. from Keller, TX (3/2/2013) "I keep coming back" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 6+ Cowtown Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Course is not easy nor is it a killer. Variety of running through neighborhoods, stockyards, and park trails. Corral start is good and after 1.5 miles the runner crowds thin out. Any trouble spots on the streets were spray painted orange as a warning. Aid stations and unofficial aid stations are plentiful enough. Need to be more consistent on water or Powerade first at the water stations. Nice medals and shirts. Finish line food is great (Blue Bell ice cream!!) Parking is not an issue. Like running the 2 day, 2 race Cowtown challenge. If you are in the DFW area there is no reason to miss the Cowtown.

More Comments: [ < 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 19 > ]

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