May 2, 2024
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☰
New Mexico Marathon Runner Comments
Back to New Mexico Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 3.9 
Organization 3.7 
Spectators 2.2
Number of comments: 96 [displaying comments 11 to 21]
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B. r. from St. Louis, MO
(2/3/2009)
 "Good marathon that could be great." (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New Mexico Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 The course was beautiful. Even with the first 8.5 miles climbing a mountain, it was worth it. The next 8 or so were downhill with great views. After that, there were several miles on a bike path along the Rio Grande, which were not marked with mile markers. It was difficult to tell how far you had gone unless someone with a Garmin told you. This bike path wasn't blocked off and bikers would ride by and make rude comments about runners in their way. I loved the native-designed ceramic medallion. It really represents the area well. If the few issues above are addressed, this could be a spectacular race. By the way, I loved the area so much that I've returned twice since then and bought property near Albuquerque. | |
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Ben Mueller from WI
(11/2/2008)
 "Good, small atmosphere race" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 New Mexico Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 Race was a lot of fun. I ran the half. Start time was plenty early to avoid the heat. Course was all downhill to start and then mostly flat. I believe the altitude had an effect on my performance. Lots to do in NM, and coming from WI, it was a treat to be there. The mountains at the start make for pretty scenery. The race and course has a southwestern-style atmosphere. There is water on the course every 2 miles, I believe. Glad I made the trip. | |
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J. W. from Santa Monica, CA
(9/30/2008)
"Great race/would recommend" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 New Mexico Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Fun race; I enjoyed the early start. Nice host hotel and well-run expo. Cool, long-sleeve tech shirt and really cool medal. There were not a lot of spectators, but the ones out were very enthusiastic. The hotel is only a few blocks away from Old Town, which has some very neat shops and restaurants. Treat yourself to a big burrito after the race (order it Christmas style, which comes with both red and green chili sauce). I would recommend making the hour-long drive north to Santa Fe, and spending some time in The Plaza and checking out the Mission. The only thing I would add is more porta-potties along the course. The first ones are about at the halfway point. Thank you to all the organizers and volunteers. You guys rock!! | |
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C. B. from Tucson, AZ
(9/28/2008)
 "Well-enough organized, but I was bored." (about: 2008)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 New Mexico Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 I am doing 50 States; this was #6. Organization seemed pretty good overall. I carried my own GU so didn't need any food during the race. I really appreciated the pre-dawn start and wish more races would offer them. Unlike other people who have commented, I would NOT call the 8-mile hill at the beginning a slight incline or barely noticeable. It was a long slog for me, and I trained on hills. The 7-mile downhill was the best for me - not only because it was easy, but because the views were tremendous and you could clearly see the Rio Grande as the goal for a long time. Trouble started after I reached the bottom of the hill. I thought the stretch through the residential neighborhood was incredibly boring, and the bike path was even more boring, like a prolonged period of torture. I did appreciate being able to run on the gravel as I experienced a foot injury during the race. Even though I was bored with the course, obviously lots of other people thought it was gorgeous, so that is probably just my own weird opinion, since I love big urban marathons the best. My legitimate criticisms are as follows: 1) They really, really need more porta-potties. I didn't need one, thankfully, but there were hardly any on the whole course and no concealing bushes, either. 2) I know they can't have race clocks at every mile, but the half would have been nice. That's it! Everything else was just a collision between what I like in a marathon, and what this marathon had. The aid stations were well-manned and all volunteers were cheerful and enthusiastic. Oh, the one other thing is that I may be the ONLY person here who did NOT like the medal. I display all my medals together and this one doesn't look like the rest. But, again, that's just personal preference; it was a well-designed medal, just not the kind I like. | |
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L. L. from Colorado
(9/16/2008)
 "Very nice for a small race" (about: 2008)
4-5 previous marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was a really great, small race. The race was organized very well. The race directors and volunteers were very helpful with questions prior to the marathon and at the expo. I met a lot of friendly runners from various places, and even the locals were very hospitable. The marathon course (terrain-wise) itself was not difficult. The 8 miles of "hills" are just a gradual incline and barely noticeable. The rest is downhill and flat at the end. I found the early start was excellent and seeing the sunrise over the city was outstanding. The weather was semi-cool yet very humid, which surprised me (maybe due to the rain the night before), so I had to hydrate much more than anticipated. The traffic control was done well, though there were very few spectators. The MC at the finish did a great job, as he called everyone's names and cracked a few silly jokes. The post-race food was fine for this size of race, and the celebration afterward (e.g. the local dancers) was a nice added touch. Cool medal! The only small downside was that you have to bring your own "fuel" (energy food), which is challenging because you have to put it somewhere on your body! I'm a minimalist and don't carry packs of any kind, so I had to figure a way to do it that worked for me. If you want a no-frills marathon with a good course fit for any novice to advance, this is the one for you. Thanks for a great experience! | |
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J. R. from Santa Monica, CA
(9/8/2008)
 "Great course versus typical major-city marathon" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New Mexico Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Starting the race (pre-dawn) in the Sandias and then the run along the rise to the 9-mile mark was great - we got a good hour in before the sun was up - and it was great to catch the lights of the city sprawled out below as you were running in the hills. Downhill section from 8/9 to 15 was scenic - but it was pretty steep in sections for such a long downhill - definitely do some quad work before this one! No real crowd support (didn't expect any from previous reviews) but enough fellow runners that you had company. All in all, it was a very nice race, with easy transportation to the start. The only glitch was the lack of toilet paper in porta-potties - when you finally got to them (such as mile 13). I checked 5 different ones and all had none left (this was at the 2-hour mark of race). One round of restocking after the 1/2 marathon start was definitely in order. The race had a very nice feel - small but not so small that you felt isolated at any point. And yes - friendly organizers. | |
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C. L. from Carrboro, NC
(9/7/2008)
"Enchanted!" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New Mexico Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 I love New Mexico, and I loved this marathon! The high desert scenery is spectacular, the course is very runnable, and all the attention to detail and special touches (festive finish area, lots of food, pottery medal, massages, etc.) were greatly appreciated. Thanks very much for a wonderful experience in the Land of Enchantment! | |
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50 states runner from Out west
(9/7/2008)
"Pretty boring" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New Mexico Marathon
COURSE: 2 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 2 I am not the kind of runner that needs nor wants a whole lot of fan fare, but in its absence I like some scenery. I thought the course was extremely boring and not very scenic. I would say it was my least favorite of my nearly 30 marathons. Finish line food was sparse. Awards were nice. However, I thought the organization was decent and you could tell that they cared. | |
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B. A. from Memphis, TN
(9/6/2008)
"Loved it.... Thanks guys!" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New Mexico Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 The cool early start was way more welcome than I thought it would be, and the altitude was not a factor even for a flat-lander like me - I just took it easy in the beginning and you can easy catch up to your goal pace during the 7-mile downhill. A little boring during the bike path portion, but if you run on the gravel, it makes for a good change of surface. All in all, a great 10th state to do a marathon in. Ps. Sneak in a visit to the Petroglyph National Monument and the dormant volcanoes, and your visit to NM is complete. | |
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E. D. from Miami, Fl USA
(9/3/2008)
"Small, well run, awesome course" (about: 2008)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 New Mexico Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 From the Sandia Mountains to the Rio Grande, there was awesome scenery on the course! Excellent volunteers and a race director that is accessible and will actually talk to you! Nice, calm atmosphere - no artificial rah-rah - AND a hand-crafted medal! Very enjoyable experience. If you're coming from sea level like me, take a few extra days to get used to the higher elevation. |
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